Year 7-10 Programs

Marine Animal Classification

Hands on classification activities with live animals to investigate the similarities and differences between groups of marine organisms and their place in marine ecosystems. View vertebrates and invertebrates and have a go at devising identification keys.

Marine Ecosystems and Food Webs

Food webs, feeding relationships and energy transfer within marine ecosystems. Collect biotic and abiotic data in the field and view a range of live marine animals and their role in the ecosystem. Case studies of local Tasmanian producer and consumer organisms to discuss ecosystem dynamics and human interactions.

Body Structures and Cells

Investigate the body structures and systems of a range of marine animals and plants. Compare marine animal body systems to human body systems and examine physiological adaptations of a range of marine animals for life in the ocean. View live zooplankton and phytoplankton under microscopes.

Survival and Reproduction in the Sea

Marine animals have a range of physiological adaptations and reproductive strategies that suit their environment. Case studies from sharks, seahorse, octopus, sea stars, sponges and fish to discuss how animals internal body systems help them respond to their environment; as well as asexual and sexual reproduction, hermaphroditism and care of offspring. Consider if humans are impacting on survival and reproduction of marine animals through fishing practices and climate change.

Ocean Systems, Carbon Cycle and Climate Change

Learn how carbon cycles through the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere. Discuss photosynthesis and respiration. Consider how the ocean regulates global temperature and energy in ocean systems, for example, climate change and ocean currents. Investigate how additional carbon in the atmosphere and oceans causes warming oceans, sea level rise, ocean acidification and ecosystem changes.

DNA and Natural Selection (can be combined with Year 10 Climate Change focus)

Investigating how changes in DNA and interactions with the environment cause diversity of marine life. Examine the life cycle of jellyfish to discuss meiosis and mitosis (sexual and asexual reproduction) and how natural selection may favour jellyfish with some human induced changes to the ocean ecosystem. Case Studies: Genetic technology in aquaculture and eDNA in finding handfish.

Cross Curricular

Human Impacts on Marine Environments

Choose to focus on one impact, or a combination of:

Climate change and ocean acidification
Introduced and range extension species
Marine plastic pollution and microplastics
Fishing, harvesting and marine farming

Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicles (ROV) STEM project

Students learn about how robotic technology is increasing our understanding of marine science. Investigate autonomous and remotely controlled underwater vehicles and drones.

Design, build, test and evaluate an underwater ROV
Use the commercial ROV on board RV Penghana

Underwater Movie Making

Use GoPros and remotely operated underwater vehicles to film a range of marine life and marine habitats. Depending on time available, make a short movie on the day or take the footage back to school to produce your movie clips.

If taking files back to school, please bring a very large USB or portable hard drive for student files.

Fishing for the Future

Investigate aquaculture, commercial fishing and recreational fishing in Tasmania.

fishing and marine farming methods
legislation such as catch limits, environmental permits and licences
multitrophic aquaculture
recreational fishing
indigenous fishing

On board RV Penghana choose from

Marine farming and abiotic water quality indicators
Recreational fishing

Dangerous Animals

Investigate a range of marine animals that can be dangerous to humans. We discuss a range of toxins and how marine animals have adapted to use these as defence or for capturing prey. We consider our relationship with dangerous marine animals and look at first aid options for encounters with these dangerous marine animals.