SeaWords Fall 2016

Hot off the presses is the Fall 2016 edition of the Huntsman Education Department newsletter, SeaWords: Marine Biology in the Classroom. We publish this newsletter specifically for teachers twice a year. 

In this edition you will find:

• University At Its Best - educating future ocean leaders
• Oceans of Friendship - encouraging a passion for the sea
• Activity: Squid Propulsion Experiment
• Sea Creature Facts: Squid (Doryteuthis pealeii)
• Dates for our summer field courses & day programs

If you have any marine biology questions, feature ideas, things you’d like to see us cover, or would like to be added to our contact list send us an email. 

Summer Field Courses 2017

We are very excited to share the field courses we are offering at the Huntsman during the summer of 2017.

1) Introduction to Marine Biology
Open to students aged 15-18.
This always popular program is a hands-on experience in field biology. Discover the diversity of invertebrates, fish, seabirds and mammals that live in and around the Bay of Fundy.



2) Introduction to Marine Mammals & Seabirds
Open to students aged 15-18.
During this NEW program discover the diversity of whales, porpoise, seals & seabirds that live in and around the Bay of Fundy. Students will have a chance to see these animals first hand on the course boat trips.



3) All Things Marine
Open to families & friends, 10 years old and over.
This course, started in 2016, is a hands-on introduction to marine biology, with a little bit of maritime history. What we catch and collect at low tide is what we will observe in the lab.



All programs include accommodations, home cooked meals, boat and lab fees, aquarium admissions and taxes. You just need to make your way to beautiful St. Andrews by-the-Sea, NB.

More information about all of our courses can be found by following the links to our website, calling (506) 529-1200 or emailing huntsman@huntsmanmarine.ca.

Saint John High Gr 12 IB Bio

This weekend we have the Gr 12 IB Biology students from Saint John High School on campus. While here the students conducted a mark-recapture field study on periwinkles, gathered data on zonation patterns in the intertidal zone, had a presentation on sponges from Dr. Claire Goodwin, a researcher at a section of the Huntsman called the Atlantic Reference Centre, did an experiment to determine if size affects the flipping rate of sea stars and urchins, and designed their own behaviour lab.  It was a busy weekend!

Below are some pictures from their adventures.

Reviewing intertidal seaweeds and animals in preparation for the zonation lab.

Some of the animals to be identified: rough-mantled nudibranch, terebellid worm and common periwinkles.

Dr. Claire Goodwin from the ARC discussing her research on sponges.

Preparing a slide to have a look at sponge spicules.

Spicules help to identify the species of sponge. 

Marking periwinkles to estimate the population.

Pink sparkly periwinkles!

Zonation at Holey Point.

Elevation measurement.

Flipping sea star...very flexible!

Flipping urchin...lots of moving spines and tube feet!

Also, check out the Huntsman Education Department twitter account for more pictures.

Bell High 2016

Wow! The wonderful Bell High School teachers have been bringing students to the Huntsman Marine Science Centre for 17 years! Below are some pictures from this year's awesome marine biology field trip.

Having fun in the rain exploring the diversity of animals living in the intertidal zone.

Lots of animals hiding under the rocks, including these small sea stars.

Collecting plankton while on the research vessel.

Learning about the animals living on the bottom of the bay.

Two adorable tiny scallops.

A large Jonah crab.

Beautiful morning on the mud flats.

Searching for marine worms.

Blood worm.

The students in the lab observing the live animals they collected from the boat and beach.

Studying the anatomy of a sea urchin.

The students visited Grand Manan Island to go whale watching with Sea Watch Tours. They saw some humpbacks that were very active at the surface.

Also, they were very lucky to see Old Thom, an orca whale that is occasionally spotted in the Bay of Fundy. Exciting!! 

On the hunt for invasive green crabs.

One of the 257 crabs the students found.

Data on the size and gender of each crab is collected.

Also, found a porpoise skull...

and spine on the beach. 

Experiment day! Students were determining if size affected the flipping rate of urchins ...

or sea stars.

Other students tested the strength of echinoderms...

or how temperature effects the feeding rate of barnacles.

South Carleton, Earl of March & Osgoode

This week we welcomed over 40 students from three schools within the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (South Carleton High, Earl of March Secondary and Osgoode Township High) to the Huntsman campus for a week long marine biology field course. Below are some pictures from their week in New Brunswick.

The students on our research vessel, the Fundy Spray.

Sorting through the animals collected using the benthic drag.

One of the groups caught a lobster!

The plankton collected from the bay ready to be studied. 

Using the microscopes to identify the collected plankton.  

Touring the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium.

Exploring the diverse animals of a rocky intertidal zone.

Lots of sea stars under this rock!

In the lab having a closer look at the collected invertebrates, including this scallop.

The students drew, described and identified their invertebrates.

Dr. Heather Hunt speaking to the students about the UNB marine semester that is based at the Huntsman. 

Studying the anatomy of sea stars & urchins.

Assisting with data collection about invasive green crabs.

The crabs are measured, categorised by gender & marked.

Exploring the diversity of animals that live in a muddy shore.

A large blood worm collected from the mud.

Behaviour lab: does the size of the urchin affect flipping rate?

Behaviour lab: how do different arthropods react to light?

Doing a Kahoot to test their knowledge from the week.

For more pictures from the marine biology week check out the Huntsman Education Department twitter.