Sea Star Scientists

Did you say, "Dissection"? That's right! A guest scientist, Chukwu, from the University of Manitoba's W.I.S.E. Kid-Netic Energy Program shared his knowledge about sea life, oil spills and sea stars. We learned how hard it is to clean up an oil spill! We performed an experiment using different items (sponges, cotton and cloth) to try to clean up oil that was dropped into a bowl of water. It was very difficult! Imagine the negative impact this would have on real animals living in the ocean. The best part of the workshop was dissecting a sea star. We learned about the anatomy of a sea star as well as some of its behavioural adaptations. Chukwu made us feel like real scientists! We were using the skills of real scientists - hypothesizing, observing, collaborating and drawing conclusions.

Did you know the spines on sea stars protect them from predators?

Ampullae is a bone inside the sea star where water passes through.