Seacoast+Science+Center

=Seacoast Science Center=

570 Ocean Boulevard, Rye, New Hampshire, 03870-2104 USA Website: http://www.seacoastsciencecenter.org Contact Name: Perrin Chick Email: p.chick@seacentr.org Phone: 603.436.8043 ext. 17

The Seacoast Science Center is an informal science education institution that specializes in the marine environment with a focus on the Gulf of Maine. Located right on the coast in historically rich and biologically diverse Odiorne Point State Park, the Center’s educators have been creating distance learning programs since 2006. Our educators interact with students throughout the presentation and engage them with in-classroom activities. Students will be captivated by detailed views of live animals projected from our microscope camera. Underwater videos take students into the marine world to observe how animals behave in their undersea habitat. Let our educational staff work with you to create customized learning experiences that meet your needs and align with state frameworks.

Coastal Critters: Living Here is Hard to Do
Animals’ adaptations to New England’s coast have resulted in some amazing and amusing critters. This program highlights how individual species and entire classes of creatures have adapted to survive on the rocky shore, the sandy beach and the salt marsh. Students will see dramatic time-lapse images of the tidal cycle, prompting discussion about the special adaptations creatures have in order to live in and out of water. Videos of animal behavior, including how a sea star eats, how lobsters molt and how horseshoe crabs mate will make participants feel as though they are getting their feet wet and really looking beneath the water. Grade level: 1-8 cost: $150 for first session, $100 for subsequent sessions.

Lobsters: The Iconic Coastal Species
Most students know about the last phase of some American Lobsters’ life cycle: on a dinner plate! However, a lobster larva changes many times before it settles out of the water as a tiny version of an adult. Growing up is challenging: lobster life is intriguing and complex. This program will uncover some of the secrets of lobster behavior and its unusual structural adaptations. Still images and videos highlight stages of the lobster’s life cycle, including images of the molting process. In addition to learning about the ecology of lobsters, students will gain an understanding of the long history of lobsters as an economic force in New England’s traditional and turbulent fishing industry. Grade level: 4-10 cost: $150 for first session, $100 for subsequent sessions.

The Horseshoe Crab: Amazingly Adapted
The horseshoe crab has not changed in millions of years! In this program, students will learn about the unique anatomy of this prehistoric creature and discover how it has remained perfectly suited to its environment over time. Participants will witness the life cycle of this prehistoric creature from embryonic development to mating behavior through still images and videos created specifically for this program. Students will also learn about the important bio-pharmaceutical properties of horseshoe crab blood. Grade level: 1-8 cost: $150 for first session, $100 for subsequent sessions.

Ocean Acidification: How Changes to the Air Change the Sea
Global emissions of CO2 have increased enough to begin reducing the pH of seawater, profoundly changing the ocean as a habitat. An acidic marine environment compromises the ability of molluscs, plankton, sea stars, corals and other animals to produce their shells. This program provides students the unique opportunity to learn about this cutting-edge science through pre-recorded interviews with a scientist who is working on this urgent problem. Students will see lab experiments featuring acids and bases, pH, and calcification and will review the carbon cycle. This program is supplemented with video footage of the ocean scientist collecting data for his research. Grade level: 8-12 cost: $150 for first session, $100 for subsequent sessions.