Elementary

This Week in Alpha (Photo credit: Kristin Vrana, Ezra’s Mama!) Water, water, everywhere… Alphas continued their journey into the deep by admiring an incredible quality that many Twilight Zone creatures have: bioluminescence! We oohed and ahhed at their pulsating and flashing lights that they use to defend, mate, camouflage, and capture prey. Then, we used neon paints to create our own jelly fish, salps, vampire squid, ghost fish, and siphonophores, to name a few. Then we took an even deeper dive into the Aphotic Zone! We did a demonstration with salt water and flashlights to see for ourselves how light […]

Water, water, everywhere… Dove deeper into the ocean (600 feet deep) into the twilight zone! Alphas learned that very little light reaches the dysphotic zone, which makes photosynthesis inoperable and plants obsolete. We explored many critters that live here, but focused on two enemies. The sperm whale vs the giant squid! While oceanographers have not captured video of the battle, tentacle marks left on sperm whales offer some evidence as to what might occur in the dark. One video animated a model of how sperm whales use echolocation to find their favorite food. Alphas collaged the great battle and depicted many epic