Young Explorer Sea Star Day - 2019

Today the Young Explorers at the aquarium learned about sea stars and other echinoderms (animals with spiny skin and 5-sided symmetry), such as sea urchins, brittle stars, sand dollars and sea cucumbers. We also had a chance to visit the touch tank, have a look at the other animals in the aquarium, including the seahorses, salmon, jellies, seals and lobsters, and explore the beach. Below are a few photos from the day.

Exploring the intertidal zone. 

Serious crab hunters!

Just a few of the green crabs that were found.

Making a field guide of the animals that we collected on the beach.

Mini-touch tank of echinoderms in the lab.

 

A variety of echinoderms: sea urchin, sand dollar, blood star, purple sunstar, brittle star, sea cucumber and common sea star.

Craft time!

Observing a live sea urchin. How to they move? How many teeth do they have?

Learning how to handle the animals safely.

Getting a closer look at a sea star using the microscope.