Labs
Note: All of the Science Standards can be found on each activities specific page.
| Fish
The Fish Lab features several aquariums housing many of the fish commonly seen around Toyon Bay. Utilizing these well-stocked aquariums along with preserved specimens and exhibits, our instructors help students become more familiar with what they are seeing while snorkeling. Students are also introduced to the classification, anatomy, behavior and other adaptive features of fish. | | | | Shark Lab The central feature of the shark lab is a large touch tank filled with small sharks, and their cartilaginous relatives, skates and rays. Students are always excited to touch and observe these animals; this experience also alleviates many fears about sharks and helps to mitigate the myth of their danger. Instructors will use shark skins, jaws, specimens and visual aids to teach students the characteristic biology and different species of sharks. | Algae Lab In the Algae Lab, students explore specimens of over a dozen local species of algae, and maybe even eat some! Instructors also lead students in discussions of the classification of algae, the principal adaptive differences between algae and terrestrial plants, the anatomy and behavior of Giant Kelp (Macrosystis pyrifera) and kelp forests, and the many human uses for algae. Students finish this lab by preparing a pressed algae sample for use back in their classroom. | | | | |
| Oceanography
In the Oceanography Lab, the ocean is the classroom as students and teachers head down to the end our pier and work right on the water. While aboard our float, students will collect samples, check and test for currents, water temperature, wind, light spectra and visibility. Students will also do a plankton tow to collect specimens to observe in the Plankton Lab. | | | | Plankton Lab Divided up as teams, students look at their samples on monitors connected to microscopes and, using a plankton guide, identify the different types of plankton. Students are amazed at the diversity, and sometimes bizarre appearance, of organisms that they've unknowingly been surrounded by while snorkeling. All microscopes are also connected to a central monitor that the instructor can use to show all students the different types of plankton that students have identified: diatoms, dinoflagellates, copepods, fish eggs and invertebrate larvae among many others. Instructors also lead students in a discussion of the food web - of which plankton act as the base - and some effects pollution has on the world's oceans. | Invertebrate Lab Sea Urchins, Anemones, Sea Hares, Sea Cucumbers, Sea Stars and a host of other local invertebrates are available to view and touch in this lab, always a student favorite! Our large touch tank is well stocked with a number of these animals without backbones, including members of the phyla Porifera (Many Pores), Cnidaria (Stinging Cells), Echinodermata (Spiny Skin), Annelida (Segmented Body), Mollusca (Soft Body) and Arthropoda (Jointed Foot). Other tanks in this lab house lobster and octopus. Through close student examination of these animals, instructors facilitate discussions of classification, species identification, adaptation and natural history. | | | | |
| | | | Terrestrial Lab Catalina Island, like all islands, is a unique environment and ecosystem shaped by a multitude of geologic forces, weather patterns, animal and plant inhabitants and, of course, the ocean that surrounds it. Touch learning stations, displays, mounted resident animals - including Bison, goats, pigs, deer, foxes and birds - and many Native American artifacts help give students an introduction to Island Ecology. Additionally, terrariums house many local reptiles, including gopher and king snakes, which students have the opportunity to handle! Instructors lead students through discussions of how the island was created, the resident flora and fauna and how it crossed the ocean to become established on the island, and the early Native American inhabitants of Catalina. | Hike The canyons of Toyon Bay contain a number of great hiking trails, most of which provide spectacular views of the camp and the ocean below! The well-groomed trails are perfect for hikers of all levels; a diverse abundance of plant life as well as streambeds, rocks, and maybe even a resident deer, fox or Bison make for an exciting and educational experience. As they encounter the natural surroundings, students explore the unique features of island life, including methods of colonization by plants and animals, adaptation to better suit the island environment and the many endemic - or only found on this island - species. Instructors will also lead discussions of streambed ecology, feral animals, scatology, geology and the history of the Native Islanders, including the local plants these members of the Chumash tribe used for food and other purposes. | | | | |
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