Hi all we have recently released our November newsletter. It has some great stuff in it such as info on the Science exhibition in NUIG and details on how to enter a movie making competition. If you have missed it don't worry as here it is...

Explorers Update

Hi Everyone,

Padraic here. Firstly I would like to wish Dr. Noirin Burke and her family all the best as she has currently taken her maternity leave. As the year comes to an end we still have the excitement of Christmas fast approaching. Hopefully everyone has settled into school and having a great time.

Most of the schools have now had their seashore classes while others have done their experiment classes.

The majority of schools now have their tanks stocked with the fish settling in for a fun Christmas with their new classes.

The program is also flying in Dublin, with Bray Sealife Centre and the Blackrock Education Centre helping out the schools up there.

Species Profile - Cuttlefish:

Cuttlefish are one of the most amazing fish you will find off the Irish coast. They are related to octopus and squid and live relatively close to the shore in sandy areas they can also be occasionally found in rock pools during the summer. They grow up  to 49 cm but are usually smaller than that.

They feed on crabs, prawns and small fish. They ambush their prey and grab them in their strong tentacles. They then use their beak to feast on their catch.

They are masters of camouflage as they can change their body colour almost instantly. If threatened by a larger animal they will squirt ink to confuse their would be predator and escape.

Guest School:  Scoil Chiaráin Naofa

Scoil Chiaráin Naofa is set in the beautiful idyllic peninsula of Kinvara and nestled between the breath taking Burren and the shore of Galway Bay. Our location really does allow us to make the most of the wonderful

Explorers Programme with the Galway Atlantaquaria. Scoil Chiaráin Naofa has had their sea water fish tank since 2002.

The tank was initially part of the Fionn Science Project. Our Principal Martina Tarpey and Deputy Principal Helen O’Riordáin worked with Brendan Smith to create our fantastic tank. Brendan helped, supported and guided us through this fabulous project. The tank has been in the school ever since

and has brought us so much joy. Our caretaker Pat, always checks our sea creatures and we appreciate his help.

Over the past number of years my class and I, Emma O’Sullivan have been taking care of the wonderful and entertaining sea creatures. The Galway Atlantaquaria has helped stock the fish tank and this September

the brilliant Noirín Burke took us on a Seashore Safari, and helped us stock the tank. Seashore Safari's are a fun way of getting to know the creatures that live around our coasts identifying animals that live in sandy, rocky and tidal areas. Noirín made the field trip extremely enjoyable and it has been one of our favourite parts of the programme.

 The amazing sea creatures that have visited our school include the gobi, sea star, mullet, hermit crabs, scorpion fish, blenny, flat fish, sea anemone’s, prawn, shrimp and their babies.

One morning, Junior Infant students Cian and Oisín got a shock! As they do every morning, they were checking the sea creatures. When, suddenly

they came in running to class. They were so excited. “Our hermit crabs” and one of our “sea annonme’s” have had babies!  Ms. O’Riordáin remembers the Murder in the Tank . The students and Ms. O’ Riordáin took on the role of detectives and had to quadroon off the scene for a few hours. They investigated the scene and soon realised that the Sea Star had got a bit hungry. Creating a Seashore "experience" for pupils using an aquarium is an exciting way of bringing the sea to life outside and inside the classroom.

 We have learned about the native species found on our local seashore and worked as a team maintaining our tank. We have learned about the conservation of our planet, creatures of the deep and even dissected a shrimp! Through the lesson plans on the website and the interactive and informative lessons provided by the Explorers

We are very privileged to take part in this exciting programme.

The students, teachers, staff and parents of Scoil Chiaráin Naofa are delighted with the effort and support we receive from the Explorers Education Programme and the Galway Atlantaquaria. For the past number of years Noirín Burke and all of you have been extremely helpful,

diligent, and enthusiastic.  

All of students have great pride and interest in the salt water tank that our school received.

It is the focal point of our school foyer. Our Sea Safari’s are always an exciting and an eagerly awaited day in the school calendar of the students. We greatly appreciate all of the hard work, dedication, time and effort that the staff of the Explorers Education Programme has given to our school.

Mário Ruivo Prize Movie Contest

Attention all explorers schools. Have you ever thought about making a movie about your beach or the ocean that surrounds us? Well here is the perfect excuse to break out those cameras and give James Cameron a run for his money.

EurOcean – European Centre for Information on Marine Science and Technology has launched, on the 19^th of August, the Movie Prize “Professor Mário Ruivo”.

The Movie Prize will be conferred to a student or a team of students (with an age range from 12 to 18 years old - Junior category or, with an age range from 18 to 21 years old - Senior category) to award an original Movie related to the marine environment. This Prize intents to raise public awareness to the importance of the Ocean and the Ocean related services to the Humankind.

The Prize will recognize the merit and the quality of the Participants when producing the Movie as well as the potential impact of the Movie.  A total sum of 5.000 EUR will be divided between the Participants categories: 2.000EUR will be awarded to the winners of the junior category; 3.000 EUR will be awarded to the winners of the senior category.

EurOcean will also support the travels and accommodation expenses to the awardee or awardees (Junior category: 2 persons, max. 3 if team application including Adult Advisor; Senior category: 1 person, max. 2 if team application) to receive the Prize in Lisbon.

For more information on the prize please visit: http://www.eurocean.org/np4/2279.html

East Coast Explorers underway.

Greetings from the East Coast Explorers.

This year we have 6 new schools participating in the Explorers Project:

Rathmichael PS, Scoil Mhuire Rathsallagh, St Philomena’s GNS Bray, St Cronan’s BNS Bray, Newcourt School Bray,  St Kevin’s Greystones. 

After a couple of weeks in preparation for the Project in the schools Aisling and Cathy from The National SeaLife Centre in Bray installed and set up aquariums in each of the 6 schools on Monday and Tuesday 14-15 November. Each school has a Shore Crab, a Shanny, a Butterfish, a Dogfish, a Starfish, some Beadlet Anemones and all the classes will be watching the development of a Dogfish egg which is suspended on the front side of each tank.

Aisling and Cathy explained the stages of setting up the tanks and followed that with a question and answer session on the new arrivals to the classrooms.

Aisling stocking the tank

It is hoped that over the next month, while the tanks and their inhabitants reside in the classrooms, that the behaviour and activities of these creatures will be observed and compared, be the subject of further research and the knowledge gained will be recorded by each class. At the same time the classes will keep in touch with the fish study and developments in the other schools and share and compare their experiences weekly. 

Autumn Updates from Explorers West

Hi Everyone,

It’s that time of year again and the Explorers van is back on the road, visiting seashores and stocking tanks. While most schools who visited the shore this September escaped the worst of the elements the students from Letterfrack NS ploughed on through some of the most horrible conditions I’ve worked in over the last few years all in the name of science. Kitted out in their raingear and wellies we headed off across glassilaun beach in search of animals for the schools fish tank. The student’s hard work and dedication was rewarded with a shoal of baby sticklebacks, some hermit crabs, prawns, sea anemones and a sand goby.

Doorus National School also stocked their tank from their local shore with a scorpion fish, blenny, butterfish and rockling making the school their new home for this school term.

Matt and Kevin from the aquarium have been busy finding animals for the schools that were not able to make it to the shore themselves this term and I will endeavour to have any school in Galway who wants to stocked before mid-term, up and running in the next couple of weeks. Marine classes in school will be on offer over the next month or two for the Explorer Schools in Co. Clare and Co. Mayo.

Looking forward to seeing you all soon,

Dr Noirin.

East Coast Summer Course for Primary Teachers

The East Coast Explorers Project in conjunction with the Blackrock Education Centre ran a very successful course for Primary Teachers in the first week of July. 25 teachers participated in the course which was located in the National SeaLife Centre in Bray, Co Wicklow and on the seashore at Sandycove, Co. Dublin.

Course presenters and sea safari/survey leaders were Dr John Joyce of the Marine Institute and Cathy Maguire, Education Officer of National SeaLife Centre. Clare Murray , another marine biologist, was on hand as well in helping to identify plants and animals in the rock pools. 

We were extremely fortunate, in a week of very unseasonal showery weather, to have the sessions on the seashore completely free of rain. 

Reports and evaluation of the course activities indicate great satisfaction particularly with the explorations of the many rock pools and the knowledge gained from the habitats there. Participants on the course are looking forward to bringing the knowledge and experiences of the week to bear on the coming year to the pupils in their schools. 

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

East Coast Explorers

Greetings from the East Coast Explorers.

We have come to the end of the second sojourn of aquariums in the classroom here in the Dublin and Wicklow schools. I can safely say that all the participating classes enjoyed the experience immensely. Ní raibh eisceacht ar bith inár measc.

The first period in which the Sea Creatures took up residence in our classroom coincided with the big snow that brought us an early winter. Some schools were forced to close for a while because of the heavy falls of snow but that brought out the brave efforts by some to ensure that the tank inhabitants thrived. The personnel from SeaLife in Bray which provided us with the marine creatures drove through the snow when, many other drivers stayed at home, to deal with a perceived emergency in one of the tanks. I scoil amháin tháinig an PríomhOide go dtí an Scoil, a bhí dúnta don chuid is mó de sheachtain, chun bia a thbhairt do na héisc ina scoil féin.

During the two periods in which the aquariums were in our schools the classes compared the behaviour of the fish in their classrooms with each of the other tanks through email and weekly newsletters. There were some similar experiences and indeed noticeable differences.A noticeable similarity was the behaviour of the crabs.  But in those aquarium where crabs were present they seemed to be the bully of their group.

All classes have been keeping records and journals of these behaviours. There are plenty of photos and videos of the comings and goings of the sea life in out aquariums. We hope to share some of these photos here with you over the next while.

All the classes are looking forward to the next phase in the project when they visit the beach and get to see these creatures in their native habitat after the Easter break.