Loma Vista Elementary got a special visit from the Aquarium of the Pacific of Long Beach on Monday, April 29, to teach them about sea life and the adaptations that help them thrive in their environments.
A marine biologist from the aquarium gave students a presentation about a research trip they participated in that took them half way across the world to study sea life. She shared about elephant seals and sharks and brought life size replicas to give students a realistic idea of each animal’s size. She also shared each animals unique adaptations, or a change or the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its environment, that help them thrive within their environment.
One experiment that showed how adaptations help elephant seal’s thrive in their environment was the blubber experiment. The marine biologists had a bucket of ice, in the bucket was a pouch of blubber that was sealed. One student put their hand in the pouch of blubber, and the other student put their hand directly on the ice, showing the difference and warmth that blubber provides animals.
After the presentation students got to step into the Aquarium’s large mobile touch tank trailer. For many students this was the most exciting part of the visit as they were able to see and touch sea urchins, star fish, and even small sharks.
More information about the Aquarium on Wheels here:
http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/education/yourfieldtrip/aow