Investigation 1

1a. Invent a Habitat

Students gain an understanding of how rocky reefs function as a habitat through looking at the needs of various marine organisms that reside in these reefs. They invent a marine habitat after researching the habitat needs of a select group of marine organisms who live at high latitudes and are adapted to use the structure and texture of a rocky reef.

1b. Rockfish Life Cycle Game

Students create a board game of Life geared to the life cycle of a rock fish that can live to be more than 200 years old by researching the factors that could help or harm a rockfish during various stages of its potentially long life. 

1c. Larval Collectors (Optional activity requiring access to a dock or other marine field trip site)

Students design larval collectors out of readily-available materials to provide a substrate for the settlement of different types of marine larvae that begin life as plankton.