Social Objective:
- Understanding the marine ecosystem and the impact of climate change on them.
- Vulnerability of life along the coastline
Science Objectives:
- identification and classification of organisms (Grade 6 & 8)
- Observing the habitat and adaptation of the organisms (Grade 8)
The exciting journey started with a scavenger hunt at Koval beach. Learners collected and identified the invertebrates like:
- Sea Urchins
- Star fish
- Mollusc (both univalves and bivalves)
- Arthropods- Mole crabs, Hermit crabs etc.
- Octopus
- Cuttlefish
- Porifera
They also observed two different species of puffer fish. Symbiotic and parasitic relationships in the the marine habitat was interesting addition for the learners.
The adaptations of the different species were explained in detail by the resource person Mr. Siddharth.
Grade 6 (Social)
Showkath, our facilitator for the trip started by questioning the Grade 6 students about their sense of direction. Once that was achieved, he went on to describe in detail about various types of waves and the formation of a cove along the coastline. Students also learnt about the role of headrocks in protecting a beach.
The students then got to spot and identified various marine organisms and learnt about their adaptability. They spotted various marine organisms like algae, sea urchin, spider crab, hermit crab, mole crab, puffer fish, blow fish, sea fan and sargassum. He went on to explain in detail about the adaptive capabilities of some of these organisms.
He explained the role of estuary and the sand bar in protecting the city of Chennai from flooding and the importance of maintaining the area and keeping it plastic and trash free. This coastal zone is also a nesting site for olive ridley turtles and hence is a fragile environment. He went on to share how over the years various impacts of climate change like warmer ocean temperature, excessive and unseasonal rainfall have been proving to be a threat to these delicate marine life and affecting their biological cycle.
