Lobster Advanced Explorer Day 2017

Today was the last Advanced Explorer program of the summer and the theme was lobsters and other marine arthropods. It was a great day of hands-on learning! The students did a wonderful job teaching the aquarium guests about the animals at the end of the day.

Exploring the intertidal zone.

Gathering data on green crabs.

The students even found a skate at the beach!

Lobster show and tell.

This lobster is growing back its crusher claw (note the little pink nub).

When lobsters moult they eat their old exoskeleton to regain nutrients. Here are a few leftover pieces.

How do barnacles react to different temperatures?

Have you ever seen a barnacle feeding?

Teaching others how to determine if a lobster is a male or female.

Thank you to the Advanced Explorers that took part in programs with us this summer at the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium. For upcoming programs check out this blog, our website, Twitter account or Facebook page.

Lobster Young Explorer Day 2017

Today was the last Young Explorer program of the summer and the theme was lobsters. We also learned about other marine arthropods such as green crabs, sideswimmers and barnacles.

Searching the intertidal zone for arthropods.

The students found lots of sideswimmers.

Discussing how to tell if a crab is male or female.

Making field guides of the animals they found on the beach.

Playing the crab survival game.

The students made barnacle crafts after watching the live animals feeding.

Up close and personal with a lobster.

Arthropod jokes: Why did the sideswimmer cross the beach? To get to the other tide!

Thank you to all the Young Explorers that took part in programs with us this summer at the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium. For upcoming programs check out this blog, our website, Twitter account or Facebook page.

Microscopic Advanced Explorer Day 2017

Today the students attending the Advanced Explorer program at the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium learned about plankton and how to use different microscopes. At the end of the day they shared their new knowledge with aquarium guests.

Learning how to prepare a slide.

Using the microscopes to view plankton.

Phytoplankton magnified 100x.

Copepods, a type of zooplankton, magnified 40x.

Making diatom racers. The slowest wins the race!

Can you match the planktonic larva to the adult?

 

Introducing aquarium guests to an urchin under a microscope.

Next Thursday, August 24 is the last Advanced Explorer program for the summer. The theme is Lobsters! We also have one more Young Explorer Day, Wednesday, August 23 for children aged 5-11. To register for these programs call 506-529-1245.

Microscopic Young Explorer Day 2017

This week the Young Explorers at the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium dived into the amazing microscopic world of plankton!

Learning to use the microscopes.

Phytoplankton

A copepod, a type of zooplankton.

Learning where plankton fits in the food chain.

Phytoplankton is the base of most marine food chains.

Exploring the beach and they found lots of rock gunnel fish and big green crabs. There was lots of excitement and shrieking!

The students found a few little green crabs.

Seastars

Urchin

Making phytoplankton.

One of the phytoplankton designs.

Next Wednesday, August 23 is the last Young Explorer Day of the summer. The theme is Lobsters! Also for children aged 11-15 we have two more Advanced Explorer Days, tomorrow, August 17 and next Thursday, August 24. To register for these programs call 506-529-1245.

All Things Marine 2017

This week we had four families from Canada and the US join us for All Things Marine, a field course for families. The field course is all inclusive with the families staying and eating on campus. The schedule included time in the field exploring the subtidal and intertidal environments, in the lab studying the live creatures, touring the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium, learning a bit about the history of St. Andrews by-the-Sea and making the connection between art and biology.

Anderson House

Onboard the research vessel, the Fundy Spray.

Conducting a scallop or benthic drag to collect animals from the bottom of the bay.

Sorting though the contents of the scallop drag.

A diversity of animals were collected including seastars, urchins, crabs and scallops.

The wharf.

Exploring a rocky intertidal zone.

Found a terebellid worm.

Searching in the tide pool.

Lots under this rock: seastars & urchins.

Another sunny day and a search for life in the sediments.

Foggy this morning.

Conducting a survey for the invasive green crab.

Each crab is measured and we take note of the gender.

The group found over 200 crabs!

There were also a few rock gunnel fish.