Years K-6 SEA LFE for Schools Habitats & Adaptations Self-guided learning Contents This guide provides you with information and student activities linked to key displays throughout SEA LFE Sydney Aquarium that can be used to explore the topic of Habitats & Adaptations during your visit. By drawing out the points included in this guide, you will be able to introduce or recap on the key learning outcomes and provide students with a fantastic real-life context for learning. ntroduction Teacher s map Teacher s notes Student exploration sheets SEA & Discover classes f you would prefer an interactive, hands-on lesson led by a marine expert and speciically tailored to match the Australian curriculum, then a guided SEA & Discover class is a great choice. Students will embark on an underwater journey through SEA LFE Sydney Aquarium s 14 amazing themed zones and learn about the unique animals on display, their interconnectedness and survival. 2 3 4-10 11-12 Learning objectives obj ectives By completing this tour students will learn: Living things have basic needs, including food and water. Living things live in different places where their needs are met. Other topics in this series: The growth and survival of living things are affected by the physical conditions of their environment. Food Chains & Ecosystems Behaviour Conservation Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment. 1
Habitats & Adaptations ntroduction Use the questions on this page to introduce this topic to students before starting your tour. What is a habitat? A habitat is the natural home or environment of an animal, plant or other organism. t provides all the things needed for survival. Let s start by thinking about our own habitats What do you need to stay alive? The most important thing we all need is food. We also need somewhere that can keep us warm enough and sheltered from rain or snow. Can you ind both of these things in your home? Then it makes a good habitat for you! How about the Gentoo Penguin that lives in the Antarctic what do you think it needs from its habitat? The Gentoo Penguin actually needs the same things we do: food and shelter. However, the food and shelter it needs are very different. t eats ish and crustaceans like krill, which it catches while swimming. This means it needs to live close to the water. t has a thick layer of body fat that keeps it warm and means it is happy to live in the freezing cold Antarctic. The only time when it needs to be able to ind good shelter on land is while it is waiting for its eggs to hatch. So now we understand a bit more about what a habitat is we can start our trip around the SEA LFE aquarium aq uarium and have a closer look at the different habitats that marine creatures live in. Remember to hand out ex exploration ploration sheets to each student - these will be needed for activities on the tour. 2
Habitats & Adaptations Teacher s map Activities Sydney Harbour Dugong sland Discovery Rockpool Fascinating facts student activity Seahorse discussion notes (p4) Dugong wordsearch student activity Dugong discussion notes (p7) Dugong talk times: Who s at home in the rockpool? student activity Rockpool discussion notes (p9) Bay Of Rays Which ray? student activity Rays discussion notes (p5) Rays talk times: 10.00 12.30 South Coast Shipwreck Octopus anagrams student activity Octopus discussion notes (p6) Little Penguin feed time: 13.30 16.00 Shark Valley Adapted for life student activity Sharks discussion notes (p8) Clownfish Garden Spot the habitat student activity Clownish discussion notes (p10) Reef Theatre Shark talk times: 11.00 17.00 15.00 3
SEAHORSES Visit Area: SYDNEY HARBOUR Seahorses are one of the most fascinating creatures in our oceans. There are nearly 50 different species that have evolved over 40 million years. Seahorses can normally be found in tropical and temperate waters that are shallow and sheltered. Do you know why it is called a seahorse? The seahorse gets its name from its long snout that looks a bit like a horse s. What do you think a seahorse uses its long snout for? The long thin shape of a seahorse s snout is very useful for helping it to catch food. They can use it to get food out from tiny cracks in coral and rocks or even suck up food by breathing in quickly. What does a seahorse use its fins for? Like most ish it uses its ins to swim, but what is unusual is that the seahorse is one of the only ish that swims upright. This means it isn t very quick. According to Guinness World Records seahorses are the slowest ish in the ocean! Look at the unusual shape of its tail how do you think this helps it to survive? The seahorse spends most of its life clinging on to seagrass or other perches with its strong tail. This prevents it from being swept along by currents and allows it to eat the other tiny animals that are swept past it. This is vital to its survival, as it isn t a very strong swimmer. What makes the seahorse different to nearly every other animal? Unlike most other animals, it is the male, not the female, which A seah incubates the eggs the female look fo orse can r lays. Each male has a special backwa wards and rds at t pouch for carrying fertilised he s a m e time! eggs until they hatch. A seahorse is also a very loving animal most choose one partner and stay with it for life. Activity: Fascinating facts Ask students to look out for other fascinating facts about seahorses as they look around the displays. Discuss these as a group. The bony spine on a seahorse makes it unappetising to predators. Never buy dried seahorses as souvenirs or medicines and other products made from seahorses. 4
RAYS Visit Area: BAY OF RAYS Rays are strange lat looking creatures that use their wings to glide through the ocean. They live in oceans and seas all over the world, mostly on or near the seabed. Some species choose a habitat close to the shore, whilst others live over 3,000 metres beneath the surface in the deep ocean! Why do you think rays have such flat bodies? Most rays use their lat bodies to loat close to the sea loor. This means that they can suck their food (mussels, clams and oysters) off the seabed and if they need to, they can bury themselves in the sand to hide from predators. How do you think the colour of the Fantail and Maskray s skin helps them to survive in their habitat? The grey and blue colouring on their skin helps to camoulage them once they settle on the ground. This makes them invisible to predators. Their blue spots also warn predators that the rays are poisonous. Can you think of any other simple ways rays might avoid predators? Rays have been know to reduce their activity at times when the threat from predators is highest. Do you think rays always use their eyes to hunt? Scientists don t think so. Rays use special sensors called ampullae of Lorenzini, which can detect the tiny electrical charges given off by their prey. Do you think rays are dangerous? Most rays aren t dangerous as they don t have a venomous stinger (called a spine) on their tail, but some rays like the Spotted Eagle Ray do, and can use it to defend themselves against predators. The Manta Ray is the biggest of its species with wings that can span almost 7 metres across! FA Rays an CT are par d sharks scientii t of the same c fa Elasmo mily - the branchii. Activity: Which ray? Ask students to look at the information screens around the aquarium and try to identify the different species of rays on display. Discuss how they differ. We can help by supporting campaigns to set-up Marine Conservation Zones across the globe. Try to avoid eating skate, it s a member of the ray family. 5
OCTOPUS Visit Area: SOUTH COAST SHPWRECK The octopus can be found across a really wide range of waters - from the east coast of Australia to as far as New Zealand. t s a master of survival and can live in lots of different environments. t particularly likes rocky areas where there are plenty of places to hide. Where do you think an animal as big as an octopus could hide? The octopus body is boneless so it can squeeze into really tiny spaces the size of a dollar coin to hide from predators. An octopus is very intelligent and can solve problems. How do you think it solves the problem of defending its home? An octopus will collect shells and other objects to construct a fort around its home for extra protection. Can you guess what predators octopuses have? The octopus most common predator is the Moray Eel. Some seals, whales, sharks and even sea turtles eat octopuses too! The octopus also has some other amazing ways of avoiding predators; do you know what these are? t can change the colour of its skin instantly to camoulage against any background, or even just to display its mood! And if an octopus is threatened by a predator it can spray ink to cloud the water, helping it to escape. A female octopus can lay over 150,00 0 eggs at one time! FA Some o CT c crawl a topuses l ong seabed, tuckin the g their arms openin into small g s to for foo search d. Activity: Octopus anagrams Octopuses have some great ways to avoid getting caught by predators. Ask students to solve the clues and unscramble the anagrams. The correct answers are 1. nk 2. Colour 3. Bones. Be careful when on the beach or in the sea not to disturb creatures and their habitats. And always use a recyclable bag instead of a plastic one. 6
DUGONGS Visit Area: DUGONG SLAND Dugongs live in warm coastal waters stretching from East Africa to Australia, including the Red Sea, and the ndian and Paciic Oceans. Torres Strait has the largest, most stable population of dugongs in Australia. Can you think why dugongs only like to live in warm shallow waters? Dugongs have very slow metabolisms, and only a thin layer of fat - so they feel the cold even more than we do! Plus the dugong s favourite food, sea grass, only grows in shallow coastal waters. Where does Australia s most significant dugong population live? The protected waters and plentiful sea grass meadows of Shark Bay in WA and Moreton Bay in QLD are perfect for the dugong, the world s only marine mammal herbivore. What animals are dugongs related to? Dugongs are closely related to manatees and are distant relatives of elephants. They have tusks similar to elephants and luked tails similar to dolphins. How can dugongs sleep underwater if they need to breathe? While it is sleeping, a dugong will wake up every few minutes to take a breath of air. Why do some dugongs have tusks? Male dugongs have short tusks similar to their distant relative, the elephant. They can use them against other dugongs, particularly during breeding season. Because sea grass is hard to digest, the dugong has an extraordinary large intestine. t s 8 times as long as a dugong s body! Activity: Dugong wordsearch FA The du CT skeleto gong s heav y nh on the elps it stay se while f a loor eeding. Ask students to ind the dugong habitat and adaptation related words in the wordsearch on their exploration sheet: warm, coastal, luke, tusk, manatee, elephant. We can help by avoiding anchoring close to sea grass beds, so we don t damage dugong feeding habitats. And ish responsibly - don t discard used lines, nets or other equipment in the water. 7
SHARKS Visit Area: SHARK VALLEY There are over 450 species of shark in the world, living in all kinds of different habitats from warm tropical waters to icy polar seas. Some live in the deep, dark waters of the ocean, while others prefer sunlit waters close to the surface. What do you think the Blacktip Reef Shark eats? A better question is what don t they eat! These hungry predators eat more or less anything they can get hold of, whether it is small ish, an octopus, prawns or even a sea snake. The Wobbegong Shark is from Australia. ts Aboriginal name means shaggy beard. Why do you think it is called by this name? When you look at the lattened Wobbegong Shark it has strange seaweed-like growths hanging down from its mouth. This beard attracts small ish who swim in amongst it thinking it is seaweed. The Wobbegong Shark spends much of its time resting, well-camoulaged by its patchy colouration, on the rocky bottom of the sea loor waiting for its prey. f you look closely you ll see a spine on the front of the Port Jackson Shark s dorsal fins. Why do you think it has these? The Port Jackson Shark has adapted to help protect the important parts of its body from being attacked by larger predators. Port Jackson Sharks have the ability to eat and breathe at the same time. This ability is unusual for sharks, many of which need to swim with their mouths open to force water over their gills. Sharks never run out of teeth - some get through as many as 30,000 in their lifetime! FA To help CT themse disguise have a lves, sharks dar and a p k top half ale bell y. Activity: Adapted for life When you arrive at Shark Valley, identify two different sharks and ask students to draw a picture of each on their exploration sheet. Discuss their similarities and differences and explain how these help sharks survive in their habitats. We can help sharks by supporting campaigns to set-up Marine Conservation Zones across the globe. We should also never buy products made from sharks or eat shark in soup. 8
ROCKPOOL Visit Area: DSCOVERY ROCKPOOL Rockpools are very dificult places for creatures to survive - with huge waves, strong currents, changing water temperatures, harsh sunlight and lots of predators! Creatures commonly found in this habitat include sea stars, sea cucumbers, crabs and urchins. How do you think the sea star manages to survive in this difficult environment? t has thousands of tiny suckers under each arm which it uses to attach itself to rocks and hide in nooks and crevices. Crabs are animals that can t attach themselves to rocks. What do you think helps protect them against predators? They use their claws and are well camoulaged against the rocks, making them hard to ind. They also have a tough shell for protection. As you know, one of the most important elements of an animal s habitat is that the right sort of food is available. What do you think sea stars eat? Sea stars can eat a range of different things, including mussels. They use the suckers on the underside of their arms to pull food towards the mouth in the centre of their body. What about mussels. How do you think they get food? Mussels get all of their food by iltering the water around them for tiny animals and plants called plankton. Rockpools are perfect places for them to live as new plankton is brought in every time the tide ills the pool. We can see that the animals in the rockpool depend on the other animals for food. What do you think would happen if all of the mussels in a rockpool died out? With no mussels for food the sea stars would die. All of the creatures in the rockpool are part of one ecosystem. t is delicately balanced with each creature playing an important role. Activity: Who s at home in the rockpool? Ask students to identify the creatures they can see in the rockpool and then colour them in on their exploration sheet. Students can then touch creatures under the guidance of a SEA LFE expert. We should always take our litter home after we ve visited the beach. We should also be respectful of any animals we might ind in a rockpool and make sure that they are left undisturbed. 9
CLOWNFSH Visit Area: CLOWNFSH GARDEN Clownish live on sheltered coral reefs found in the warm tropical waters of the ndian and Paciic Oceans. Within their habitat they ind a very unusual place to hide - amongst the poisonous tentacles of sea anemone! An anemone might sound like a strange place to live but can anyone tell me why this makes a perfect habitat for the clownfish? The clownish is immune to the anemone s poison so can live there without fear. But more than that, the anemone s tentacles also provide protection from other predators that might try to eat it. Can you think of anything else that a clownfish needs to survive that it can get from the anemone? The clownish can also ind food. t feeds off the leftovers of other ish the anemone catches. They have even been known to eat the dead tentacles from the anemone! This immunity to the anemone s poison is called an adaptation. Does anyone know what an adaptation is? An adaptation is a feature which an animal develops, normally over millions of years, which makes it easier for them to survive in a speciic environment. Can you think of any other adaptations? How about the penguin s thick layer of fat which allows it to live in cold areas or the octopus ability to squeeze into tiny spaces? FA All clow CT ni born m sh are ale! f a female dies, a male clownish in the group can change sex to take her place. Activity: Spot the habitat Clownish live amongst the poisonous tentacles of the anemone on coral reefs. Ask students to identify the correct habitat on their exploration sheet and then draw a clownish within it. Don t touch anything if you go snorkelling and never buy products made from coral or other marine creatures. 10
Name: Habitats & Adaptations - Student exploration sheet Class: Find out about habitats Who s at home in the rockpool? Find out which of these creatures live in the rockpool and colour in their shape when you spot it. Be careful some of these deinitely don t live in rockpools! Which creatures did you touch? Sea cucumber Urchin Clownfish Sea star Octopus Pufferfish Shark Jellyfish Adapted for life There are many different types of sharks whose bodies have changed over the years to perfectly suit their habitats. Draw two sharks that have different bodies. 1 2 The Grey Nurse Shark often swims with its mouth out of the water! 11
Habitats & Adaptations - Student exploration sheet Find out about habitats Octopus anagrams Which ray? Write down the names of the ray species you found in the aquarium. Unscramble these words about octopuses. Which of my friends did you see? 1. Octopuses defend themselves by spraying: K N 2. To camoulage themselves they can change: U C R O O L 3. They can also squeeze into tiny spaces as they don t have any: O S E N B Home sweet home Clownish have a very unusual habitat, but what is it? Choose the right one and draw a clownish in it. Sea grass Dugong wordsearch Where do live? Rockpool M S N O B U N D S X A H O R S Y K S U T R Y C L C Q A F C D P S O M W Z O K M U S A M Z E M X W Y A V T F K R Q K N X N S L S U Z E U T X P O T O T U Z T K X S A O J J T E K C F K L O R R E X T H N N T E N B U R A A Y V U X U E L H A N T S B T P E P L R D L A Y E J Z Q T H Can you ind these words about dugongs above? Beach Anemone & coral COASTAL ELEPHANT FLUKE TUSK MANATEE WARM 12