July 6, 2009
Matt Christian’s Creature Features
Every week Mr. Christian requires his students to observe and report on the habits of a sea creature. The creatures dwell in a large reef aquarium located in the library and small aquarium housed in the school’s laboratory. Students are required to answer specific questions while they observe the natural behavior of the warm-water animals.
Matt Christian’s wants a cold-water touch tank because he understands that his students learn Science with less resistance when he has more hands-on activates in his classroom and he knows that little is known about the deepest and coldest parts of the ocean.
Although the existence of cold-water corals is recognized for several hundreds of years, it is only since the early nineties that scientists have realized that large coral reef structures thrive in parts of the ocean that remain unexplored. The individual cold-water reefs are generally smaller then their tropical counterparts, but the total surface area of all cold-water reefs are equal or even larger then the tropical reefs.
I met the members of the Capital District Marine Aquarist Society (CDMAS) at their annual meeting. This group of reef-oriented individuals holds informal, monthly meeting at a volunteers’ home. They get together to share experiences, trade coral frags, and view other aquariums. Dave Young, the groups Treasurer, persuaded me to drive the seven hours one-way to display the cold-water Sea Squirt. I reluctantly made the trip because I know that in order to gain the knowledge about cold water reef habitats necessary to accomplish our mission, Touch Tanks for Kids needs the the support of the aquarist community.
The Dr. Touch Tank Tour brings awareness to the problems facing our invaluable marine and aquatic resources. Nature Conservancy scientists report that shellfish reefs worldwide have declined dramatically-Centuries of intensive fisheries extraction exacerbated by coastal degradation have put many reefs in jeopardy.Globally, 85 percent of reefs have been lost, making oyster reefs the most severely affected marine habitat on the planet.
Shellfish reefs and beds are essential to the health of marine ecosystems, Realistic and cost-effective solutionsin conservation, restoration, and management will help regenerate shellfish reefs and aquarium hobbyist like Matt, Dave and the other members of CDMAS have contributed greatly to the understanding of coral reef propagation.
“Little is known about cold-water reef propagation,” says Dave Young Treasure of CDMAS. Dave, who is available for Dr. Touch Tank visit in the Capital Region, explains that more research and experimentation will help solve coral reef issues. “There very little information about cold-water species available and this is why I introduced the touch tank concept to our club.”
Learning from Interactive Education
Dave would really like to see Berlin High School of Berlin New York get a touch tank and work with Matt Christian to disseminate information about cold-water species and reef propagation. Matt has an abundance of knowledge to share and an open topped aquarium equipped with a superior filtration system will defiantly advance our knowledge of the cold-water oceans that surround us.
To contribute to Berlin High School’s campaign or any school or program of your choice visit, https://paytrace.com/cart/donate.pay or contact Mike Martin at 207-944-9852 or mikemartin@touchtanksforkids.org
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