Dauphin Island Sea Lab
(Gulf Shores)
Field Trip
March 31 - April 4, 2008
Five Day Camp
Daughin Island Sea Lab Information:
Essential Items to Bring:
- Bed linens or sleeping bag, pillow, towels, blanket
- Toiletries
- Insect repellent
- Field clothes: swimsuit, hat, old clothes
- Canvas shoes or old shoes for wading and seining ( a couple of pairs)
- Bottle of water (to be refilled for field activities)
- Sunscreen
Desirable Items To Bring:
- Camera
- Binoculars
- Fishing gear, crab net
- Rain gear
- Alarm Clock
- Flashlight
- Gallon-size Ziploc bags
Itinerary:
-
March 31 - Arrive no later than 12:00 pm - Eat lunch before you get there.
-
March 31 - Visit Estuarium
-
April 1 - 2 classes
-
April 2 - 2 classes
-
April 3 - 2 classes
-
April 4 - 1 Class and Ft. Gaines - Depart after lunch.
-
Classes should be over by 4:30 pm every evening with dinner from 5:00 - 6:00 pm. We will have free time from about 6:00 - 9:00 pm. Bring some movies to watch and games to play in the evening.
Classes:
-
Beach Walk and Maritime Forest - The students are given a short, interesting lecture about beach zonation, coastal ecology and maritime flora / fauna. The lecture is complemented by slides and other visual aids. Following the lecture, the group begins a 2 - 3 mile field excursion along the beach of the Gulf of Mexico, through the maritime forest, stopping often to inspect the various habitats. Participants may get their feet wet! Collections of shells and other non-living specimens as well as plants are permitted, but please bring your own Ziploc bags (gallon size is recommended). Key words to Review: Estuary, erosion, longshore current
-
Salt Marsh - Estuaries where the rivers meet the sea, is the theme for this activity. Students are introduced to estuaries and the important concept of how the estuary is a nursery for marine animals. After a short lecture and slide presentation before the group is transported (via bus) to a salt marsh (estuary), located on the Mississippi Sound side of Dauphin Island. Here the group experiences the salt water marsh ecosystem by dragging seines, catching, and identifying animals, and by sieving shoveled-up marsh bottom samples. Participants will get wet and a bit muddy! Wear old tennis shoes that lace tightly - Do not wear flip flops, sandals, or knee high boots. Key words to Review: food web, detritus, estuary.
-
History and Hurricanes - Maritime history abounds on Dauphin Island. Relive the days of the early sailors and settlers of the Island. Join us for an informative bus trip to Indian Mounds, the past capital of the Louisiana Purchase, then on to historic Fort Gaines. Experience the impact Hurricanes have had on this historic island by viewing videos of past storms and their destruction. The students will learn how the Hurricane Center tracks storms and be given the opportunity to chart paths of historic storms.
-
Coastal Oceanography - Wind, waves, depth and salt comprise some of the physical and chemical aspects of the ocean. After a lecture and slide presentation, the group will make their way to the beach near the Sea Lab. There they measure wave crests, troughs, frequency and the long shore current. Research tools are provided and used to take other parameters, such as wind speed, air and water temperature and salinity. The scientific method is stressed to students. Students are given the opportunity to construct and test hypothesis. Participants will get into the Gulf of Mexico! Wear swimsuit and lace up tennis shoes. Key Word to Review: crest, wave height, trough, longshore current, wave length, wave frequency, tides, hurricane.
-
Touch Lab (Squid Dissection) - This program involves a more detailed introduction to different marine animals and is designed for incorporation into overnight group field trips. Students are given an exciting, interesting introduction to the most common marine groups with anecdotes and amazing facts where appropriate. Participants are then challenged to pick-up these various organisms and identify where the eyes are (if they have them), or the mouth and what defenses it might have to protect itself from being eaten. The Phylum Molluska is emphasized, and the anatomy of cephalopods is examined through a well-structured squid dissection. Key words to review: invertebrate, vertebrate, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species.
-
Productive Plankton - Students learn about the plants and animals that make up the plankton in the oceans and provide over 80% of the worlds' oxygen. Students will travel to sites around Dauphin Island and pull 85 micron plankton nets through surface waters. Back in the laboratory, the live plankton will be viewed on large screen televisions through the use of video scopes as well as microscopes. Teams of students will be challenged to come up with a plankton body shape out of clay or silly putty and the plankton races will begin. Participants will get wet and sandy! Wear a bathing suit, lace up tennis shoes, and bring a towel. Key Words to Review: Plankton, phytoplankton, autotrophic, primary producer, zooplankton, heterotrophic, consumer, food pyramid (food web), photosynthesis.
-
What's In the Water? - Water cycles over, across, and through the earth, carrying along with it a number of natural and man made things. After an introduction to the water cycle, student will use models to examine how water moves different things, from sand to pollutants to trash, and how man contributes to what water carries. Steuent will learn first-hand some of the impacts people have had and some of the ways we are working to repair/prevent damage. Participants will get wet and sandy! Key Words to Review: Point source pollution, native species, non-native species, erosion, non-point source pollution.
The Estuarium is an exciting educational facility highlighting the four key habitats of coastal Alabama: the Mobile Tensaw River Delta, Mobile Bay, the Barrier Islands and the Northern Gulf of Mexico. It includes the 10,000 square foot Exhibit Hall and Living Marsh Boardwalk. This facility is a showcase of the plants, animals, and other natural resources found in the Estuary and its surrounding marine habitats. Through beautiful visual exhibits and engaging interactive exhibits, the Estuarium will leave you with a broader understanding of the interactions that take place in Mobile Bay, the fourth largest estuary system in the United States.
6 - 8 Activity Curriculum 3 - 5 Activity Curriculum 9 - 12 Activity Curriculum
Historic Fort Gaines is located on Dauphin Island in Mobile Bay. It was one of the primary Confederate forts guarding the entrance to the bay. Admiral Farragut ("Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!") ran his fleet past the forts in the Battle of Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864. The entire battle campaign lasted from August 2 to August 23, 1864.
http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/jankej/civilwar/FtGaines.htm
http://www.dauphinisland.org/fort.htm