PAST Foundation & The American Tall Ship Institute present

The Details

The Challenge

The Channel Islands are home to prolific kelp forests, which are a foundation for the food chain. Studying kelp forests helps us understand the balance of ocean life as well as the affect of overfishing and global warming on the ocean environment. Humans have visited the islands for thousands of years affecting both the land and sea. The changing kelp forests and sea urchin populations are a good way to study change. The natural resources along with shipwrecks such as the Gold Rush era passenger steamer Winfield Scott, and the steam schooner Lotus, as well Chumash habitation sites on Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands reflect the changing uses of the islands.

The Solution

Students will snorkel, and use scientific sampling techniques to evaluate the health of the kelp forests on two of the Channel Islands. We will focus on energy flow through the ecosystem, by indentifying and counting organisms on each level of the food chain. Students will specifically learn about the purple urchin population and how the lack of predators has affected the purple urchin population and therefore the rest of the food chain as well. Students will live and work on board the schooner Bill of Rights and will get a chance to help sail the boat, collect data while snorkeling, compare ecosystems across the national marine sanctuary, and present data in a scientific and creative way.

The Program

Field Journal

Channel Islands-Day 1

Channel Islands-Day 2

Channel Islands-Day 3

Channel Islands-Day 4

Channel Islands-Day 5

Partners