IB exam 2015

As I post this, the 23 marine scientists pictured above are completing their two year multimodal experience in Marine Science by writing paper 2 of their IB examination in the caf.

Congratulations to all and thanks for many wonderful adventures!

Deep sea costumes 2015

Here are the latest deep sea organisms to visit Pearson College… this time on Wednesday 21 January and Thursday 22 January 2015.

This year the specimens included:

 Prince Axel’s wonderfish

 A tube-eye or thread-tail fish

 Crown jellyfish

Barreleye fish

 Chubby flashlight fish

 Deep sea glass squid

 Umbrella mouth gulper

 A stoplight loosejaw fish

 A dragonfish

 A gulper eel

 Venus’s flower basket sponge

and a basket star.

Bull kelp pickles

On Friday evening, Yam served and shared the bull kelp pickles that she and Noemi had prepared about 4 weeks earlier using bull kelp that we collected on one of the kelp forest field trips. The recipe they used can be found here.

It was burgers for dinner and the delicious bull kelp pickles really complimented the meal.

Thank you Yam!!

 

Kelp forest trips 2014

Friday 10 October and Tuesday 14 October, second year marine scientists did the annual field trip to the Nereocystis kelp forest at Fossil Point.  This is one of the very best field trips we do in the IB Marine Science course at Pearson College. Divers get into the water with a camera that is tethered to a monitor on our boat ‘Second Nature’ so that non-divers can experience the kelp forest along with the divers.

Yam (below), Riikka and Tyleisha did the dive on Friday.

Stuart (below) and Martin (even further below) did the dive on Tuesday.

 

Martin getting instruction on how to use the camera…

…before rolling off of ‘Second Nature’.

The divers descend with the camera so that everyone on board can see what they see on the monitor in the cabin.

Sometimes we can also see the divers:

Non-divers are invited to snorkel around the surface of the kelp forest and have a wonderful time acting like sea otters.

Back on ‘Second Nature’ other students are doing various measurements…

and making observations…

Thanks to Courtney for making these 2 trips happen and to the divers, snorkelers, measurers, observers and photographers.

Harbour seal necropsy 2014

On Saturday 13 September, many students observed or got directly involved in the necropsy of the little female harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) that we found in the mudflats last week.

With permission from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, we examined the body of the seal inside and out…

Two students, Haruna & Mariam, carefully teased apart the small intestine, stretched it out and measured it to be 12.8 m long.  All that intestine in a seal that was only 0.82 m long!

We did examine many organs but could not determine the cause of death.

 

A very unique opportunity for many Pearson College students! Thanks to all involved including the many photographers.

This is one of my favourite photos from the event… the lens from one of the eyes, which you may be able to see has inverted the image behind it.

Mudflat mayhem

On Tuesday and Wednesday mornings this week, second year Marine Science students paddled across Pedder Bay to get to the mudflats. In fact for E block students this was their first class back after the break – a serious re-immersion back into the course!

We did a lot of digging…

And discovered some cool creatures…

including a dead Harbour Seal.

And only one major mudflat mishap.

Two wonderful mornings overall!

 

 

Field Exam 2014 – A block

Better late than never, right?  On 16 May 2014, the other class of first year marine scientists (A block) wrote their field exam at Race Rocks.  Here are a few photos of their experience.

Chloe at the PC docks before departing for Race Rocks.

Students working hard:

Measuring the change in the height of the tide over 30 minutes…

Courtney, Ivan & Sophia watching the whale watchers.

Happy students!!

 

Buzurg & Awa measuring the dimensions of the Race Rocks jetty.

 

Elephant seals (?!) on the jetty.

 

Exam is over – time to return to the College.

 

 

Thanks to Sophia for taking photos!

Field Exam 2014 – D block

It was a stunningly beautiful Thursday morning when eight D block marine scientists travelled to Race Rocks to complete their field exam. Students measured, and measured, and wrote, and wrote, and wrote. A very successful morning for the students and for the island wildlife: A giant green anemone (Anthopleura xanthogrammica) feasting on what appeared to be a sea cucumber. There were also many, many elephant seals:   Special thanks to Anne Stewart for preparing the students so well: and to Elliot (PC 39) for the photos.

Goldstream salmon run 2013

On Wednesday 6 November (A block) and Thursday 7 November (D block) first year Marine Science students had the opportunity to observe spawning chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) at Goldstream Provincial Park.

We saw many live salmon, swimming & spawning, and many dead & decaying salmon.

There were also many gulls watching this incredible event…

Some gulls were swimming along side the salmon…

and many gulls were diving for salmon eggs.

 A Block

 D Block

Thanks to Alfredo, Camille vG and Tyleisha for photos!

Liquid Layering Lab

Although it may be a bit tricky to see in all the tubes above, there should be four coloured layers of water – each layer with a different density.

Students were challenged to use coloured water of differing temperature and salinity to make the layers.

 

 

If you look closely, you should see a yellow layer between the red and green layers below.

 

Thanks to Alfredo for the photos!