Booklet Coastal Discovery Middle to Upper Primary Grades 3 to 6 Student Name:... School:... Beach:... Date:... 1
Additional copies of the Coastal Discovery booklets can be downloaded from the Cradle Coast NRM website: www.cradlecoastnrm.com This project is supported by Cradle Coast Natural Resource Management (NRM), through funding from the Australian Government s Caring for our Country. Cradle Coast NRM works with the North West and Western Tasmanian communities to improve our natural resources and ensure a healthy future for the region. Copyright Cradle Coast Authority 2010 No part of this publication may be reproduced without the express prior permission of the publisher. Published by: Cradle Coast Authority PO Box 338 Burnie TAS 7320 Ph: 03 6431 6285 nrm@cradlecoast.com Booklet design and illustrations by Jen Evans Design and Consulting, Ulverstone, Tasmania
Keeping Safe at the Beach To keep safe at the beach listen carefully to your teacher and follow the rules below Wear old shoes, a hat and sunscreen and take water. Stick to the tracks to avoid trampling plants and animals. Check to see if the tide is coming in. Look out for big waves and don t turn your back on the sea. Be careful on slippery and sharp rocks. Walk on the wet sand so you don t tread on shorebird s eggs and nests. If you move rocks to look at crabs, put them back in the same place because it is their home. Just look at rock pool animals. They can die if taken out of their rock pool home. Pick up rubbish to keep our beaches clean but be careful of glass and any sharp objects. Watch out for the Blue-ringed octopus. It hides in dark rock pools and if disturbed can change its rings to bright blue and orange. Its bite can be very dangerous. Don t put your hands in dark rock pools. 3
Beach Habitats Beach habitats are homes for different creatures. Beach habitats can include sand dunes, rock pools, dry beach sand, wet beach sand (below the high water mark) and the water itself. Tick the type of beach that you are on: sandy rocky estuary (river mouth) headland a mixture of the others or perhaps you have your own description (write in box below) Find north (using the compass), and then find the direction of the wind today. Draw an arrow in the compass below to show the wind direction. N W E S What is the sea like today? (Tick which one) rough calm choppy still mirror-like Is the tide coming in or going out? What object could you look for on the beach to help you get the answer? Describe how you can tell? 4
Native Plants and Weeds A weed is a plant growing in the wrong place. Using the Native Plant and Weed Identification Guides provided, name and draw a leaf from each type of plant that you find. Group them into native plants and weeds below. Native Plants Weeds Did you find the weed Sea spurge? Do Not touch it as it is a toxic weed and can irritate your skin and eyes. 5
Native Plants and Weeds Leaf Shapes Group the leaves into their different shapes. Crush the leaves and describe the smell. Do some leaf rubbings. In the boxes below, glue in samples of Native Plant and Weed rubbings 6
Life in a Rock Pool A rock pool is a home for many different creatures. Before you do anything, just sit quietly around the pool and observe what s happening. Focus on the colour, the temperature of the water (is it hotter than the open sea?). Are there rainbow colours on the surface indicating oil? Can you see any animals moving? Can you see any things that are not moving? Danger: Do not put your hand into places you cannot see as Blue-ringed octopus live in dark crevices, cans and bottles. After you have investigated the rock pool, record and draw what you find in the box below. 7
Shells Shells (molluscs) are the homes of marine creatures. There are two different types of shells. A gastropod is a mollusc that has a stomach and foot. A bi-valve is a hinged mollusc that moves itself by pumping water. As you walk along the beach, find 6 different types of shells. Identify them using the Shell Identification Guide, then draw them in the boxes below and describe each one in the spaces underneath. 8.........
Sea Sponges Sea sponges are made of lots of tiny animals living together. Sometimes we find their skeletons washed up on the shore. Living sponges are often very brightly coloured. They feed and breathe by moving water through tiny holes in the sponge. How many different species of sea sponges can you find? (Walk on the wet sand to avoid disturbing shorebirds). Draw a detailed picture of one sponge in the box below. Use a magnifier to look at it closely. Finger Sponge Fan Sponge Saucer Sponge 9
Shorebirds Different kinds of birds, such as shorebirds and penguins live on or near the beach. Many of these shorebirds breed between September and March which is about the same time that people like to use the beach. What kinds of birds can you see? Use the Shorebirds of North West Tasmania Pocket ID Booklet to name them below. What sort of threats do you think that shorebirds and penguins face? Can you think of ways of making life safer for the shorebirds and penguins? 10
Cuttlefish Cuttlefish are not fish at all but are related to squid and octopuses. They are called cephalopods, which literally translated means head-foot. The Giant Australian Cuttlefish can grow to one metre long. Cuttlefish have three hearts and blue blood! Cuttlefish live on the sea bed, where they hunt for molluscs and small fish. They have a chalky internal shell called cuttlebone that often gets washed ashore. The cuttlebone is collected by some people to feed to their canaries, budgies and parrots. The cuttlefish is a master at camouflage as it can change its colour to match its background and hide from its predators. If the attacking animal still manages to detect the cuttlefish, it spurts black ink at the attacker while it escapes. Can you find any cuttlefish bones (i.e. internal skeleton) on the beach? Look to see if there are any marks on them and try to work out what creature might have eaten them. What marine creatures do you think eat cuttlefish? 11
Cuttlefish Draw lines to match the predator s mouth to the cuttlefish. 12
Shark Egg Cases What type of sharks live in our sea (ocean)? Have you heard of marine creatures called skates or rays? Around September marine egg cases can be found on the beach at the high tide mark. Can you find any? Can you identify the ones you have found? Elephant Fish Egg case is a smooth, black, horny capsule with frilled edge. Port Jackson Shark Spirally flanged black-brown egg case. Skate Egg case is a smooth horny capsule with four points. Draughtboard Shark Egg capsule is ridged brown, horny with tendrils to attach it to weed. 13
Crabs On what part of the beach would you find a live crab? What evidence of crabs can you find? How many legs do they have? What do they eat? How do crabs walk? What colour are they? How do crabs protect themselves from predators? Can you find the shell of a dead crab on the beach? How can you tell if the crab you found is male or female? Hint: the female s belly in rounder and larger. Find two different types of crabs. See if you can identify them using the Crab Identification Guide. Note the differences between them. Did you find any introduced crabs such as the Green Crab or the New Zealand Half Crab? 14
Seastars Can you find any seastars? Using the Seastar Identification Guide list the different kinds you can find. What do they look like? How many arms do they have? Where do they live? What do they eat? Draw and describe 2 that you have found. Draw Describe 15
Seaweeds Seaweeds grow in the sea and come in three colours - green, red and brown. They provide food and shelter for many marine creatures. Big, brown seaweeds, called kelp, can create huge underwater forests. Is there any seaweed washed up on the beach or in rock pools? Collect and sort them into different colours. Using the Seaweed Identification Guide, draw and name a sample of each type. 16
Marine Debris and Beachcombing List the items of rubbish you have found on the beach from the most dangerous to least dangerous for marine creatures. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. What is the most dangerous type of rubbish for marine creatures? Why? What is the most unusual piece of rubbish you have found? 17
Before you Leave the Beach Before you leave the beach, look around some more. Has it changed since you arrived? If so, describe how (e.g. is the temperature hotter or colder or has the tide changed?) What is your favourite marine creature and why? What was your favourite activity at the beach? What did you find most interesting? List 5 things that you can do to protect the coastal and marine environment. 1. 4. 2. 5. 3. 18
Extra Activities Beach Scavenger Hunt Search the beach to find the things below 1. some litter 2. a piece of rope 3. something precious 4. something red 5. something very old 6. a large shell 1. something living 2. something dead 3. a skeleton 4. a colourful rock 5. something shiny 6. something spiky Short story exercise Write a short story about the most interesting thing you have learned today and why it is important to know. Colouring in Colour in the picture on the last page. Drawing Draw a picture of your favourite marine creature. Sea Creature exercise Choose a sea creature. It could be a penguin, seal, sea eagle or whale. Pretend you are that creature and write about your life. What do you eat, where do you live, who are your enemies? What are the other dangers to you and how can humans help to make your life better? 19
Books and Websites Books: Amazing Facts about Australian Marine Life: Steve Parish Australian Guide to Seashores; Gould League books Between Tasmanian Tide Lines; A Field Guide: Tasmanian Marine Field Neutralists Coastlands and the Sea: Activity Book- Understanding Australian Habitats Environmental Starters: Gould League Kids and Water: Marine Reader Series: Wet Paper Putting a toe in the water: A teacher s guide: Websites Gould League - www.gould.edu.au Marine Education Association of Australasia - www.mesa.edu.au Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Education - www.parks.tas.gov.au Cradle Coast Natural Resource Management - www.cradlecoastnrm.com Other Resources: Marine Links Kit: Fishcare - Phone 0408337317 Coastcare Treasure Chests: box of coastal and marine related books and other resources available to lend to teachers. Two levels: lower and upper primary. Available from the Sustainable Living Centre, Hobart, phone: (03)6234 5566. 20
Colour in the Marine Creatures 21