May Video of the Month - Clam Worm

This month we welcomed Essex Technical High School students from Massachusetts to campus for a marine biology field course. While in search of marine worms at Pottery Creek the students were very fortunate to see lots of male clam worms (Nereis virens) spawning.  The females spawn while in their burrows in the sediment so were not seen. While spawning the males have a break down of their tissues and do not survive the process.  The lunar cycle and a rise in the water temperature seem to initiate the spawning swarm and it occurs for a very short period of time each year.  It was very exciting to see and experience this process.

All Things Marine

This summer we are so excited to be offering All Things Marine, a new residential program for Families and Friends! This program is open to everyone over the age of 10 and would be great for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and kids to attend. The program runs Wednesday to Saturday with two date options: July 6-9 or August 17-20.  

During this program discover the:
*  biodiversity of local ecosystems,
*  weird and wonderful invertebrate inhabitants of the area,
*  plankton drifters that start most marine food chains,
*  invaders new and old,
*  St. Andrews By‐the‐Sea maritime connections, and
*  links between art and biology.

The course includes three night ensuite accommodation in our beautiful Anderson House residence, nine meals from Wednesday supper to Saturday lunch, all instructional fees, boat and lab rental, Aquarium admission and taxes. You just need to find your way to St. Andrews, NB!

Have fun creating memories with us while learning about the amazing creatures that call the Bay of Fundy home!

For more information about this exciting new program you can visit our website, call (506) 529-1200, email or visit the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium, open daily 10am to 5pm.

Science Communication Workshop

A Science Communication Workshop is being offered at the Huntsman July 20-22, 2016.  This workshop, presented by Anton Holland, President and CEO NIVA Inc. will cover the role of scientists in communicating science to different types of audiences, what their motivations for doing so might be, why it is important, and tips and tools for doing it effectively.

The workshop will also cover pitfalls that should be avoided, with examples of actual missteps and how they could have been avoided.

Workshop Fee includes all instruction and material, two hours of post-workshop consultation, breakfast and lunch daily and admission to the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium. (Taxes are included).

Click on the link for more details and the workshop schedule: Science Communication Workshop.

Summer Programs at the Huntsman

While the Huntsman Education Department's spring and fall calendars are filled with high school groups from Ontario, Quebec and the US the summer is open for public field courses.

Please click on the links for info about our summer offerings.

- Homeschool Field Trip
June 27, 9:15am to noon
At Pottery Creek explore the diversity of animals that burrow in the mud when the tide goes out.

- Young Explorer Summer Day Camps
Wednesdays from July 13 to August 24, 9:15am to 3:00pm
Ages 7-12
Join us to learn about animals that call the Bay of Fundy home.

- Young Explorer Marine Biology Week
August 8-12, 9:15am to 3:00pm
Ages 7-12
Enjoy a special week of fun, hands-on education.

- Introduction to Marine Biology
July 11-15
Ages 15-18
This residential field course is a full week of exciting discoveries.

- All Things Marine
Two options: July 6-9 or August 17-20
Open to families and friends over 10 years old
This NEW course runs Wednesday to Saturday.

- University Field Courses
Virginia Military Institute, Guelph, McGill, Western, UNB

Registration for the following summer programs are done with our partner organizations:

- Triathlon Marine Biology Day Camp
July 8, 8:00am - 3:30pm
Ages 7-12
Registration for this program is done with the Triathlon organizers.

- Charlotte County Boys & Girls Club Marine Biology Week 
August 15-19
Ages 7-12
Registration for this program is done through the BGCCC.

- Road Scholar Educational Adventures for Lifelong Learners
Two options: July 3-9 or September 18-24
This program begins at the Huntsman and finishes on the beautiful island of Grand Manan.

For any questions about these or any programs at the Huntsman please call (506) 529-1200, email huntsman@huntsmanmarine.ca or stop into the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium.

Film: Ghost Gear Retrieval in the Bay of Fundy

This is a great video by the Fundy North Fishermen's Association about their Ghost Gear Retrieval project. A portion of this video was recorded with Dr. Catherine Hood at the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium.  Dr. Hood teaches the McGill University Marine Mammals field course at the Huntsman during the summer.

PromoScience: Huntsman Marine Science Centre

We are excited to share a video of the Huntsman Education Department that was produced by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC). The Education Department receives funding from NSERC through the PromoScience program to promote an understanding of science with young Canadians.  PromoScience especially supports hands-on learning experiences for young students and their science teachers, which fits very well with the hands-on field courses and programs that are offered by the Huntsman.

Science Odyssey at the Huntsman

This year the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) kicked off Science Odyssey, a new ten-day celebration of science and technology. The focus is to engage and inspire young Canadians and the general public by showcasing Canada's STEM accomplishments.

As part of this celebration the Huntsman Education Department invited students from local high schools to participate in a day of hands-on marine biology.

Check out some pictures from our two days of Science Odyssey fun!

Excitedly preparing for the arrival of students!

On the search for the invasive green crab.

Gathering data on the size and gender of each green crab found.

Counted and marked.

Collecting plankton while aboard the research vessel.

We had some parents participate in the program also.

Sorting through the animals collected in the benthic drag.

We collected a beautiful blood star.

And lots of urchins!

Making slides of the plankton collected from the bay.

Jelly from the plankton sample.

Touring the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium.

The urchins were spawning in the touch tank!

In the lab studying echinoderm anatomy.

Conducting an experiment to see if size effects the flipping rate of sea stars.

The common sea stars are amazingly flexible!

Below are some great pictures of the program shared by one of the parent chaperones, Graeme Ellis.

College Francais

This past weekend we hosted Grade 9 students from College Francais that were at the Huntsman for a field course from Quebec.  The weekend was filled with hands-on experiences including exploring a rocky intertidal zone, sampling plankton and benthic invertebrates while aboard our research vessel, touring the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium, gathering data on an invasive species and identifying and conducting experiments with the live animals in the wet labs.

While here the students also had the chance to explore the unique town that is St. Andrews by-the-Sea.

Below are some pictures of our fun weekend. We also were posting pictures on the Huntsman Education Department twitter account while the group was on campus.

Playing plankton bingo in the lab.

View of the plankton sample through the microscope.

The research vessel the Fundy Spray.

Collecting plankton from the bay.

Sorting and counting the benthic invertebrates.

Enjoying the touch tanks at the aquarium.

Exploring the intertidal zone. 

Observing and drawing the animals collected, such as this sand dollar.

A beautiful drawing of a waved whelk.

Conducting an experiment with echinoderms in the lab.

Acrobatic sea star!

Take note of the 5-sided symmetry on the sea urchin.

Graphing the experimental data with the math teacher.

Searching for the invasive green crabs.

Found one!

Collecting data on the size and gender of the crabs.

Essex Technical High School

This week an eager group of  grade 11 students from Massachusetts arrived on campus for a marine biology field course. Throughout the week the students collected specimens from the bay while aboard our research vessel, explored rocky and soft sediment intertidal zones, studied their finds in the lab, conducted experiments with barnacles and echinoderms, toured the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium, rode a ferry in the Bay of Fundy, visited a lobster pound and hiked to two lighthouses.

Here are some of the pictures from our excursions this week.  Also, there is a cool video of a clam worm on the Huntsman Education Department twitter account.

Great day to explore the shore!

Found a beautiful brittle star.

There was a negative tide so the students had lots to explore...

they even found a lobster!

The students identified over 30 organisms from their exploration of the rocky intertidal zone.

Heading out on the Fundy Spray.

The captain emptying the benthic drag.

Learning about the animals from the bottom of the bay.

Notice the three fixed fingers on the claw of this crab.

The phytoplankton is blooming!

Buckets and shovels to explore the muddy beach.

Got to see the clam worms spawning!

Live sand dollars.

Blood worm.

Outside is our classroom.

Gathering data on the invasive green crabs.

Studying the worms in the lab.

Testing how temperature effects the feeding rate of barnacles.

At Green's Point Lighthouse watching the strong tidal currents.

Riding the Deer Island ferry in the Bay of Fundy.

Visiting a lobster pound.

The staff at the pound were sorting and grading the lobsters.

This one was 15 lbs!

Lunch overlooking islands in the Bay of Fundy.

Picnic at Pea Point Lighthouse.

Saw the Grand Manan ferry from our lunch spot.

Studying if size effects the flipping rate of echinoderms.

Sea stars are so flexible!