Living World – The rocky shore

The rocky shore is a popular topic in primary school science. Below are some Science Learning Hub resources for primary teachers related to the rocky shore in the Living World strand of the New Zealand Curriculum that might be helpful.

• Investigating life in the sea

• The noisy reef

• Toxins

• Where land meets sea – the Rena disaster

• Citizen science

• Building Science Concepts

Reef zones

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As you go deeper into reef water, the animals and plant life change, from molluscs and cockles to seaweed then bacteria.

Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

Investigating life in the sea

After reading the introductory article, check out some of the creatures you can find on the rocky shore.

• Cockles – article

• Labelling a cockle/tuangi – activity

• Label the cockle/tuangi – interactive

• Sea stars – article

• Mussels – article

• Build a marine food web – activity

The noisy reef

After reading the introductory article, check out what lives on the reef - and makes noise!

• Noisy kina – article

• Crabs finding home – article

Kina and the blue economy – article from the Sustainable Seas National Science Challenge looking at if we can use kina as a new food source.

Explore the various survey methods used by students, scientists and iwi in the Reef Life project in this Connected article.

Toxins

During 2009, several dogs died on Narrow Neck and Cheltenham beaches in Auckland. What killed them? Was it something from the rocky shore? Could it hurt humans, too? Find out more in the introductory article.

• Kaimoana in the Hauraki Gulf – article

• Sea slugs and TTX – article

• Solving the dog death mystery – article

• Toxins and food webs – article

• Grey side-gilled sea slugs – article

• Monitoring shellfish – article

• Tracking toxins – activity

• Collaboration – video

• Testing for toxins in kaimoana – video

• Investigating toxins and bioaccumulation in marine food webs – activity

• Bioaccumulation in the sea – interactive

The harbour is a precious place for all things marine, and [obtaining] more information about what is in it or going into it is important to protect it.

Alice Morrison

Where land meets sea –

New Zealand is surrounded by sea. Our coastlines and marine resources need care and protection. What happens when disaster strikes? The introductory article follows what happened with the Rena disaster and the clean up.

• Habitats in the Bay of Plenty – article

• Biodiversity in the Bay of Plenty – article

• Iwi and kaimoana – article

• Rena wrecked on reef: oil clean-up on-going – article

• Where do I live? – activity

• Introducing biodiversity – activity

• Rapid response to the Rena – video

• What now for the Rena? – article about this Connected article.

Nikki Webb collects marine samples.

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Nikki Webb fossicks for unarmoured marine specimens in a rock pool.

Rights: Nikki Webb, photo by Nicole Hancock

Citizen science

Students and scientists teamed up to monitor Otago Harbour as part of their citizen science initiative:

• Sediment and seashores – monitoring Otago Harbour – article

• Marine Metre Squared – article

• Making and using a quadrat – activity

Building Science Concepts 

Life between the tides is a partial replication of Building Science Concepts Book 21:

• Building Science Concepts: Life between the tides – article

• Life between the tides – interactive

• Changes on the beach – activity

Building Science Concepts: Tidal communities is a partial replication of Building Science Concepts Book 22:

• Building Science Concepts: Tidal communities – article

• Tidal communities – interactive

• Beach visits – habitats and food webs – activity

• Māori mō te ara o Hinekirikiri – kuputaka – glossary article