Presented by the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, St. Andrews, NB
Excellence in Education, Research and Science since 1969
Fall 2014
SeaWords is published twice a year Beyond Classroom Walls With 160 billion tonnes of water flowing in and out of the Bay of Fundy with each tidal cycle – more than the combined flow of the
world’s rivers – it is easy to see why its one of the seven natural wonders of Canada. For over 30 years the Huntsman Education
Department has introduced 42,000+ students to the wonderful classroom that is the Bay of Fundy.
Ten Reasons the Bay of Fundy is a Great Classroom
1.
Live specimens – Being able to touch and closely observe live marine creatures is an amazing opportunity that engages and
excites students.
2.
Real time data – Students are able to gather data on invasive species, marine mammals, fish, invertebrates, zonation patterns,
and temperature and salinity gradients.
3.
Cross curricular – Marine biology is the main focus however, math, art, history and language arts are all by-products as
students analyze statistics, complete biological drawings, learn about the area and fishing history and pick up new vocabulary.
4.
Biodiversity –As one of the most biologically rich and productive environments on our planet, the Bay offers encounters with
invertebrates, fish, seabirds, marine mammals, seaweeds, plankton and more. One group of students identified over 30 species
of invertebrates they had collected from the benthic and intertidal environments!
5.
Engages all senses – While out on our research vessel, students use all their senses, even taste. Sample a scallop you just
caught, smell the salt air, touch a slippery sea cucumber, listen to the gulls and see the beautiful ocean around you.
6.
Highest tides in the world – These amazing tides, that drop eight meters, in six hours allow students to walk on the ocean
floor and get a firsthand view of an ‘underwater habitat’.
7.
Encourages teachable moments – Being in the field allows teachers to take advantage of ideas that capture a student’s interest,
without the constraints of bells and class schedules.
8.
Flexible – Engages students of all learning styles and encourages curiosity.
9.
Unplugged – Why would you want to be plugged in when you could be on the search for a four foot worm on the mud flats?
10. It’s Canada – What better place to explore and understand but those habitats which are your own backyard.
To make the Bay of Fundy your classroom book a field trip. Contact us at (506) 529-1220 or [email protected].
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2015 Summer Field Courses Introduction to Marine Biology for young active minds A hands‐on experience in field biology. Discover the diversity of invertebrates, fish, seabirds and mammals living in and around the Bay of Fundy. Open to students 15 to 18 years old July 6th to 10th, 2015 All Things Marine teachers, friends, families A hands‐on marine experience with connections between biology, art, history, culture, cooking + more Open to teachers, friends & families July 20th to 24th, 2015 Booking, price and early-bird discount
information available at
www.huntsmanmarine.ca or (506) 529‐1200 About the Huntsman...
The Huntsman Marine Science Centre is a not-for-profit facility in St. Andrews,
New Brunswick, dedicated to education, research and applied science. Thousands
of students come to our campus each year, from elementary school to university
level. We publish this newsletter specifically for teachers twice a year. If you have
any marine biology questions, feature ideas, or things you’d like to see us cover,
contact us at:
Huntsman Marine Science Centre 1 Lower Campus Road, St. Andrews by‐the‐Sea, NB E5B 2L7 Canada 506.529‐1200 [email protected] Visit us online at www.huntsmanmarine.ca Aquarium educational opportunities
Schools visiting the aquarium can enjoy an additional
educational experience by adding hands-on programs that
connect to many outcomes in the New Brunswick curriculum.
Classes will work in the wet lab in the Huntsman Fundy
Discovery Aquarium. The lab can hold one class at a time.
Each program includes: interactive games and activities,
worksheets and animal encounters.
Pre-K and Kindergarten – Sensational Animals!
Explore live animals, such as prickly urchins
and slippery sea cucumbers, using your senses
of touch and sight.
Length: 45 minutes
Kindergarten, Grade 1 and 2 – Super Seals!
Learn all about harbour seals as we
discuss their lifecycle, play mother
and pup communication games and
move just like they move in the wild.
Length: 45 minutes
Grade 3 and 4 – Hiding in Plain Sight!
Join us to learn how some of the animals
in the aquarium use camouflage to hide
from predators and from prey. Who will
you find hiding in plain sight?
Length: one hour
Grade 6 and 7 – Awesome Arthropods!
Interact with a variety of live marine
arthropods such as barnacles, rock crabs
and hermit crabs!
Length: one hour
Keep up to date…
pictures, videos, articles, activities and more!
http://huntsmaneducation.blogspot.ca
@HuntsmanEdDept
HuntsmanEdDept
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As Pablo Neruda’s famous quote states:
“I need the sea because it teaches me.”
“For me it is a real treasure to see how wide-eyed students become when they get a chance to
leave the classroom and put meaning to things we learn from a textbook.”
- Mr. Podlovics, Crestwood Preparatory College, Toronto
“The opportunities that the HMSC and its education staff provide generates excitement and
engagement within our student body that fosters a greater interest and understanding of
science that stays with our students long after we return home.”
- Mr. Armstrong, Turner Fenton Secondary School, Brampton
“[Huntsman] provide the students with a unique experience, not possible to create in the traditional
classroom environment. Students are engaged in a variety of learning experiences over the two day [Grade 6
Ocean Discovery program], which touch on nearly every provincial curriculum outcome within the
biodiversity unit.”
- Mr. Kernighan, St. George Elementary, New Brunswick
“[Huntsman have designed] a program that satisfies the International Baccalaureate requirements as well as
providing a stimulating experience that meets the multiple intelligence level of all students. Alumni will
often comment to the significance these field trips had in their high school memories and for many it has
been pivotal in their future academic decisions.”
- Mrs. Savoie, Saint John High, New Brunswick
“This course motivates students to learn by having varied activities… it is crazy busy, but too FUN!”
- Ms. Giroux, St. Mark Catholic High School, Ottawa
Invasive Species Monitoring
The European green crab (Carcinus maenas) is
listed as one of the 100 Worst Invasive Species in
the World by the International Union for
Conservation of Nature. Since the 1950s these crabs
have been found in the Bay of Fundy.
Students participating in field courses at the
Huntsman have been monitoring a local population
of these invasive crabs for three years.
Below is the data collected by one group of students.
More green crab data can be found on our website
http://huntsmanmarine.ca/subcontents/id/17/sid/46.
We always catch more males than females? Why?
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Activity: Floating Fishes
Modified from ‘Awesome Ocean Science! Investigating the Secrets of the
Underwater World’ by Cindy A. Littlefield
Grade level: Elementary and up
Purpose: To investigate how different fish species have adapted to deal with
buoyancy.
Background: Fish have flesh and bones or cartilage that makes them heavier
than water. Some fish, such as flounder and sculpin will start to sink as soon
as they stop swimming, others such as salmon and cod are equipped with a
special gas-filled chamber called a swim bladder that allows them to rise,
descend, or stay put at different water levels. By increasing the amount of
gas, they can make themselves bigger without increasing their weight to
make themselves more buoyant (float more easily). Some fish, such as
goldfish, literally gulp air and pass it down the gastrointestinal tract to the
swim bladder and inflate their “inner balloon”. Other fish, such as salmon,
inflate the swim bladder using internal gas exchange. Instead of a swim
bladder to boost their buoyancy sharks have a large oil-filled liver. Oil is
lighter than water so this helps them to float more easily. However, some
sharks still need to swim to help maintain their buoyancy.
Sea Creature Facts: Skates Skates are a cartilaginous fish related to sharks and rays. Five different species of skate are found in the Bay of Fundy: little, winter, barndoor, thorny, and smooth. You can touch these beautiful fish in the small touch pool at the Huntsman Fundy Discovery Aquarium!! Insights Skates are oviparous, which means they lay eggs. The Materials:
protective case of the egg is often called a  vegetable oil
mermaid’s purse.  funnel with a small spout
 3 rubber bands
While inside the egg case the embryo has a whip like  3 balloons
extension on the tail that is used to circulate water.  3 pennies
The embryo is attached to a yolk that provides  water
nourishment.  a bucket filled with water
Procedure:
Skates do not have a poisonous barb on their tail like a 1. Fill the bucket with water.
stingray, but rely on thorny projections on their body 2. Fill the balloons by stretching the neck over the tip of the funnel.
for protection from predators. Fill them just enough to give them shape.
 Balloon 1 = air to simulate a salmon with a swim bladder
The eyes on the top of their body to allow them to see  Balloon 2 = water to simulate a flounder that must swim to
when buried in the sand. move up in the water
 Balloon 3 = vegetable oil to simulate a shark with an oily liver
3. Tightly wind a rubber band around the neck of each balloon to seal. While lying on the ocean floor, skates use a pair of 4. Insert a penny for weight in the end of each balloon neck.
openings just behind their eyes, called spiracles, to 5. Draw the predicted position of each balloon in the water.
allow oxygenated water to be drawn into the gills 6. Place the balloons in the water-filled bucket.
from above. 7. Draw the actual position of each balloon in the water.
The gender can easily be determined by looking for Questions:
1. Was your prediction correct?
claspers, two pencil‐shaped organs on either side of 2. Which fish has the advantage when it comes to staying afloat?
a male’s tail. 3. Why would it be beneficial for some fish to sink to the bottom?
4. For older students: research the gas exchange in the swim bladder.
To teach your class about skates try Gyotaku, the art of 5. Optional: Dissect a fish to examine its swim bladder.
Japanese fish printing. 4