Touch Tank contributors recently had the pleasure of accompanying the executive director of Touch Tanks for Kids, Mike Martin, and two of his children, Kyera and Madelyn, on a trip to the Children’s Discovery Museum located at 171 Capital Street in Augusta, Maine. The museum’s director Valencia Schubert invited Mike to join the museum’s board after she discovered to world’s finest teaching aquarium while searching for ways to improve the museum.
Valencia grew up in Boothbay, a coastal Maine community where she learned all about the wonderful sea creatures of a Northern Atlantic cold-water touch tank. Valencia understood that providing children an opportunity to observe and occasionally interact with the creatures of the sea presents educational value and brings more children to the museum.
After two years of fund raising, the Children’s Discovery Museum Touch Tank Project got some needed support when the museum’s board of director decided to move locations from Water Street to 171 Capital Street. The move created a lot of publicity because the board needed much help to successful move all the museum’s exhibits to the new, easily assessable Capitol Street location.
Biomes, classified according to predominant vegetation and characterized by adaptations of organisms, are the communities of the world.
The importance of biomes cannot be overestimated. Biomes have changed and moved many times during the history of Earth. More recently, human activities have drastically altered these communities. Thus, conservation and preservation of biomes are a major concern.
The freshwater and marine biomes are probably the most important. Water is the basis of life, it supports life, and countless species live in and around it. Freshwater biomes supply drinking water and water for crop irrigation. The world’s oceans have an even greater effect on global climate than forests. In addition to climate-buffering, the oceans contain several billion photosynthetic plankton that account for most of the photosynthesis occurring on Earth. Without these, there might not be enough oxygen to sustain complex animal life.
Estuaries; Vital Biomes
Estuaries are vital biomes where fresh river water meets salty seawater. Many species of birds, fish, plants and other animals call this ecosystem, the estuary and the land surrounding it, their home. Estuaries are much like the door attendant to a land that supports many different forms of life.
“If you look at how Estuary Day got started at the national level, it was all focused on just trying to get local communities that live on the coast to learn more about estuaries and why they’re important,” said Gary Lytton, environmental administrator of the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.
“We purposefully offer this as a free event because this is the time of year when we know it’s mostly our year-round residents that are here,” Lytton said. “Our view of our opportunity to celebrate Estuary Day is that it’s a chance to sort of give back to the local community, and also help them understand what the values of these estuaries are all about and how they can make a difference in protecting it.”
Long-term Protection
Free Activities
The free activities included kayak tours, a touch tank, guided walks, arts and crafts, face painting, a fiddler crab exhibit, and informational presentations and films. Visitors got a sneak preview of the new pedestrian bridge, which leads from the second floor of the Environmental Learning Center across Henderson Creek to a 1.5-mile nature trail, scheduled to open in January.
Kayak tours provide an up-close view of the mangroves and the fauna that lives and seeks refuge in their roots. Among the first-time kayakers was Justin Zuniga, 13, who said he really enjoyed the motions of paddling.
“I thought it was pretty cool because you got to see stuff and explore it,” Zuniga said. “We were looking at the mangroves and the roots of the mangroves.”
Popular Attractions
A popular attraction in the Environmental Learning Center is the touch
tank provided by Touch Tanks for Kids of Biddeford, Maine where participants investigate starfish, sea cucumbers, crabs and other animals of the local estuary.
“I think they’re really neat because you usually don’t get to see them down in the water because it’s really dark in the water,” said Sophia Furin, a 9-year-old who checked out the touch tank.
Furin touched the inside of the horse conch and dipped her hands into the tank to allow a small horseshoe crab to crawl across her palm.
“It feels like Velcro rubbing across your hand,” Furin said.
Cruise Naples Inc. and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida provided the boats for the tours.
“We saw an oyster bed,” said Samantha Axline, a 12-year-old who went on a boat tour. “We learned how to tell the difference between red and white and black mangroves.”
Axline’s 10-year-old sister, Virginia, said that seeing all the birds was her favorite part of the boat ride.
“I learned that a mangrove seed isn’t just a little seed,” Virginia Axline said. “It’s kind of like a long green bean, and they sit on top of the water until they grow.”
Lytton hoped Estuary Day participants went home with a better understanding of the value of estuaries like Rookery Bay.
Make a Difference
“Those values range from environmental values to economic values to just aesthetic values,” Lytton said. “I think another goal is absolutely a better understanding of how they might make a difference.”
Rookery Bay Sanctuary
Preserve the Earth’s Biomes
Rookery Bay estuary celebration and other similar to it educate people about the consequences of our actions helping all of us gain a better understanding of how to preserve the Earth’s natural biomes.
Several marine species of hermit crabs are found in marine aquariums with approximately 15 terrestrial species commonly kept as pets. Hermit crabs also require specific habitat conditions in order to thrive as pets.
Little is known about reproducing hermit crabs in captivity. It is not yet understood whether seasonal changes contribute to the animals’ mating patterns. Some studies, however, suggest that males in captivity become more sexually interested when they are provided with brightly colored shells that increase self-confidence. To have a Hermit Crab breed, the conditions must be near perfect, and even then, after the eggs are hatched in the pool or water dish. They die because they need salt water, plankton for food.
The contributors of Touch Tank believe that in order to capitalize on the environmental and economic benefits offered from studying the creatures of our marine and aquatic environments that more marine biologist and other aquatic experts must find the motivation to observe creatures like the hermit crab.
Workshops such as the 2007-2008 Student Water Quality Monitoring Project, where biology students monitored water quality in Hampton,Virginia, introduce participants to an aspect of ocean research.
JoshSwims1994″, who lives in India posted this comment 3 months ago on youtube in regards to this marine research video.
“I am planning to be a Marine Biologist when I get older. I really hope I succeed in my goals that I would like to achieve in High School. I am going to be a 9th grader this year. I have wanted to become one since my 3rd grade year of Elementary School. After my uncle introduced me to fish breeding. I have been enticed by the fish and their movements. I live in Indiana so there aren’t any camps I could go to with others who have a passion for the marine life like I do.” =\
The Marine Science Outreach Initiative web portal focuses on Interfaces that provide opportunities to explore many questions at once in a very simple way or from a broader perspective. The contributions from students and teachers help make the make this exercise more useful.
The videos stream from three cameras. Two during the daytime and one a night with an infrared camera that provides a night view of the aquarium. These cameras are very sensitive to low light conditions, so you will have to look closely to see some of the nuances and the center archives video for future use. If you have particular interests or needs contact the center’s staff, email provided below.
Committed Professional
Marine Research Staff
Professor Sandra Gilchrist the center’s director holds a Ph.D. from Florida State University. Besides her director’s duties, she teaches courses such as Invertebrate Zoology, Genetics, and Methods of Field Ecology. Email: gilchrist@ncf.edu
Joel Beaver holds BS in Biology from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York and has been with Pritzker since the beginning. He started out in Natural Sciences as a senior research technician and is now serving as the Coordinator of Research Programs and Services. Email: beaver@ncf.edu
Brandan Cole holds a BS in Biology from Bowling Green University and is Pritzker’s full-time aquarist. He is responsible for design and upkeep of our aquaria and is always available to help students with husbandry questions. Email: bcole@ncf.edu
Research Center
The Pritzker Marine Biological Research Center
The Pritzker Marine Biological Research Center at New College of Florida measures approximately 10,000 square feet, houses more than 90 aquaria and features student and faculty research laboratories, classrooms and office space for New College’s marine biology program. Underneath the building, an additional 10,000 square feet of space provides room for quarantine, storage, and the system that supplies seawater to the facility’s labs.
Touch Tank promotes advancements in marine science research through providing more hands-on learning opportunity and we salute the Pritzker Marine Biological Research Center and all other similar progrmas who motivate people to protect hermit crabs and the other special creatures of the marine environment.
Our friends over at Touch Tanks for Kids recently designed an incredible teaching tool. Always searching for new teaching resources that will inspire more students to study and protect valuable waterways, board members from this Maine based nonprofit organization traveled to Boston to meet with staff members from the New England Aquarium. The meeting produced many ideas about ways to improve educational outreach capabilities including new teaching strategies and hardware improvements. As a result, The Sea Bus now travels the North East providing kids’ activities at schools, trade shows and other educational venues.
The Sea Bus Promotes Learning
High Quality Services
For over 40 years, Waban has been providing high quality services to children and adults with developmental disabilities. What started out as a summer camp where people with special needs could learn to swim and enjoy lakefront recreational activities has blossomed into a community based organization with a broad offering of comprehensive services that reach throughout Maine’s York County. The Sea Bus made its debut at Wallingford Farms during Waban’s Annual Fall FunFest In Kennebunk, Maine.
Waban's Children’s Fall FunFest, Kennebunk, Maine
Beautiful Late Summer Day
The weather cooperated with a beautiful late summer day on Saturday, September 20th, at Wallingford Farms. Over 500 children and families enjoyed listening to live music from Kennebunk-based Little Melodies, meeting some of their favorite children’s authors, learning more about natural habitats and local wildlife, dancing with Kennebunk Savings Bank’s own Kenny Bear, decorating pumpkins, jumping in the “bounce-house”, having their faces painted, going on hayrides, buying fall mums, and helping to raise funds for WABAN’s programs. All together over $3,500.00 was raised! Nice Work!
Teaching Resources
Mike and Kyera really enjoyed the day as they introduce the Sea Bus while talking to kids, parents and members of Waban’s Senior Administration about ways to bring more teaching resources to celebrations such as Waban’s Fall FunFest.
For eleven months, the volunteer Board of Directors at the Rockland Lobster Festival plan for the five-day event. When Celia Knight contacted Touch Tanks for Kids about doing a fundraiser with the Love Maine Lobster Claw Game, they immediately thought of Elizabeth Stephenson and the Coastal Children’s Museum. After a dozen years of operating as a “museum without walls,” the Coastal Children’s Museum found a home when Capt. Jim Sharp contacted Elaine Wilson and Felicity Bowditch about moving in next to the a sail, power and steam museum that he planned to open on Hurricane Island.
Mike Martin Shows Off The Creatures Of The Sea
Elizabeth, a marine expert, convinced Elaine and Felicity, the founders of the children’s museum, that a touch tank would help the museum advance its’ mission of providing children and families the opportunity to explore, discover and learn, through play about the natural world, the arts and sciences and the diversity of Maine’s mid-coast.
Touch Tank contributors recently had the pleasure of accompanying the executive director of Touch Tanks for Kids, Mike Martin, and two of his children, Kyera and Madelyn, on a trip to the Children’s Discovery Museum located at 171 Capital Street in Augusta, Maine. The museum’s director Valencia Schubert invited Mike to join the museum’s board after she discovered to world’s finest teaching aquarium while searching for ways to improve the museum.
