Ocean Discovery - Harry Miller

Six classes from Harry Miller Middle School took part in the Grade 6 Ocean Discovery program over the past few weeks.  While on campus the students played plankton bingo, studied live marine invertebrates during a classification lab, tested if size affects the flipping rate of echinoderms and had lunch around the touch tank.  Here are some photos of our fun.

Learning about the amazing life of lobsters.

Hands-on time with a live lobster.

Viewing plankton through the microscope.

There were lots of copepods in the plankton sample.

Fun at the touch tank during lunch break.

Beautiful purple sunstar found in the touch tank.

Timing the flipping rate of an urchin.

Sea stars do not like being upside down.

Working on a classification activity in the lab. 

The students observed arthropods in the lab including this acadian hermit crab...

and non-arthropods including this blood star.

Using the field guide to look up Latin names.

Someone found a soft-shelled clam on the beach. 

The students looking through the seaweed for creatures with one of our interpreters.

Ocean Discovery - Forest Hills

This week we welcomed four classes of grade 6 students from Forest Hills School to campus to participate in the Ocean Discovery Program.  The students had the opportunity to learn about classification using live marine invertebrates, study plankton using microscopes and experiment with sea stars and sea urchins.  They also enjoyed lunch around the touch tank and a walk through the aquarium at the end of the day.

Describing the characteristics of a sand dollar.

Hmm, which species of sea star is it?

Up close and personal with a rock crab!

Checking out the view through the microscope.

Lots of plankton to seen.

Bravely picking up the green crab.

Touch tank fun at lunch.

Beautiful purple sunstar, brittle star and blood star!

Flipping urchins...

and sea stars.

Learning how scientists study the ocean.

Watching the seal feeding.

Ocean Discovery - Blacks Harbour

Today we had the Grade 6 students from Blacks Harbour School on campus to take part in the Ocean Discovery Program.  While here the students studied marine invertebrates, played plankton bingo, had lunch around the touch tank and learned about lobsters.  It was a great day!

In a few weeks I will visit the class at their school to complete a few more marine related experiments and activities.  See you soon!

Having fun using the microscopes.

Phytoplankton and zooplankton.

Drawing some of the plankton they saw under the microscope.

You never know what you might find in the touch tank.  This is a spiny sunstar.

Checking out the skates at lunch.

Rock crab in the lab.

Learning about latin names.

Having a look at the scallop's many eyes.

Clyde the 27lbs lobster specimen.

Can you spot the little lobster?

Ocean Discovery - Quispamsis

This week we have welcomed the grade 6 students from Quispamsis Middle School to campus as part of the Ocean Discovery Program.  This program that is tied to the science curriculum has students in the lab using microscopes to view plankton, conducting behaviour experiments using sea stars and urchins, observing marine arthropods, and either exploring the intertidal zone or learning about lobsters in the theatre depending on the weather.  Check out some pictures from the visits.

Learning to use the microscopes

View of plankton through the microscope.

One day we had a special visitor bring larval fishes for us to look at.  He is a great uncle to one of the students and also a scientist at the Huntsman.  

Deep sea flounder larvae.  Notice the other eye has not migrated to the 'top' of the fish yet.

Ocean sunfish larvae through the microscope.

This is what an ocean sunfish looks like when it grows up.

Scorpionfish larvae through the microscope.

Studying arthropods in the lab.

Fun at the touch tank during lunch.

Sea stars are a favourite!

Look at the tube feet on that urchin!

Amazing acrobatic sea star!

Beach adventure!

Rare beach finds, an american sand lance and rock gunnel fish.

Students have found green crabs big and small in the intertidal zone.

December Video of the Month - Macoma clam

This macoma clam (Macoma balthica) was found in the mud flats at Pottery Creek (the beach in front of the Blockhouse in St. Andrews).  These small clams live in the soft surface mud with their long inhalant siphon sucking organic deposits from the surface.  The below picture shows the distinctive patterns that their roving siphons leave on the surface.  Note in the video that the organic matter can actually be seen going down the siphon.  Cool!