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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 6–12 and 1st- and 2nd-year university classes.

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.
• Marine Invertebrate Diversity: 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.
• Marine Science Careers: 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.
• Advanced Invertebrates: An introduction to taxonomy and nomenclature, with a focus on marine invertebrates. Learn why scientists classify marine invertebrates the way they do, and compare how the members of different phyla carry out their life functions. Phyla of interest include: Porifera, Cnidaria, Mollusca, Arthropoda, and Echinodermata.
• Kelp Forest Ecology: Students will be introduced to the world of kelp forests. By comparing food webs in terrestrial and marine ecosystems, students will explore the structure and function of kelp, explore trophic links from kelp right through to species at risk. In an interactive look at kelp forest productivity and global distribution in connection with human impacts, students will learn about personal and societal connections to oceans and how students can help protect kelp forests.
• Populations and Communities: Students will get an introduction to intertidal ecology. They will examine the biotic factors that structure communities and determine where organisms are found. Students will examine different types of competition, see demonstrations of predation, gain an understanding of keystone species, and discuss examples of mutualism, commensalism and parasitism.
• Physical Oceanography: Students will learn how physical properties of the ocean, such as temperature, salinity and density, lead to oceanic phenomena such as stratification and currents, and the impact of these phenomena on world climate.
• Invasive Species: What are invasive species? How do they move around the planet? What are their impacts on native ecosystems? How do these impacts occur? How can we stop the spread of invasive species? Students will answer these questions by examining the introduction of European green crabs to native eelgrass habitats.


• 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