Visitor - Jim Fyfe

Today we had a visit from Jim Fyfe from the Department of Conservation. Jim came to talk to us about the Hooker Sea lion which is endangered.

In early NZ, Maori hunted seals and sea lions for food, their skins and fur. NZ sea lions were fully protected 130 years ago which suggests that they were endangered then.

Three quarters of pups are born on the Auckland Islands. They are starting to breed more on the mainland. There is concern about the state of the population on the Auckland Islands as the number of pups being born has declined over the last 10 - 12 years which suggests they are dying.

They start breeding at about 4 years old. They only have 9 breeding females at present. They are weaned from their mothers at about 10 months old.

The sea lions are tagged so that they can monitor how old they are and where they go. They have a different colour for each year.

Estimated total around the Otago Coastline (Allens Beach, Pilots Beach, Sandfly Bay, Aramoana, the Catlins) is about 130 - 150. This year there were 5 pups (3 females) born around Otago ( including one in Aramoana.

Sea lions have been found in strange places - Camp ground toilet, by the road, inn a garden, and on a farm.

They like to interact and are very social animals. If confronted don't look them in the eye. Be boring and keep calm as they just come to investigate you. They are just like a dog, they will run up to you and after you if you run. just back off and get out of their space they will move on after 5 or so minutes.

Don't get in between a fur seal and the water because they will get scared and try and head towards the water.

Call DOC if :

• People are persisting in harassing a sea lion
• The sea lion is clearly injured or tangled
  
• There is a mother and a new born pup
• If you have information about someone harming a pup

For more information click on this link - Sea Lion Facts

New Zealand Sea Lion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

New Zealand Sea Lion
New Zealand (Hooker's) Sea Lion
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Carnivora Suborder: Pinnipedia Family: Otariidae Subfamily: Otariinae Genus: Phocarctos Peters, 1866 Species: P. hookeri
Binomial name
Phocarctos hookeri (Gray, 1844)

New Zealand (Hooker's) Sea Lions on an Enderby Island beach.

The New Zealand Sea Lion or Hooker's Sea Lion (Phocarctos hookeri) is a species of sea lion that breeds around the coast of New Zealand's South Island and Stewart Island/Rakiura to some extent, and to a greater extent around New Zealand's sub-antarctic islands, especially the Auckland Islands. As one of the larger New Zealand animals, it has been a protected species since the 1890s.

The Local Coastguard

http://www.coastguardsouth.org.nz/

Today we had a local coastguard visit called Ma Severne. She told us a lot about saving lives. She showed us some cool stuff like some lifejackets. We looked at a dry suit that coastguards have to wear and it felt like a sponge. They cost lots! by Nick and Rowan

Marine Aquarium Visit

Yesterday, my class went on the bus to the Marine Aquarium. A lady took us to the laboratory and we looked at all of the different types of seaweed.

Then we looked at the scavengers. They are animals that get the left over scraps that other fish don’t want.

After that we went to the sharks. I really liked the sharks because the teeth on them were huge and sharp. After the sharks we went to a little room where the lady taught us all about fish and sharks. Then we went to the touch pool - there were lots of really scary things there.

I think everybody had a good time. By Josh



On Monday, I went to the Aquarium. There were four groups - a, b, c, and d. I was in c. There were four stations.

The first one I went too was the lab. I learnt that the plants under the water, like the ones on top need sun. Next was talking about what we learnt in the lab.

Then we looked at the carpet shark, blue cod and others. Then we went inside to see the sharks that have only just hatched. They were only just as long as a ruler.

We then went to the aquarium where we saw an eel, A shark and plankton. Then we went to the touch boxes. Then it was back to the bus and back to school. By Dylan


We took the bus to the Aquarium. When we got there we saw this tank with fish and starfish. Then they took us into this room and showed us the world. Then we went to the lab. Then we went into the roomand to the fish room. Finally we visited the touching room. By Brad


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Portobello Marine Laboratory
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The Portobello Marine Laboratory is located on the end of a short peninsula close to the township of Portobello, within the limits of the city of Dunedin in New Zealand's South Island. It is run as part of the University of Otago, the main campus of which is 23 kilometres to the southwest in Dunedin's main urban area.

The laboratory is New Zealand and Oceania's oldest established marine research facility and was opened on January 13, 1904. Originally proposed by leading naturalist G.M. Thompson in 1895 as a fish hatchery, it was initially planned to have it sited at Purakanui, north of Port Chalmers, but the current site on the shores of Otago Harbour was deemed more suitable.

The laboratory is highly regarded worldwide for its facilities and research, and is an important asset to the university's Marine Science Department. The facility also includes the New Zealand Marine Studies Centre and Aquarium, which is open to the public. For this reason, the laboratory is often referred to locally as the Portobello Aquarium."

Today's Visitor - Sam the Scientist

Today, Sam the scientist came to visit our school and share what he has seen in Antarctica, his work in Antarctica and understanding how marine ecosystems works (predators and prey in the ocean.) He studies creatures that only have one cell - we have trillions! One cell is about the size of a coin, so they range in size from microscopic to massive.

Foraminifera

Foraminifera
Live Ammonia tepida (Rotaliida)

The Foraminifera, ("Hole Bearers") or forams for short, are a large group of amoeboid protists with reticulating pseudopods, fine strands of cytoplasm that branch and merge to form a dynamic net.^[1] They typically produce a test, or shell, which can have either one or multiple chambers, some becoming quite elaborate in structure.^[2] About 275,000 species are recognized, both living and fossil. They are usually less than 1 mm in size, but some are much larger, and the largest recorded specimen reached 19 cm." (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Planes land on a strip 4m thick of ice. Planes fly out of chch and fly due south to Antarctica. They can carry 2 helicopters in them and they hold about 150 people comfortably. The inside of the plane is the size of a bball court! They then catch a helicopter and travel 60km to their studies - "New Harbour".
There are about 800 people in Antarctica when they go down to do their research.

At "New Harbour", they live in 2 tents connected by a hallway. They use solar power, wind power (its very windy and noisy) and propane - so they can get electricity 3 ways. They eat a lot of pizza! New York's favourite food!

They have to dig through 4m of ice to get samples. They have 2 dive holes - one for safety. This past year it was 6m! They use a giant drill and first they dig a small hole then they fill it with dynamite, then they stand back and make a big hole! When the dynamite explodes it explodes outwards shattering the ice. Because water can't compress it goes outwards into the ice then upwards. They end up with a big slush pit which they have to dig out. One diver has to go down and check whether the hole goes all the way down then chip away. It takes hours!

Its completely dark under the ice as the sunlight can't penetrate the thickness of the ice. Divers have to carry flashlights. It is easy to find your way out as you swim towards the light. They wear lots of layers of clothes and the only part of your body expose is your face, in particular your lips.

What do single cells (foraminifera) eat? Phytoplanktin. To test whether its true they make it radioactive then they sprinkle it into the petrie dish and see whether the single cells and see whether they turn radioactive which they did. They also tested to see whether they ate nutrients which they did.

So, what eats them? Sam put in a shrimp like creature and expected that to eat it but the foraminifera ate it! He tried the experiment with other small things like baby clams but they got eaten as well. So, every creature in the ocean with small babies has to worry about foraminifera eating them.

They also research them in Florida, USA, where they live in the eel beds. Also Sam and otehr researchers are trying to find out whether foraminifera live on the slimy backs of Manatees.

Manatees (family Trichechidae, genus Trichechus) are large, fully aquatic marine mammals sometimes known as sea cows.

Antillean Manatee

Other facts of interest - No sharks or coral in Antarctica.

Blogged with Flock

Today, Jennie Upton came and talked to us about Hector Dolphins. They are becoming extinct. There are only 7,000 in the South Island and 111 in the North Island. The ones in the North Island are called Maui dolphins.

They eat white bait and squid. Scientists can tell this because when the Hector Dolphins die they open up their stomachs and they can see ear bones from fish and the beaks of squid – which can’t be digested. They can live up to 20 years. I found out heaps.

By Matt

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