A February Cruise
Posted by Mary FaulknerIt was a brisk winter morning on February 7, when the fifth grade students embarked on a Winter Creature Cruise from the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk. However, the cold temperatures did nothing to dampen the excitement of the young scientists! After boarding the RVO, the students were briefed on safety and learned to name the parts of the boat. Soon after, we were motoring down the Norwalk River, headed for Long Island Sound. At times, the water was a bit choppy and we all were able to use our new found “sea legs” quite often! The students received an overview of our location using charts of the area. Their first task was to use plankton nets to drag the water near the surface. When the nets were pulled back on board and samples collected, the students were amazed that anything so small could survive in the frigid waters. Everyone was able to view different types of plankton on a monitor that was connected to a microscope on board the RVO. Soon after, binoculars were passed out and we begin to scan the waters for the many birds and seals that winter in Long Island Sound. We saw many birds as we scanned the water, including the Long Tailed Duck which breeds in the Arctic and winters along both coasts of North America and a beautiful Loon. Although we looked long and hard, we did not spot any seals this time out. The sightings of all the migrating birds were recorded for scientific data. The young scientists also took air and water temperatures, and recorded wind speed and direction. After a break for lunch, the students took a behind the scenes tour which included the kitchens that prepare the food for all the animals housed in the aquarium, as well as allowed them to look at the shark tank from above! An amazing time was had by all!
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