Why are coral reefs important? What are some of the threats that they are facing? Students will explore the importance of coral reefs and the many benefits they provide to other marine life by participating in a hands on activity. Students will build their own coral reefs as well as share their coral reefs with others!
An animal’s ecosystem is a complicated and ever-changing community that directly impacts the animal’s survival. Within its ecosystem, an animal must find resources essential to live. Such essential resources include food, water, shelter, appropriate social groupings, space, and air.
When we develop an environment for an animal here at Marineland, everything that an animal needs to ensure its well-being must be considered. Due to the great variation in needs among different animal species, animal habitats in zoos and aquariums must be similarly varied. To examine the complexity of designing a habitat that successfully supports a healthy animal, students will design a habitat for one of the species at Marineland.
Comprising 71% of Earth’s area, water serves as a fundamental resource for both human and wildlife alike. As the concentration of pollutants in many of Earth’s waterways rise, the longevity of this important resource is in question. Perhaps the most infamous pollutant affecting Earth’s waters is oil. Oil spills inflict damage upon wildlife, destroy ecosystems, and toxify drinking water. In this activity, students will have the opportunity to build their own marine ecosystem. Students will examine how oil interacts with water, and will explore methods for oil spill cleanup.
Upcycling, or creative reuse, is the practice of converting waste, unwanted materials, or by-products into new materials. Not only may the new materials be of higher quality than the original product, but upcycling is beneficial to environmental conservation efforts. The process of converting used materials into new products reduces the quantity of waste being sent to landfills, and reduces the community’s reliance upon factories. In this activity, students will learn how to upcycle previously used materials by turning a t-shirt into a dog toy!
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