SeaScope Volume 28, Issue 2, 2012

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Volume 28 · Issue 2, 2012
Welcome to SeaScope!
Canterbury Marine
Studies Program
Welcome to the new digital edition of SeaScope, with the same
information-packed issues coveted by marine aquarists everywhere
since 1983. Each newsletter will continue to bring you a variety of
topical articles -- including reviews, product information, practical
ideas, important case studies and interesting points of view. It's all
meant to keep you in the know and at the forefront of the marine
hobby. We hope you enjoy the issue, and welcome your comments
and input.
Product Spotlight:
Marineland® Reef
Capable LED Light
with Integrated Timer
Website
Product Catalog
Ocean of Knowledge
Dealer Locator
Science and Heritage
Instant Answers
BIO-Spira
Live nitrifying bacteria start
working immediately to reduce
dangerous ammonia and nitrite in
your aquarium.
World Oceans Day
June 8, 2012
www.worldoceansday.org
American Cichlid Association
Convention 2012
July 11-15, 2012
Wyndham Hotel
Indianapolis, IN
www.aca2012indy.com
Marine Aquarium Conference
Canterbury Marine Studies Program:
Hands-On Aquarium Projects at All Grades
by Jenna Cummings, Director of Marine Studies,
Canterbury School of Florida
In addition to being the first Cousteau Divers School, The
Canterbury School of Florida fosters a learning environment
that rewards curiosity and dedication, especially in its Marine
Studies program. Instant Ocean is proud to support their
ongoing educational excellence.
Marine Studies at Canterbury is a school-wide program for
students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. Students
engage in real-world marine research projects and marine
conservation community service, in addition to learning in the
classroom with state-of-the-art technology and customized
curriculum to enhance traditional science lessons.
Classes and
programs are held
at the Marine Studies
Education Center
(MSEC), a 2800 sq.
ft. classroom and
laboratory building
dedicated to marine
science. It is the
centerpiece of the
program and houses
three 125-gallon
Page 1 of 4
Marine Aquarium Conference
of North America (MACNA)
September 28-30, 2012
The Sheraton Dallas Hotel
Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
www.dfwmacna.com
If you are aware of an
upcoming event, you may
also contact MASNA to
post on their calendar
www.masna.org
three 125-gallon
touch tanks that replicate a North Atlantic tide pool environment,
the Tampa Bay Estuary and a tropical reef.
Students help collect and identify local species for the Tampa
Bay Estuary tank with a scientific collecting permit from Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. High school
students in the aquarium club learn aquarium basics and help to
maintain the systems. Students use Instant Ocean to mix water
treated by a reverse osmosis filter to create the saltwater
necessary to maintain the tanks. The North Atlantic tank and
the tropical tank are maintained at a salinity of 35 parts per
thousand, and the Tampa Bay Estuary tank is maintained at a
salinity of 25 parts per thousand to replicate the estuarine
environment with freshwater influences.
Relationships with many local science and education
organizations -- including Tampa Bay Watch, Florida Fish and
Wildlife Research Institute (FWC), Eckerd College and the
College of Marine Science at the University of South Florida,
Southwest Florida Water Management District, the Tampa Bay
Estuary Program and the Marine Advanced Technology Center
(MATE) -- allow Canterbury's Marine Studies program to offer
unique learning opportunities.
The program's newest partnership is with Cousteau
Divers. Cousteau Divers' mission is to tap the passion of
SCUBA divers across the globe to monitor and conserve the
oceans and preserve their biodiversity. The founder, Pierre
Yves Cousteau, youngest son of late underwater explorer
Jacques Cousteau, was the special guest on May 17 at the
rededication of the MSEC as the Cousteau Center for Marine
Studies. Following the building dedication, Mr. Cousteau joined
students from Canterbury's newly formed Venturing Crew for a
SCUBA dive in Tampa Bay. Looking forward, the partnership
will enable Canterbury students to participate in hands-on
research of the Tampa Bay estuary. They will catalog and track
biodiversity in the Gulf of Mexico, create wildlife guidebooks and
monitor water quality through data loggers. On a future dive,
they also hope to bury an underwater time capsule with video
messages recorded by students for students 30 years in the
future.
Through many other established hands-on projects, the
program strives to teach the importance of marine science
research, environmental conservation and sustainability for a
healthy future for our oceans.
A project funded by the Tampa Bay Estuary program allowed
for expansion of the program's aquaculture system. Students
maintain a custom-made salt-marsh grass nursery
(Spartina alterniflora) and natural aquaculture system to learn
about native species and environmental stewardship. The
natural aquaculture system supports red drum (Sciaenops
ocellatus) on loan from the FWC. The system demonstrates the
ability of salt marsh and wetlands areas to act as natural
filters. Eventually the redfish will be released into Tampa Bay to
enhance sport fish stock.
During the aquaculture component, students are developing
critical-thinking skills and problem-solving techniques. They
monitor the natural system which includes the red drum tanks
and marsh-grass nursery for effectiveness. Students play a
pivotal role in documenting the health and water quality of the
system by performing tests and analyzing the data. They help
prepare the salt water during bimonthly water changes and
calculate salinity ratios. The 1000-gallon water system requires
water changes every one to two weeks depending on fish
load. Students track water quality parameters and determine
the frequency needed. They use Instant Ocean to mix water to
Page 2 of 4
the frequency needed. They use Instant Ocean to mix water to
reach a salinity of about 25 parts per thousand to replicate the
brackish waters the fish will inhabit in the wild. The system
currently is in its trial period and is supporting 25 fish. Next year,
students will attempt to maintain a larger fish load of about 200
fish. The science concepts learned in this project are
incorporating chemistry, biology, physiology and animal
husbandry.
Students are also
growing lettuce in
a hydroponic garden
to donate to
manatees currently
in rehabilitation at
the
Lowry Park Zoo
Manatee Hospital
Most end up
there due to cold
sickness or injuries
from boat propellers
and will be released back into the wild. Students began the
project by visiting the First Fruits Hydroponic Farm in Saint
Petersburg, Florida. Hydroponic gardening is advantageous for
several reasons. For instance, it requires only a minimal amount
of water, conserving our gradually depleting natural water
resources.
The hydroponic garden on our campus uses rainwater and
liquid nutrients to efficiently grow produce. During the project,
students are learning how to germinate seeds, measure the pH
of the water, calculate nutrient levels for the lettuce and track
lettuce growth. They also are learning about pest prevention
and the use of natural organic products to keep the lettuce pestfree.
With the first batch of lettuce delivered, students are already
planting new lettuce seeds. They anticipate delivering the next
batch of lettuce themselves to the manatee hospital at Lowry
Park Zoo in late May. Having mastered their gardening skills,
their next project component will be to learn how to assemble a
manatee skeleton!
Also, students are learning how to integrate current
oceanographic technology through our partnership with the
MATE Center. Upper School students created and deployed an
eddy drifter equipped with GPS transceiver in order to track
currents in the Gulf of Mexico. Students learned how to use
Google Earth and GPS coordinates to create animations that
will help scientists understand ocean circulation patterns.
The program has partnered with the USF Ocean Circulation
Group to deploy the drifter into the Gulf of Mexico. Chief
Scientist Jay Law said, "We are excited and appreciative of the
opportunity to be involved in an educational program that gives
our future scientists real hands-on experience."
Middle School students are learning how to create and control
underwater submersible robots (ROVs). The technological skills
they are learning are employed by scientists and engineers in
deep sea research and recovery. Students entered their first
competition this past April, where the "themed" shipwreck
mission challenges included creating an ROV that can recover
oil samples, transplant coral samples and recover a
shipwreck. They placed second in the "Scout" class and look
forward to building a better ROV next year.
Other Marine Studies community service projects include:
beach and kayak cleanups, oyster bar, construction and
installation, marsh grass planting and habitat restoration.
The Marine Studies program at Canterbury provides
unparalleled experiential education for future scientists. We are
proud to partner with Instant Ocean to make the hands on
experiences and projects a reality and to help maintain the
health of all of organisms in our salt water tanks.
Back to the top
Product Spotlight:
Marineland® Reef Capable LED Light
with Integrated Timer
Page 3 of 4
Over the next five to ten years, LED lighting will become a
fixture in homes, a trend that continues to translate to
aquariums. In response, Marineland has expanded its
revolutionary LED lighting solutions with new introductions,
including integrated timers, which serve freshwater, saltwater
and reef aquariums. Their use in aquariums has gained in
popularity as plants and corals in particular depend on a fullspectrum of light to thrive.
Now, through the push of a button, aquarium owners may
control the 460nm blue and 10,000K white LEDs and create
their own timed sequences of light. Also, a new dispersion lens
over the blue LEDs provides a better mix of light. For more on
Marineland's Reef Capable LED Light with integrated timer,
please visit www.marineland.com.
Back to the top
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