DAPHNE, Ala.—The jubilee is an ecological phenomenon that, when weather conditions are just right, washes blue crabs, shrimp and bottom-feeding fish onto the shores of Mobile Bay.

Though few studies have been done on the topic, the city of Daphne’s Web site reports that jubilees take place in the summer, usually in the ‘wee’ hours before sunrise.

To help residents better understand the event, SEEDS—Supporting Education Enrichment in Daphne’s Schools—offered a family-oriented course called “Meet Me at the Jubilee” as part of its Summer Lyceum program.

A primary function of the course was to inform students of three weather conditions necessary for the phenomenon: a calm bay with an east wind, dissolved oxygen level in the water and an incoming tide.

Tom Byrne, a frequent sailor, educated the class about weather conditions and safety.

“I just keep an eye out for wind direction and tide charts,” he said. “We need an east wind (for the jubilee) so our side of the bay is calm.

“A thunderstorm out of the bay would be good because it tends to calm things down.” Thunderstorms attract a large portion of the air’s energy.

Byrne explained to children that it’s important to use lanterns at night and to be aware of one’s surroundings.

Matthew Trawick, 6, said his favorite part of the class was catching fish.

“We caught a baby trout,” he said. “It looked like it was dead and dizzy. It wasn’t even flipping around or anything.”

He also caught shrimp.

“The instructors proposed the idea for the course back in January and have worked hard ever since to plan a fun, fascinating experience for local families,” SEEDS executive director Denise D’Oliveira said.

“We designed it to be multi-generational,” teacher Sally Wilson said. “We tried to give the adults some new academic info but kept it fun enough for the kids to follow.”

Wilson said the class taught the science behind the jubilee.

“We learned how to hold a crab,” she said. “A couple of the adults got pinched.”

The class, which included information on fish anatomy and how bottom-dwellers are different from fish and crustaceans, also provided family bonding.

“Students of varying ages and their parents—and in some cases, grandparents—have learned about what happens at a jubilee and how the event brings together families and neighbors to reap the seafood bounty the phenomenon produces,” D’Oliveira said.