NOTE: Students may register for **individual classes or the entire series. We do recommend (but not require) that everyone begin with the September program.
Participation in the June graduation requires completion of at least 6 classes, not including the June program.
**Open registration for individual classes begins on September 30th.
*Monthly billing is available - additional $5 per month transaction fee will apply.
FRC Member Fee: *$25 per class when doing the entire series of 10 classes. **Individual classes are $35.
Non member Fee: *$50 per class when doing the entire series of 10 classes. **Individual classes are $60.
The world of water – today over 70% of the earth is covered with water and
the majority of that water is contained in the ocean.Tides continuously flow
in and out; currents move millions of gallons around the globe, all playing
an important role in defining the ocean environment. Learn how the tides,
currents, and waves effect and define the ocean environment. What other
parts of the world are experiencing high tide when the tide is high in New
England. Why are deep water currents constantly moving, and what causes
this water to be in an ever-flowing cycle? What causes waves and tides?
Physical aspects of the oceans (currents, tides, waves, etc) create unique living conditions for marine organisms. In fact the ocean is set up in distinct zones and communities that vary as much as rainforests and deserts. Find out how these physical factors create distinct zones, which lead to very different types of communities and habitats.
Activities:
Students will meet the Biomes staff at Fort Getty Park in Jamestown, RI for an outdoor exploration of Narragansett Bay. Habitats include a sandy beach, rocky tide pools, salt marsh and eel grass beds.
Students should bring an old pair of sneakers to wear during the field trip as they will be getting their feet wet. Activities include use of a seine net to collect specimens, the study of marine algae (seaweeds), collecting and discussing animals of a tide pool and beachcombing for both flotsam
(natural objects washed up on the beach) and jetsam (man-made beach items),
Pre-visit: Please Read:
Seaside Naturalist: Chapter 1: pages 1-8
Vocabulary - Define these terms:
Salinity Neap tide Spring tide
Trough Crest Fetch
Pelagic Benthic Neritic
Oceanic Euphotic Aphotic
Intertidal Subtidal
Post Visit and Homework: Click on link below for information:
Create a field journal for marine science program. Include introduction page. Each field journal entry should include: Scientific drawing from class and/or photos, organism’s common and scientific names, physical description (i.e. color, shape, markings), location (where it is found), native/invasive species, and an interesting fact.
Create a tide chart in field journal. Record daily times of high tide and tidal height, low tide and tidal height, and moon phases for 2 weeks. Graph (line) tidal height for both high and low tides
Find another habitat (community) and identify major flora and fauna that define that community.
Who eats what? Which ocean organisms create their own food, and who
has to eat? We all know some of the largest animals (whales) eat some of
the smallest organisms (plankton and krill), but what does everything else
eat? Understanding the important balance of producers and consumers can
give us insight into how energy is transferred from organism to organism.
We will look at some specific examples of animals that we can find outside
in our ocean backyard and create our local food web identifying different
trophic levels.
Who is related to whom? The animal kingdom is broken down into phyla
(related groups of animals). We will go through the phylogenetic tree to
understand the complicated evolutionary history of the animal kingdom. Major and minor characteristics of each phylum will be highlighted as well as common examples of animal found in each group (and some animals you would never guess are related!) After identifying major phyla present in the marine environment we will make our own phylogenetic tree which will be referenced each session as we work our way up the tree from month to month.
Plankton;what are these tiny little creatures, and are they really all tiny? Plankton plays a vital role to the marine environment. We will investigate what these organisms really are, how they move about, and why everyone should care about plankton. After identifying common types of plankton found in New England, we will give you knowledge in how to create your own net to catch these interesting creatures.
Activities:
After learning the basics of ecological interactions, students will make their own food web. Using living examples of organisms found living at the Biomes Marine Biology Center, identify who is at the bottom, which creatures are carnivores, and who is the top predator at the center. We will also create a phylogenetic tree using organisms found in New England coastal ecosystems. You might be surprised with which animals stump you! Using microscopes we can identify various plankton and watch these amazing creatures on the move.
Pre-Visit: Please Read:
Seaside Naturalist: Chapter 2: pages 11-20
Chapter 2 pages 21 & 22 (Nekton)
Vocabulary - Define these terms:
ConsumerProducer Decomposer
Plankton Larvae Holoplankton
Meroplankton Phytoplankton Zooplankton
Nekton Classification Phylum
Taxonomy
Post Visit and Homework:
Create a food chain and food web for another community as discussed in class.
List the 8 major phyla of the marine environment and give an example.
Field Journal: Identify the 4 types of plankton as discussed in class and find examples of each type common to the New England area.
How can some of the simplest animals, be so interesting? Sponges lack tissues
and organs and often look like formless masses. In fact, the “blob-like” nature of
these animals often makes it hard to distinguish different species. Using
microscopes and other simple lab experiments, it will be possible to identify
different categories of sponge.
We also will take a look at anemones and corals, these organisms that look more
like plants than animals. Coral reefs all over the world are in jeopardy for several
reasons and are a hot topic in the world of marine science. Find out what cutting
edge research is happening right at the Marine Science Center to protect this
fragile ecosystem.
Activities:
These are some of the simplest forms of marine life. Using live animals, as well as
preserved specimens we will learn the difference between cnidarians (jellyfish, corals and anemones), porifera (sponges) and ctenophores (comb jellies). We will be using the local moon jellyfish to discover the fascinating and surprisingly complex life cycle of these primitive animals.
Pre-Visit: Please Read:
Seaside Naturalist: Chapter 5: pages 49-52
Chapter 6: pages 55-57, 59-68
Chapter 7: pages 71 & 72 (Comb Jellies)
Researchinformation regarding corals and white-band disease. Have questions ready for a researcher to answer. Click on links below for information:
Marine Worms might all seem to be the same at first glance, but there are
actually examples from many different phyla, each with their own set of characteristics.
After identifying some of the major groups of marine worms, we will take a look at
several specimens to observe these differences and see that not all worms are
designed the same.
Activities:
Next we will take a closer look at one of the most easily spotted phyla at the
shore. The phylum Mollusk contains 100,000 species, many of which are found along the coast. This phylum is so large, it will actually take two weeks to cover. During this first week, we will look at two important species of mollusks, not only to the ocean, but also to the seafood industry. Inspect the difference between clams and mussels by dissecting each organism. You will never look at steamed clams or mussels in the same way!
Activities:
Students will get to inspect various marine worms that burrow in the local
sediment. Viewing these worms under the microscope will allow you to see
the anatomical differences that make these worms so interesting and so
different. Students will also get to dissect two species of mollusk, a clam
and mussel. After inspecting these creatures from the outside, we will dive
a little deeper to see what internal structures they share and what is different.
Be prepared to get your hands dirty!
Pre-Visit: Please Read:
Seaside Naturalist: Chapter 8: pages 75-88
Chapter 10: pages 95-98, 113-118
Vocabulary - Define these terms:
ProboscisPlatyhelminthes Annelid
Polychaete Molluscs Bivalve
Mantle Deposit feeder Filter feeder
Umbo Adductor Muscle
Post Visit and Homework:
Field Journal: Identify and describe a clam worm and blue mussel
Identify 2 phyla of sea worms, list major characteristics of each phylum and obtain a picture of an individual for each phylum.
In the second week learning about the diverse phylum, the mollusks, we will
take a look at other examples of this group. Many of these organisms can
easily be spotted while combing the beach. Learn how to identify the common
types of snails often found on rocks, pilings, docks, and wharfs.
We will also take a look at some of the strangest examples of the mollusks,
the cephalopods. How can one of the smartest ocean animals be related to
a clam? Octopus, squid, and cuttlefish live extraordinary lives and can do
extraordinary things. After seeing some examples of some amazing behaviors
and abilities, dissect a squid to find out what characteristic mollusk traits this
animal still has.
Activities:
This is a two-part lesson. The first half of the program will be devoted
to the introduction of our live species of gastropods (snails). Snails
exhibit nearly every type of feeding behavior exhibited by marine
animals, so the discussion will introduce the concept of herbivores,
carnivores, predator/prey and scavengers, using live examples of
each feeding method.
The second part of this program will be a squid dissection. Students will
aid our staff in dissecting a large squid and identifying both the internal
and external anatomy of a cephalopod. The squid will be a freshly thawed
frozen specimen, so no chemicals are used in this lesson. We will however be able to see some of the preserved parts of the jumbo squid we dissected back in 2006, including the huge beak, eye and pen. Depending on availability we will also learn about our octopus. Note: our
local octopus has an extremely short natural life span of only 12-15 months, so we cannot guarantee that we will have one at the time of the lesson.
Field Journal: Identify and describe two native and two invasive crab found in local coastal waters.
Scenario: There are a number of pharmaceutical companies that want to buy breeding grounds for horseshoe crabs to harvest them for medical purposes in your town. Write a letter to your local mayor giving your opinion for what the town should do with the issue. Do not mail the letter.
Fish come in all shapes and sizes imaginable. Long and skinny, short and
stocky, horns, scales, spines, and barbs. Body designs including mouth
and fins serve specific functions that allow the fish to survive in its habitat.
After viewing some examples of the interesting shapes that have evolved,
we will create our own species of fish that is perfectly adapted to a habitat.
We then will take a closer look by dissecting a fish to identify both the
internal and external structures that are unique to these animals. Then we
will take a look at the cartilaginous fish, the sharks and skates. Sharks are
some of the best know creatures of the sea, and probably the most
misunderstood. After learning about the external and internal anatomy of
these animals, we will look at some of the social reasons behind their bad
reputation. After a closer look at these truly amazing animals, you will see
how vital these animals are to the health of the ocean.
Activities:
We will challenge you to create your own fish that thrives in a habitat we create. Using your new knowledge of body designs, mouth types, caudal fin shapes and coloration patterns create a fish that is best suited to survive in this habitat. After defending your new species and explaining how it is best adapted to the environment, a class vote will determine which fish is here to stay. Next we will dissect a fish to examine the internal (and external) structures and the function of each part.
Pre-Visit: Please Read:
Seaside Naturalist: Chapter 14: pages 161-173
Chapter 14: pages 174-184
Vocabulary - Define these terms:
Pectoral Pelvic
Lateral line Caudal Caudal peduncle
Osteichthyes Cartilaginous fish Dorsal denticles
Odontocetes Mysticetes Cetaceans
Post Visit and Homework: Click on links below for information:
Plants of the Sea: Are algae (or seaweed) really the plants of the sea?
Even though they play a similar role, algae are often not grouped in the
Plant Kingdom. We will take a closer look at the difference between land
plants and algae as well as investigate the major algal groups. We will also
identify land plants that have made their way into the marine environment
and find out why this species has been such a hot topic for restoration
recently. Learn about the importance of algae and other sea grasses to not
only the marine environment, but also to the human race, and find how we
often use algae in our daily lives. Students will also get to identify and
preserve their own sample of algae that they can keep for years to come.
Marine Protozoa – these one-celled organisms are tiny, but perform the same essential activities to stay alive as the largest animals. At first glance we can’t even see these organisms, or start to understand their importance, but with a closer look and the help of a microscope these creatures start to really come alive. Find out where in the marine environment these creatures are found and some of the most common types.
Activities:
Lessons include identification of macro-algae specimens which will be precollected by the Biomes staff, anatomy of eelgrass and the importance of these plants to local animal life which use them for food or hiding places. Protozoans will also be discussed since these microscopic animals can be highly parasitic on fish kept in captivity. Microscopic study of some basic types of protozoans and micro-algae will be included.
