Leo Hayes High School

Yesterday afternoon a group of grade 11 students taking an Outdoor Pursuits class at Leo Hayes High School arrived on campus for a two night stay.  For the afternoon the students helped us to gather data on the invasive green crab species along a local shoreline.  We collected and marked 39 specimens, one of which was an egg bearing female.  The smallest crab found was 0.5 cm (wow, someone had good eyes!) and the largest collected was 6.5 cm.  While everyone did really well, the title of crab whisperer would have to go to Zane who found the greatest number of green crabs!  Below are some pictures from the afternoon.    

The crew excited to be in St. Andrews!

Looking under the rocks and seaweed.

Recording the carapace size and sex of each crab.

Searching for the hiding green crabs.

One of the crabs with its bright orange nail polish mark.

Barnhill Middle School – Ocean Discovery

Today we had two classes of students from Barnhill Middle School on campus to take part in the Ocean Discovery Program.  The students had a lot of fun using the microscopes to look at phytoplankton and zooplankton, working with the live animals during the classification lab, and exploring the shore.  Much to the delight of the students there were lots of crabs on the beach, including one that was only a few millimeters wide!

Drawing an acadian hermit crab.

Playing plankton bingo.

Plankton through the microscope.

On the hunt for crabs!

Saint John High – Grade 11 IB Biology

For the past three days we’ve had classes from Saint John High visiting for the day.  While on campus the students went on the boat, worked in the plankton lab, did a classification lab with marine benthic invertebrates, and conducted a behaviour experiment with barnacles.  Below are some pictures from their adventures.

Checking out the collected phytoplankton...

and zooplankton.

Bringing up the bottom drag.

Sorting through the contents from the drag.

Having a taste of scallop fresh from the ocean!

Classifying sponge.

Timing barnacle feeding rates.

Changing the temperature of the water to

see if it effects the barnacle feeding rates.

 

Rothesay Netherwood – Ocean Discovery

Yesterday on campus we had a class of Grade 6 students from Rothesay Netherwood School here to take part in the Ocean Discovery Program.  This program addresses the curriculum outcomes of the Grade 6 Life Science: Diversity of Life unit in New Brunswick.  
 
Activities the students conducted throughout the day included exploring the intertidal zone, playing plankton bingo using the microscopes, drawing and identifying arthropods and other marine invertebrates, and conducting a behaviour experiment with sea stars and sea urchins.  At the end of the day the students had a quick walk through the aquarium to see the seals, seahorses and animals in the touch pools.  It was a great day with a great group of students!  

Exploring the beach.

The students found lots of green crabs!

Viewing plankton collected from the bay.

Making their own classification system.

Describing the characteristics of a hermit crab.

Wow, only 33 seconds for this sea star to flip over!

Saint John High – Grade 12 IB

Yesterday we had a class of grade 12 IB Advanced Biology students from Saint John High arrive on campus for the weekend.  Most of the students had come to the Huntsman previously with their Grade 11 IB Biology class for a day trip so this weekend is building on the knowledge and skills they gained during that trip.
 
After dropping off some items in their rooms at Needler Hall the group joined us in the lab to review intertidal flora and fauna.  The students did some field sketches and quick descriptions of 20 species of invertebrates and seaweeds they could encounter while working on their zonation projects later in the day.  Some of the species the students worked with included smooth periwinkles, blue mussels, limpets, irish moss, and sea lettuce.   
 
After a quick lunch in the lab some university students taking part in the UNBSJ semester course at the Huntsman talked to the high school students about their projects and the course in general.   Then the group toured the aquaculture research facilities on campus.  Chris and Susan from the aquaculture department talked to the students about some of the different research projects, as well as, the salmon life cycle, the water filtration systems in the facilities, and salmon genetics.  The students got to see the salmon broodstock, the sea lice library, and cute seahorses!
 
As we waited for the tide to go out the students had some time in the aquarium to check out the seals, lobsters, and all of the animals in the touch pools.  The animals in the touch pool were being feed so we got to see the rock gunnel fish, green crabs, and hermit crabs coming out to feed.  It was funny to watch the little rock gunnels as they always seemed to choose the biggest pieces of fish!
 
When the tide was moving out the students headed to the beach to mark periwinkles as part of a mark/recapture project.  Each group marked with nail polish 20 periwinkles within a 2 meter radius.
 
Then they moved over to Holey Point to gather data for their zonation project.  The students moved along a transect line and put down a quadrate every 2.5 meters.  They had to count the animals and seaweed holdfasts within their quadrate.  Some of the species found included barnacles, green crabs, sideswimmers, common periwinkles, and lots and lots of knotted wrack and rockweed.  Despite a bit of rain and wind the students were troopers and covered most of the beach before it was time to go for supper.
 
This morning the students went to the beach early to recapture the periwinkles they had marked yesterday.  Of the 20 periwinkles marked the highest number found was 18 and the lowest was 9. 
 
Then the students came into the lab to conduct a right-side up lab with the sea stars and urchins.  They had to flip over each animal and time how long it took to flip back.  The students were testing to see if diameter or mass had any effect on the flipping rate.  Everyone was really amazed to see the movement of the animals, especially those acrobatic sea stars!
 
This afternoon the students will be working on behaviour labs they have designed on their own.  They have some interesting ideas, let’s hope the animals cooperate!

Working on field sketches.

Checking out the salmon.

Chris talking to the students about research on site.

Enjoying the scallops at the touch pool.

Sea star!

Searching for 20 periwinkles.

Marked and ready for release.

What lives in quadrate 2?

Elevation...is this level?

Flipping sea stars.

How big is your urchin?

Harbour View High

A group of grade 12 Marine Biology students from Harbour View High joined us on campus today to get their hands wet while immersing themselves in their studies. 
 
While here the students completed two collection trips on our research vessel, the Fundy Spray.  Onboard the boat the students collected plankton to take back to school to study.  The samples even included five or six little comb jellies, which were very cool!  Then scallop drags were conducted to collect invertebrates from the ocean floor.  When the drag was brought onto the boat the students sorted through what was collected to find animals such as sea stars, sea urchins, hermit crabs, sponges, blood stars, sea peaches, scale worms, scallops, sea cucumbers, and brittle stars.  Some of the animals were brought back to the lab for the students to study.  The group couldn’t have asked for better weather.  It was a beautiful day to be on the water!
 
While in the lab the students did biological drawings and descriptions of five animals from different phyla.  Including the animals collected on the boat the students also were able to study green crabs, rock crabs, and a cute little sea spider.  The students were excited to see the animals moving around in the specimen bowls and reacting to each other.  The group had lots of questions about the different parts of the animals, how to tell if they are male or female, and what they eat.         
 
To finish off the students completed a behaviour experiment with the live sea stars and sea urchins to see if size affects their flipping rate.  The students were amazed to see how the echinoderms move using the suction cups on their tube feet.  The stars were definitely more flexible than the urchins!               

Below are some pictures from the day (please excuse the incorrect date on the pictures). 

Group 1 onboard the Fundy Spray.

Diligently drawing a rock crab.

Measuring the fiesty green crab.

Hmmm, which phylum?

Describing a common sea star.

Flipping sea star...wow!

No School, Camp’s Cool! – Oct 10 & 11

The past two days we had students participating in the No School, Camp’s Cool Program at the Fundy Discovery Aquarium, while the schools were closed for teacher development days. 
 
Yesterday the theme was the Deep Sea.  We played 3D Ocean Bingo, coloured and painted glow in the dark deep sea animals, played deep sea flashlight tag, made a yeti crab, played a game about deep sea light patterns, and painted and coloured a picture depicting the different zones in the ocean.
 
Today’s theme was the Beach.  We explored the beach (and found at least 15 green crabs!), played the Periwinkle Friend or Foe board game, made a tide craft, played Worm Zoo and Escaped!, made a worm craft, and played deep sea flashlight tag because it was so much fun yesterday!
 
It was a great few days and we look forward to the next No School, Camp’s Cool Program on November 29!  For more information visit the aquarium website and click on Camps/Programs, www.huntsmanmarine.ca/aquarium.

Making glow in the dark deep sea animals.

What lives in the different layers of the ocean?

Deep sea flashlight tag...the angler fish is coming for you!

Yeti crab craft.

Exploring the intertidal zone.

Showing off the baby green crabs.

Tide craft

Playing worm zoo.

Clam worm craft.

Clarington Central – Final Day

This morning the group departed with their lunch in tow.  We enjoyed working with the students and teachers and hope they all enjoyed themselves as well.  In speaking with the students last evening it was great to hear their thoughts on the trip.  Some of the students were just surprised they were now able to handle all the animals without fear.  Some really enjoyed being able to visit this part of the country and the Bay of Fundy. 

Thank you for visiting, we hope to see you all again!
 
Below are some more great pictures from their visit taken by one of the students.

Toad crab

Onboard the Jolly Breeze.

Porpoises in the Bay.

Teachers and students onboard the Fundy Tide Runner.

Fin whale spout.

Fin whale dorsal fin.