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HOME > Public Education > Live Internet Marine Lab > Live Dives > System requirements

Live Labs - Live Internet Marine Labs

BMSC currently offers programs, Live Labs and Live Dives via video conferencing. These programs are developed for grades 7-12.

Live Labs and Live Dives booking form (.doc)

About Live Labs

Live Labs take place in the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre laboratory studio. Experience a BMSC lab via video conferencing from the comfort of your classroom.

Our program includes pre- and post- conference materials for you and your students. Each 60 minute Live Lab session includes interactions with live marine organisms, videos of organisms and marine habitats, video-microscopy, behavioural demonstrations, and direct interaction with our knowledgable and dynamic biologist instructors.  Live Labs is also available in both English et en Français.

Current Live Labs include:

• Back to Base-ics - Climate Change and Ocean Acidification: Learn about the chemistry and biology behind our world’s changing oceans, how humans are affecting our oceans, and what we can do to change it. Students will be involved in a shell dissolution experiment to directly learn about ocean acidification and will learn about current ocean acidification research happening at BMSC.
• Invertebrate Invasion: The spineless wonders of our oceans. Explore the amazing diversity of marine invertebrates found in Barkley Sound. Students will learn about the marine invertebrates, their morphology and evolution through virtual hands-on exploration of live animals.
• Back from the Brink - Recovery of Marine Species at Risk: Examine threatened marine species and what is being done to help recovery of populations. Case studies could include abalone, marbled murrlets, humpbacks, and sea otters.
• Be a Marine Biologist: Have you ever wondered what marine biologists actually do? During this videoconference, students will get a glimpse into the life of a marine biologist. With the help of our biologist instructors, students will develop questions, hypotheses, and experimental designs. They will then carry out the experiments over the Internet.
• Virtual Visit:Visit BMSC without actually leaving your classroom. Learn about our public education program, current research going on, and our abalone recovery program.
• click here for Curriculum Connections (PDF)

Additionally, our staff will work with you to develop any of our field trip or lab activities listed on our Public Education field and laboratory activities pages. These activities can be tailored for any age group.

Background

Science curricula K-12 require students to learn about many organisms of the living world. In many cases the most engaging and memorable ways to teach the subject matter is through interactive labs and guided observation. As few classrooms have the means by which to support live organisms, the material is often presented through preserved specimens, models or books.

While field trips to aquaria or marine research stations such as BMSC are the optimal solution, their cost per student is often limiting. In particular, remote communities and home-schooled students lack the resources to connect biological subject matter to their environment.

Present-day Internet technology makes it possible to bring students educational content that is engaging, interactive and effective for a reasonable cost.

Can your school participate?

Yes! First, you should read theTechnical page to gain a technical understanding about video conferencing and see whether your school has the technical requirement. Then whether your school has the requirement or not, please contact us. We can set up a test then schedule for a conference. If you have any questions or concerns or simply want to express your interest, please contact us.

Program Development

Some of the labs we hope to develop include:

• Advanced Marine Invertebrates (8 specific phyla: Porifera, Cnidaria, Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, Annelida, Mollusca, Echinodermata, Arthropoda).
• Populations and Community Dynamics           
• Marine Ecology: Invasive Species
• Physical Oceanography