Aqua Kids - Season Six

2010-01 Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center - Week of Sept. 6

Join the Aqua Kids as they tour the Florida Oceanographic Coastal Center. They interact with 3 types of Stingrays, witness target training for an injured Green Sea Turtle and jump in to snorkel with nurse sharks and rays in the Game Fish Lagoon.

http://www.floridaoceanographic.org/center.html

2010-02 Estuary Life - Week of Sept. 13

The Aqua Kids visit the North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores and learn how important Estuaries are to the Marine Environment. Come along as they discover the vast assortment of Aquatic Creatures that start their lives in an Estuary.

http://www.ncaquariums.com/pine-knoll-shores

http://www.epa.gov/nep/kids/

2010-03 River Gorge Explorer - Week of Sept. 20

The Aqua Kids travel to Chattanooga, Tennessee to hitch a ride on the Tennessee Aquarium’s River Gorge Explorer, a high-speed Riverboat that is part thrill ride and part nature tour.

http://www.tnaqua.org/RiverGorgeExplorer/RiverGorgeExplorer.asp

2010-04 Smithsonian Marine Center - Week of Sept. 27

Come along as the Aqua Kids tour the Smithsonian Marine Center in Fort Pierce, Florida. See true-to-life Marine Exhibits that rival the real thing and learn about the cutting edge research being done that may benefit all of mankind.

http://www.sms.si.edu/

2010-05 Tennessee Aquarium - Penguins - Week of Oct. 4

The Aqua Kids get up close and personal with Penguins, witnessing first-hand their behavior and eating habits. Plus, they make enrichment toys for the resident Macaws, and travel to a tropical paradise inside the Aquarium’s Butterfly Garden.

http://www.tnaqua.org/Home.aspx

2010-06 Tennessee Aquarium - Turtles - Week of Oct. 11

The Aqua Kids help the Veterinarian at the Tennessee Aquarium to x-ray a pregnant Turtle and find out how many eggs she is carrying, plus a hands-on look at the extensive collection of Turtles at the Aquarium.

http://www.tnaqua.org/OurAnimals/Reptiles.aspx

2010-07 Artificial Reefs - Week of Oct. 18

The Treasure Coast of Florida is actively creating Artificial Reefs off the East Coast of Florida. These reefs create habitat for hundreds of marine animals. The Aqua Kids see what recycled materials are being used to create the reefs, and are given the opportunity to dive on the reefs to witness the abundance of sea life.

http://www.stlucieco.gov/public_works/reefs.htm

2010-08 Oyster Reef Restoration - Week of Oct. 25

Oyster Reefs are gradually being restored on the Treasure Coast of Florida, with the help of volunteers from all over the area. The Oysters help to filter the water and the reefs provide habitat for marine life. The Aqua Kids spend the day helping to restore a reef, and learn how critical the reefs are to the local ecology.

http://www.stlucieco.gov/public_works/eco_reef.htm

http://www.floridaoceanographic.org/research.html

2010-09 Pythons - Invasive Species - Week of Nov. 1

The Everglades and Southern Florida are dealing with an aggressive new Predator – Pythons. These very large reptiles are attacking dogs, cats, deer and even Bobcats and Florida Panthers. Join the Aqua Kids as they travel with the Miami-Dade Venom Response team, the South Florida Management District and Jim the Python Hunter to capture these giant reptiles.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw286

2010-10 Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital - Week of Nov. 8

The Aqua Kids travel to Topsail Island, North Carolina to see the efforts being made by the staff and volunteers of this incredible rehabilitation center for injured and sick Sea Turtles. And meet the compassionate woman behind this facility – Miss Jean Beasley.

http://www.seaturtlehospital.org/

2010-11 Sea Turtle Release - Week of Nov. 15

After months and months of tender loving care and rehabilitation by the staff and volunteers of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Hospital, it is time to release 17 Sea Turtles back to the wild, and the Aqua Kids are there to help.

http://www.seaturtlehospital.org/

2010-12 Chattanooga Nature Center - Week of Nov. 22

The Chattanooga Nature Center has a large display of 30 native species, including many that are endangered and threatened. The Aqua Kids learn why these Animal Ambassadors live at the center, and how they have been impacted by humans in a way that does not allow them to return to the wild.

http://www.chattanooganaturecenter.org/

Aqua Kids Adventures - Season Three

2009-01  North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island – Week of Nov. 1

Tag along with the Aqua Kids as they visit the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. The kids meet some of the patients at the sea turtle hospital and learn about sick sea turtles in the wild by performing what’s called a “sea turtle necropsy”, while Molly helps clean the shark tank with volunteer high school students.

http://www.ncaquariums.com/roanoke-island

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/

http://www.nestonline.org/

2009-02  Drugs of the Sea – Week of Nov. 8

Travel with the Aqua Kids to the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. Here you will get a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the life of an ocean explorer, from collecting samples in deep sea submersibles to taking those samples to the lab and testing them. You won’t believe what scientists are learning from creatures collected thousands of feet below the surface of the sea.

http://www.fau.edu/hboi/

http://www.fau.edu/hboi/MarineDrugDiscovery/index.php

2009-03  Streams and Wetlands – Week of Nov. 15

Curious about how you can help the world’s oceans? Well, it actually starts at home! Learn the important role YOU can play in keeping your community’s streams, rivers and wetlands healthy. Plus, the Aqua Kids investigate a fascinating new technology helping to improve wetland water quality that’s made out of 100% recycled plastic!

http://streams.osu.edu/kids.php

http://www.fws.gov/ChesapeakeBay/stream.html

http://www.fishsniffer.com/jcarter/092600highschool.html

2009-04  Lobsters and Long Island Sound – Week of Nov. 22

The kids team up with their friends from the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus and hitch a ride on one of the facility’s research vessels! Equipped with the latest scientific gear, the kids get an up-close look at lobsters and their lifecycle, and discover the diversity of the Long Island Sound.

http://www.marinesciences.uconn.edu/

http://seagrant.uconn.edu/

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals...

2009-05  Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education – Week of Nov. 29

Join the Aqua Kids in exploring coastal ecosystems in North Carolina. Go “shocking” for fish, help scientists conduct an amphibian population assessment in the local woods, and find a venomous snake along the way. A day well spent, if you ask us!

http://www.ncwildlife.org/pg08_EducationWorkshops/...

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians.html

2009-06  Mangrove Health – Week of Dec. 6

Welcome to the Bahamas, “mon”! One of the most critical ecosystems here in the Bahamas is the wildlife habitat known as the mangroves. Learn what mangroves are, where they are found, why they are so important, and the role they play in coral reef health. And see some very cool animals along the way!

http://pemsea.org/easy-hub/young-environmentalists-101/...

http://www.oceansforyouth.org/mangroves.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g433NbRWr6I&fmt=18

2009-07  Indicator Species – Week of Dec. 13

Believe it or not, some animals can be very good indicators of water quality. Join the Aqua Kids as they carefully walk through streams with Adam Fredrick of Maryland Sea Grant, looking for creepy, crawly salamanders! From black with spots to bright red in color, the kids find a variety of salamander species and learn why they are the first to show signs of distress in unhealthy ecosystems.

http://science.jrank.org/pages/3553/Indicator-Species.html

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/t-salamander.html

2009-08  Zooplankton and Horseshoe Crabs – Week of Dec. 20

How can things so tiny be so important to our planet’s oceans? Come with us as the Aqua Kids learn why tiny zooplankton are so crucial for the planet’s food chain, and why scientists are taking a special interest in horseshoe crabs at night.

http://www.marinesciences.uconn.edu/

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/paint/subjects/...

http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/animalguide/...

2009-09  Rehabilitation – Week of Dec. 27

Hop down to Florida where the Aqua Kids visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. There they learn how veterinarians are using the latest technologies to keep their dolphin residents healthy, and find out how the vets are rehabilitating and caring for injured Sea Turtles. The kids are also taught about a new method of rehabilitation for injured dogs at the University of Florida’s Veterinary School, involving a type of treadmill that you’ve never seen before!

http://www.cmaquarium.org/cms/

http://ded183-lin-79-83.netsonic.net/~admin164/cms/...

http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/

2009-10  Winter’s Story – Week of Jan. 3

Learn to appreciate life when you hear about the struggle for survival that faced a young Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphin after her tail became entangled in a crab pot. Unfortunately, Winter lost her tail in the process, but she has never lost her will to survive. Today she continues to inspire everyone she meets at the aquarium, and we have no doubt her story will change your life forever.

http://www.cmaquarium.org/cms/

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/08/08/earlyshow/...

2009-11  James’ Big Adventure – Week of Jan. 10

The Aqua Kids are back at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute where they give James the surprise adventure of his life -- a chance to ride in, and maybe even drive, a deep sea submersible!

http://www.fau.edu/hboi/OceanTechnology/OTsubops.php

http://www.deepseaphotography.com/subs.html

2009-12  Life on a Coral Reef – Week of Jan. 17

Dive in with the Aqua Kids as they learn from scientists what makes a coral reef work. The kids explore tropical food chains, discover the problems facing today’s coral reefs and see all the amazing plants and animals found in these absolutely beautiful habitats that are worthy of our protection.

http://www.seasky.org/reeflife/sea2.html

http://www.panda.org/about_our_earth/blue_planet...

http://www.earthecho.org/programs-leadership.html

2009-13  The Chesapeake Bay – Week of Jan. 24

“All aboard” as the Aqua Kids cruise the Chesapeake Bay with the help of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation to find out how scientists are working together to restore the bay. You won’t believe some of the neat creatures they find here as they work with crab traps and trawl nets! And in the process, the kids learn about how poor water quality places huge pressure on all the animals in the bay’s ecosystem.

http://www.cbf.org/Page.aspx?pid=1000

http://www.baydreaming.com/

2009-14  Lobsters and Horseshoe Crabs – Week of Jan. 31

Get educated about two very different, but important, hard-shelled critters of Connecticut. Pull up lobsters traps on one of the University of Connecticut’s research vessels and discover the challenges lobsters face today from diseases and over-fishing. Plus, they travel to the beach at night under a full moon and try to understand the mating habits of horseshoe crabs.

http://www.lobstermanspage.net/lobstrs/lfacts.html

http://www.beach-net.com/horseshoe/Bayhorsecrab.html

2009-15  Florida Teaching Zoo – Week of Feb. 7

The gang is back in Florida where the Aqua Kids visit the Florida Teaching Zoo. As the name suggests, the staff at the zoo believes that all animals are intelligent, and they teach the kids about conditioning exercises they are performing with alligators, huge Galapagos tortoises, and even aquarium fish! Who knew?

http://www.sfcollege.edu/zoo/

http://www.sandiegozoo.org/animalbytes/...

2009-16  Kissimmee Restoration – Week of Feb. 14

Hold on tight as the Aqua Kids take an exciting airboat ride through the Kissimmee Restoration project! The kids search out native bird species, get muddy to find local critters, and are taught the importance of plants when it comes to studying ecosystem health.

http://www.sfwmd.gov/portal/page?_pageid=2814...

http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/modules/...

2009-17  Virginia Aquarium – Week of Feb. 21

Get the celebrity treatment as the Virginia Aquarium staff gives the Aqua Kids a sneak peek at their new exhibits. Learn how the aquarium scientists care for highly dangerous reptiles like cobras, vipers, and komodo dragons, as well as the cute and cuddly ones like hedgehogs.

http://www.virginiaaquarium.com/default.aspx

 

2009-18  Mountain Bogs – Week of Feb. 28

Have you ever heard of a mountain bog before? If you haven’t, don’t worry, the Aqua Kids hadn’t heard of these places either! Learn why these habitats are so important and find a very rare turtle (considered endangered in some areas) along the way!

2009-19  The Island School – Week of Mar. 7

This show will remind you that you can always be a better environmental steward! Tour the Island School, nestled in the Bahamas, where students study a wide range of ecological topics while still earning high school credit! The school grows its own produce, makes its own biodiesel, and plops the Aqua Kids into their huge ocean cage to dive with the fish they are raising there as well!

2009-20 Light in the Ocean – Week of Mar. 14

Who would have thought studying the light in our oceans could be so cool? Team up with the Aqua Kids as they use the latest technologies at the University of Connecticut’s Avery Point campus. You’ll learn why studying light in our oceans is important and see what scientists are learning about our planet in the process. Plus, get a look at the Economic and Environmental importance of seaweed.

2009-21 Stream Restoration at Stone Mountain State Park – Week of Mar. 21

Hike with the Aqua Kids as they explore beautiful Stone Mountain State Park. Learn how rangers are restoring streams around the park and the many animals, including beavers, which are appreciating their new, healthy homes.

2009-22 Inner Harbor Water Quality – Week of Mar. 28

Ever wondered what poor water quality looks like under a microscope? Well, after this show, you might wish you didn’t know! The kids find creepy crawlers galore when they bring up a water sample from the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, Maryland.

2009-23 Mystic Aquarium – Week of April 4

The kids are back at the Mystic Aquarium this season, where they not only get to interact with the facility’s Beluga whales, but also get to meet a penguin and see two baby sea lions!

 

2009-24 Dolphins – Week of April 11

What do you do when you come across a stranded dolphin? Find out in this show, as the Aqua Kids complete a training course designed to educate everyday people on what to do if they come across an injured or sick dolphin, and what professionals do once they arrive on the scene. You’ll even get to tour the dolphin ambulance and learn how scientists are studying wild populations of dolphins so they can identify them.

2009-25 Life on a Live-Aboard – Week of April 18

If you’re looking for a different kind of vacation, this is the show for you! Hop aboard the Aqua Cat and find out all the amazing adventures you can have while staying on a live-aboard. With shark dives, drift dives, night dives, and just relaxing on the sun deck, live-aboards offer a wide-range of opportunities for families and young people of all ages.

2009-26 The Tropical Fish Laboratory – Week of April 25

Tour the Tropical Fish Lab with the Aqua Kids as they check out some incredible species of fish being raised in the laboratory. From fish that shoot water into the air to catch their prey, to feeding slimy fire eels, the kids learn about each species and why the fish lab is raising them.