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Field Trip to Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Introduction: The purpose of this field excursion is to observe and study live marine life, their habitats, and the major environmental concerns that they face. This worksheet is divided into three parts: Part I questions cover the two major exhibits: Global Warming and Seahorses (Exhibit Gallery is to your left - south). Part II questions address the Hall of Fish aquarium tank exhibits (to your right - north). The Hall of Fish questions are ordered according to a counterclockwise circuit of the hallway loop. Part III questions address the outdoor tide pool exhibits (straight ahead, behind the building - west). This is designed as a self-guided tour - do it by yourself, or work as a student group.

Part I - The Exhibit Gallary

Global Warming Exhibit

1. What are four visible changes occurring on Earth's that are considered lines of evidence for

global warming? 1) ____________ 2) ___________ 3 ____________ 4____________

2. Climatologists collect two types of ancient earth material - Ice and Sediment - each holds a record of earth's paleoclimate. Note that one material holds recorded information indicating levels of ancient atmospheric CO₂_,whereas the other material records ancient ground and water surface temperatures. More specifically, it's the fossils found in one of the above materials that record one of the two types of paleoclimate information listed above. Air bubbles contained in the second type of material record the other type of paleoclimate information. Match the correct earth material to what it contains, and to what type of paleoclimate data it stores?

Samples of Ancient Polar Ice contain ______________, which record ____________________.

Samples of Ancient Sediment contain _____________, which record ____________________.

3. Scientists have collected ancient atmospheric CO₂_,and surface temperatures data that continuously covers the last 650,000 years. Carefully study the relationship between Earth’s level of atmospheric CO₂ data and average global temperature data over the last 600,000 years (shown on the wall). Do the two data sets move up and down together in lock-step fashion (closely tied together)? Or do they appear to move independently of one another (no direct relationship)? What does this tell us about how one factor relates to the other over time? Is it possible to tell from the chart which factor controls the other factor?

4. Over the last 650,000 years, atmospheric CO₂ has never risen over what level? _____ ppm

5. What was the atmospheric CO₂ level at the start of the industrial revolution? _____ ppm

6. What is the current level of CO₂ concentration in our atmosphere? ______ ppm

7. How much has CO₂ in our atmosphere risen over the last 50 years? _____ ppm

8. What are the predicted levels of CO₂ in our atmosphere 50 years from now if we continue to

burn fossil fuels at present rates? _____ ppm

9. How will increases of CO₂ in our ocean affect ocean acidity and carbonate shell production?

10. List three ways that you can reduce your carbon footprint.

Seahorse Exhibit

1. What are seahorses? Note their general classification and some of the major types.

2. What are three major types of habitats where seahorses call home?

3. What do seahorses eat? How do they get and eat their food?

4. What are the seahorse’s natural enemies, and how do they protect themselves from them?

5. How many seahorses are harvested every year? What are they used for?

6. Why are numerous species of seahorses presently in danger of collapse worldwide? What are

some of the solutions to stabilize and increase seahorse numbers?

PART II - THE hall of FISHES

A. THE SARDINE TANK – Front entrance (Tank #1)

1. Sardines often swim with their mouths wide open. What are two reasons for this? (Hint: They

use their gills for two purposes)

2. The California sardine fishery collapsed back in the 1950’s. Reason(s) why it happened?

B. WESTERN NORTH AMERICA COASTAL WATERS AND The California Current

1. What two principle limiting factors in the physical environment affect marine productivity?

2. Describe the California Current within the North Pacific Gyre. Circle 3 correct choices.

Boundary or Transverse? Eastern or Western? Cold or Warm?

3. The California Current and adjacent coastal waters a particularly rich marine ecosystem?

Why? (Hint: think about the physical limiting factors and their conditions along our coast)

4. Where is the geographic boundary between the Northwest and Southern California marine

ecosystems? (Hint: Look for the “elbow” of California’s coastline on the map.) Why there?

C. Northwest Coast Marine HAbitats – (Tanks 2 through 7)

1. List the types of marine habitats displayed. Note the types of sea bottoms.

2. List five of the most common types of marine life found in the Northwest Coast tanks.

3. Take a close look at Tank #5. What is so special about tank #5? Describe what you see.

D. HUMAN IMPACT ON Southern California Marine ECOSYSTEMS

1. How many millions of gallons of waste water are discharged into San Diego offshore waters?

Where does it all come from? What's in it?

2. What do think are important human environmental impacts on Southern California’s offshore

marine ecosystems? Include both natural and human-related impacts. Hint: Check out the

information board on the wall opposite to tanks #6 and #7.

3. What are some of the ways that San Diegans can lessen the above impacts on our ocean?

E. Southern California Marine HAbitats – (Tanks 10 through 19)

1. List the types of marine habitats displayed. Note the types of sea bottoms.

2. List five of the most common types of marine life found in the marine habitats listed above.

3. How do Northwest Coast marine communities differ from the Southern California Coast’s?

F. giant kelp Forest TANK (Tank #19)

1. Spend some time studying the marine life in the very large kelp forest tank. Identify and count

as many species of sea life as possible. How many species are there?

2. Name and describe (in some detail) one species in the kelp tank that you find most interesting.

3. List two major ways that you think that a kelp forest promotes and sustains abundant and

diverse sea life.

G. Tropical Coral Reefs systems and Marine Baselines – (Tanks 20 through 33)

1. Find the Tropical Seas coral reef tanks/exhibits. Read and study the information listed. Note

that a "baseline" is the original (minimally impacted) state of an ecosystem that an ecologist

would compare the current evolving (more impacted) state. Compare the baseline of Caribbean

reefs, prior to major European impact, to its current state. List the major changes since the time

of Columbus? Why?

2. What are some threats or causes for the collapse of the coral reef systems worldwide?

3. What are some of the ways that humans are providing relief to troubled coral reef systems?

4. Why are healthy coral reef ecosystems important and worth saving?

PART III - THE outdoor tidepool exhibits

1. How many animal phyla do you recognize in the tidepools? List at least three.

2. Do the tidepools have a dominant phylum? If so, which one?

3. What principle characteristics do these organisms possess that makes them so well-suited to

the tidepool habitat? Think about the challenging physical conditions of a tidepool.

4. What animal species, that are no longer abundant in wild tidepools along our shoreline, do you

recognize in the tidepool habitat? Why have they vanished? How can they make a comeback?

PART IV - Post field lab Reflection

Write a three-point reflection of your field trip experience (about 150 words). 1) What did you discover and learn on this excursion? Also, how did this trip contribute to what you learned in the classroom? 2) What did you enjoy most about this fieldtrip? Also, what was challenging or thought-provoking? 3) What are your constructive comments about the design of this fieldtrip, and how to make this fieldtrip better: What’s good? – What’s bad? Write on this page, or on a separate sheet.