Ocean Acidification is caused from excess carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, due to global warming. The increase of CO2 is causing negative effects on many marine organisms, especially shellfish like Oysters. In this activity, students will use actual data used by researchers at the Deep Bay Marine Field Station to learn why low pH ocean water is harmful to shell formation, how to identify the difference between healthy and 'acidified' shell growth, as well as discuss options to mitigate this issue into the future.
**This program can be run at either VIU Nanaimo Campus or Deep Bay Marine Field Station**
- Grade 8: Characteristics of life (living things respire, grow, take in nutrients, produce waster, respond to stimuli, and reproduce)
- Grade 9: Sustainability of Systems (ocean acidification & climate change)
- Grade 10: Mechanisms for the diversity of life (natural selection, adaptation, impact of the environment on physical features)
- Grade 11: Microevolution (adaptations to changing environments)
Book Your Field Trip
Get started by filling out our booking request form for one of the following locations.