RV Celtic Explorer hosts National Schools Open Day as part of Sea for Society project

Over 150 children from five schools from Dublin, Cork, Galway, and Mayo visited an open day on the Marine Institute’s research vessel, the RV Celtic Explorer, as well as Galway Atlantaquaria, as part of the EU FP7 Sea for Society project to raise awareness of our ocean, this week in Galway city (10^th June 2015).     

 Pupils from Scoil Iognaid Galway take a moment to enjoy the glorious weather at the Sea For Society open day in Galway

Gael Scoil Uileog de Burca are impressed with the new poster for ‘Exploring Our Oceans’

  

Briarhill National School on the docks beside with ROV Holland and RV Celtic Explorer

Pupils and teachers of Cork Educate Together School, together with the Marine Institute team and Dr Andy Wheeler from UCC, celebrate after their fantastic tour on board RV Celtic Explorer

Glenageary Killiney National School disembark from RV Celtic Explorer and ready to continue the events of the Sea for Society open day

The Sea for Society collective action aims to shape the concept of a "Blue Society" and improve Europe’s understanding on the relation between the ocean and our daily life activities. “As part of the Sea for Society FP7 project in Ireland, we provided the opportunity for children to see and take part in a wide range of activities including meeting with marine scientists, researchers and the Captain of the RV Celtic Explorer, as well as the team from AquaTT and marine experts at the aquarium,” explained Cushla Dromgool-Regan, Marine Institute.

Captain Denis Rowan explains some of the operations involved on the Bridge of the RV Celtic Explorer to pupils from Glenageary Killiney National School

Marine Institute scientists and pupils from Gael Scoil Uileog de Burca try to out-smile a wide mouthed monkfish in the Wet Laboratory demonstration

Marine Institute scientists discuss the lifecycle of flatfish with pupils from Glenageary Killiney National School during the Wet Labaoratory demonstration on the RV Celtic Explorer, as part of Sea For Society’s Blue Society initiative

Marine Institute scientists show pupils from Glenageary Killiney National School how to remove otoliths (earbones) from whiting to determine their age, as part of the Wet Laboratory demonstration 

Marine Institute researchers and pupils from Cork Educate Together study the survey data recovered from RV Celtic Explorer’s latest mission, mapping the seafloor of the Atlantic Ocean from Newfoundland to the west coast of Ireland

Marine Institute researchers inform pupils from Glenageary Killiney National School about the thousands of shipwrecks discovered in Irish Waters, including the RMS Lusitania which sank off the coast of Cork in 1915

On the vessel the children meet with the fisheries research team who showed the children a wide range of fish from the deep ocean.  The seabed mapping researchers showed bathymetry mapping images of key shipwrecks around Ireland as well as the newly discovered submarine mountain ranges mapped by the RV Celtic Explorer on its latest expedition from Newfoundland to Galway.  The remotely operated vehicle ROV Holland I, which is to be used in the vessels next expedition filming cold water corals on the Porcupine bank, was also on display.  This provided a key opportunity for the children to learn about marine history, marine technology well as taking part in some simple experiments demonstrating pressure.

Aqua TT and Cushla Dromgool-Regan from the Marine Institute present the new Sea For Society information booklets and Exploring our Ocean materials during the Open Day on the RV Celtic Explorer.

AquaTT also asked the teachers and children to think about the small changes we can make in our lifestyle which have a significant impact on the ocean, such as using less water, eating fish that has been caught sustainably, disposing plastics in a responsible way, to taking part in beach cleans.

Pupils from Glenageary Killiney National School discuss what their ‘One Thing’ would be to raise awareness of our ocean resources and activities as part of Sea for Society’s Blue Society initiative.

Galway Atlantaquaria provided tactile learning opportunities where the students got to touch and see marine animals native to Irish seashores and ocean.

Teachers and pupils alike described the event as a unique and wonderful experience. “I’ve attended many trips with the school, but this one really stood out. We learned so much, ranging from how phytoplankton in our ocean provide up to 50 percent of the oxygen we breathe, to how to tell the age of a fish using their ear bones - otoliths. Raising awareness of our ocean and the impact that the ocean has on us is so important,” said Maire Ni Fhoghlu, from Gaelscoil Uileog de Burca, Claremorris.

Gael Scoil Uileog de Burca pupils and Marine Institute scientists explore the contents of a box of Dublin Bay Prawns during the Wet Laboratory demonstration

The children who attended the open day had taken part in the Marine Institute’s Explorers Education Programme which is run by Galway Atlantaquaria, Blackrock Education Centre, SeaLife – Bray and Lifetime Lab in Cork, and is also supported by other education centres in Mayo and Galway. 

 

  Pupils from Glenageary Killiney National School are surprised to learn that aging a fish involves removing its otoliths (earbones) as part of the Wet Laboratory demonstrations onboard RV Celtic Explorer

Cork Educate Together School and Marine Institute scientists investigate the different species of flatfish and sharks on display in the Wet Laboratory

Scoil Iognaid Galway pupils have a closer look at whiting earbones (otoliths) using microscopes in the Wet Laboratory

“The excellent marine activities and projects completed this year by the schools were evident in the enthusiasm and knowledge of the children who visited the Celtic Explorer.  For an island nation it is heartening to see that the children are learning about our ocean, understanding the importance of scientific marine research, as well as taking personal responsibility for caring for our marine environment,” Cushla Dromgool-Regan further said.

The Explorers Education programme also provides a range of cross curricular teaching resources and lesson plans for all primary schools to freely download at www.explorers.ie