Thursday 18 October 2012

ECS Day 3

Today is the last day that the students from ECS in Montreal will be here at the Huntsman.  The students began the day with a field trip to Pottery Creek where they took note of and marked the invasive species; green crabs.  This is done a few times a year in order to keep track of the population of this species and also to monitor its movements.  This data is important, as it gives us an idea of how far and how quickly this particular invasive species has spread.  Before lunch the students created artwork of different sea life for our Colour Spectrum Mural which is on display in the lower level of the aquarium.  This afternoon the students will be studying the feeding rate of barnacles and how it is affected by temperature change.
 
In order to find the green crabs, the students and their teachers, looked under rocks and seaweed.

 
Some of the data collected from Pottery Creek.  Note that there are many more male crabs than female.

 
As the tide came in some areas of the beach became inaccesable.

 
Here students bearing crabs converge on Tracey so that she may mark and record the data.

 
Looking under the rocks is sometimes a team effort.

 
This particular crab, marked with a smiley face, might not be happy to see you if you can catch him again.

No comments:

Post a Comment