Our field trip to the Pier Aquarium was not only enjoyable, but informative, as well. Our tour guide, Ms. Grace, talked with us about many of the sea creatures that live in the tanks there. We observed up close a large eel that was hiding in the back of one of the tanks. We learned what they eat and how they catch their prey. We found out where the mouth is on a sea star and were able to touch a several different kinds sea stars. We learned about clams, corals, and fish found in the waters of Tampa Bay, as well as those in the Pacific Ocean.
The finale was a trip to the waters edge. Partnered with nets and buckets, the children found sea stars, crabs, and quite a few creatures still in their shells. This experience made for a great connection to our classroom aquariums, which now are home to fresh water snails and guppies.
Since 1988, nearly 4 million visitors have experienced the award-winning marine life programs, exhibits and touch tank at The Pier Aquarium in downtown St. Petersburg. In the spring of 2013 the Pier Aquarium will relocate to the John's Pass Village. Its new name Secrets of the Sea is a 13,000 sq. ft. marine exploration center housed on two levels of John’s Pass Village. This one-of-a-kind marine attraction and interactive visitor experience combines real-time scientific research, hands-on experiments and living marine exhibits that reveal intriguing mysteries of the ocean.
Our trip to the Pier Aquarium is the springboard to our study of marine life which we will begin now and conclude in January.
