Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
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  LEARN about marine science with wet hands and sandy feet
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Aquatic Nursery Tours

Science Hatchery is a special program that provides research experiences in a marine nursery. During our 90 minute experience we teach K-12 grade level students how to foster and nurture local marine animals in our Aquatic Nursery, a unique laboratory-on-exhibit where we grow young sea animals AND young scientists. Students can exercise their investigative skills as they conduct short sampling and measurement activities focused on baby animals that are raised for conservation, food, or research.

Exhibit/activity areas include:
  • Sea Chef:  In the Aquaculture Kitchen, we grow food such as brightly-colored microalgae and baby brine shrimp, also known as “sea monkeys,” for the nursery animals.
  • Sea Food:  Plankton samples from the kitchen are taken to the "Growing for Human Food" area, where abalone and oysters are raised.
  • Nurture Nature:  Babies often do not resemble their parents, so we will observe and measure growth of baby animals in the Conservation area of the Nursery, where we help species that are in trouble in the wild.
  • Research and Rearing: Find out what kinds of food are necessary for normal body development as students try to “match the hatch” for tiny sea jellies in our Research area where animals are raised to share for teaching and research.
Offered: October through mid-June
Tour Days:  Tuesday through Friday (weekends by special arrangement)
Tour Times:  10 am
Program length:  90 minutes
Grade level:  K - Adult
Fee:  One large bag of aluminum cans per class
Reservations:  Call 310-548-7562, 8 am -5 pm, Monday-Friday

List of Programs

Sea Gardeners (K-Grade 2)
Students will use models, photographs, and live animals to compare babies to their parents,  learn about how ocean babies survive in different habitats, and draw a picture of a nursery baby next to a simple story of a day in its life.

Young Investigators (Grades 3-6)
Students will learn about basic animal morphology, including how adaptations of different body forms have evolved for different purposes.  Activities include anatomical illustration, touching shark eggs, using lab equipment, and feeding lab-grown food to some of the nursery animals.

Research Assistants (Grades 7-12)
Students will learn research techniques to collect data on animal health and count animals in a sample.  Students will also learn how to use freezing liquid nitrogen to cryogenically preserve gametes for in vitro fertilization to make new babies.  Current environmental issues are presented for discussion, such as sustainable fisheries and farming, regulated development and industrialization of local habitats and use of animals in captivity for experimentation and education.

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Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, 3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro, CA 90731, 310-548-7562
Cabrillo Marine Aquarium is a facility of the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks.
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