Explorers Newsletter

Explorers Newsletter – May 2011

Explorer Update:

Hi Everyone,

Dr. Noirin here. Welcome to the first newsletter of the Explorers Education Programme in the West of Ireland. I hope everyone is having a good school year; we’ve been having a busy one with lots of things happening throughout the Explorer schools since September.

A number of the Co. Clare schools have been to visit the beach, while the Co. Mayo schools had a marine class. The Galway Schools are being stocked and the Explorers van is being kept busy on the road from Kilbaha (that’s down the road from Loop Head for anyone not from Co. Clare!) to Mulranny in Co. Mayo. The programme was also launched in Dublin last November, with Bray Sealife Centre and the Blackrock Education Centre helping out the schools up there.

Guest School:

With each newsletter we will invite an Explorers School to talk about their experience with the programme and this month it’s the turn of S.N. Coilm Cille, Ros an Mhíl, Co. Galway S.N. Coilm Cille has had their fish tank since 2002. The tank was initially part of the Fionn Science Project and Brendan Smith worked with the then principle Liam Puirséil to put the tank together. It has been in the school ever since and Síle Nic Con Iomaire, the current principle looks after it now. For many years the school has stocked the tank themselves due to the closeness to the sea and the wonderful efforts of their caretaker Seán Leainde.

Because the school stocks the tank themselves they have had an amazing array of animals in it over the years. When I visited in January this year it was full of hermit crabs, prawns, and sea scorpions. They also had a snake pipefish and a masked crab. Over the years Seán has put in a Lobster (who had to be removed because it was growing too big for the tank) and a large sea scorpion (who eat everything else in the tank!).

Seán changes the animals frequently so that nothing is in it too long and he makes his own fish food by liquidising fish and freezing it, in cubes.

While the school works continuously to maintain the tank, it has not been without its disasters over the years. The students in 6th class could remember one Monday when they arrived into school to find the electricity had gone over the weekend and all the animals had died a problem that has affected many Explorer schools over the years.

The tank is a sight to behold and the students love it and although Seán works hard to find strange and wonderful creatures for the tank, the student’s favourites are still hermit crabs and sea stars.

Marine Questions and Answers:

While visiting the Explorer schools there a number of questions that made me think. Here are two of my favourite questions.

Question: Can animals transform, like in the movie Transformers?

Answer: This is a really cool question. Can you imagine animals changing before your eyes into something completely different? While animals don’t transform as fast of the Autobots, some animals do change so much you wouldn’t recognise them. Think of a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. Lots of animals look very different from when they’re a baby to when they’re an adult. Seastars (also known as starfish) look very strange when they are babies (also known as larva). They live among the plankton (the tiny plants and animals that live in the sea) and look like a tiny man with really long arms and a big heart. See below for my best impression of a baby seastar.

Question: If a Killer Whale (Orca) and a Great White Shark had a fight, who would

win?

Answer: While questions about who would win in a fight are often hard to answer, there is no question of what would happen if a fully grown Killer Whale and Great White Shark meet each other. If both animals are healthy and well, the Killer Whale will win every time. The Killer Whale is stronger, faster, bigger and cleverer than the shark. Killer Whales grow to 9.7m and 12,000 lbs in weight, while Great White Sharks can grow to 6.7m and 5000 lbs, which is a good bit smaller. If a Killer Whale meets a Great White Shark the Killer Whale will win.

If you have any questions you’d like me to answer feel free to email me at

noirin@nationalaquarium.ie

Fishy Joke:

What’s the best way of communicating with Fish?

Drop them a line!

Species Profile: Pipefish

Pipefish are fascinating fish. They are related to Seahorses and live among the seaweed along the shore and in rockpools. They can grow up to 47 cm and are found along most European coasts. They feed on ting crustaceans, such as sandhoppers. They watch their prey closely and then suddenly suck in water together with the prey when they want to feed. The male adults have a brood pouch on their belly where they keep the baby fish until they are ready to swim.

Lesson Plans and Information:

We recently started putting together some Maths Lesson Plans that link numbers, algebra, measurement, shape and space and data to the marine world. So far we have completed the plans for junior and senior infants. If you would like to check them out or any other Explorers lesson plans, go to the link below to see the full range available to all schools.

http://www.marine.ie/home/community/education/lessonplans/

Explorers Schools:

Ever wondered who’s the closest Explorers school to you? See below for a full list of the Explorer schools in the West of Ireland, so you know who to call to next time there’s a squid emergency!

Co. Galway

• S.N. Muire, Letterfrack

• S.N. M an Croi gan Smal, Leenane

• S.N. Naomh Treasa, Cashel

• S.N. Eanna, Roundstone

• Ballyconnelly National School

• Scoil Mhuire, Clifden

• S.N. Seosamh Naofa, Carrabawn

• S.N. Baile Atha n Riogh, Athenry

• S.N. Creachmhaoil, Craughwell

• Cappataggle Central School

• S.N. Coilm Cille, Rosaveal

• Scoil Mhuire, Rosmuc

• Doorus National School

• Scoil Mhuire, Clarinbridge

• Gaelscoil de Hide, Oranmore

• Scoil na Ngasur, Oranmore

• Scoil Mhuire, Oranmore

• Scoil Naomh Mhuire, Maree

• Bunscoil Naomh Mhuire, Kilcoona

• S.N. Sailearna, Indreabhan

Galway City

• Scoil Catriona Jnr. Renmore

• Scoil Ignáid, Salthill

• St. Patricks National School, Lombard Street

• St. Nicholas Parochial, Woodside

• St. Nicholas, Claddagh

Co. Mayo

• Carraholly National School

• Cloondaff National School

• S.N. Realt na Mara, Mulranny

• Newport Central School

• S. N. an Coill Mhor, Newport

• Corneenool National School

Co. Clare

• S.N. Eoin Baiste, Ballyvaughan

• S.N. Padraig nfa Fanoir, Fenore

• New Quay National School

• Carrigaholt Mixed National School

• S.N. Cuan, Kilbaha

• Moveen National School

• S.N. Realt na Mara, Kilkee

• St. Marys National School, Lahinch

• S.N. Liosceanuir, Liscannor

• Ennistymon National School

• Doolin Mixed National School

Explorer Photos

This is just a small selection of photos from the West. If you have any photos of marine art work from your school that you would like put up on the blog just send it onto noirin@nationalaquarium.ie