THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 7, 1995 TAG: 9505050177
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 22 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
CHRIS MAST HAULED the net over the stern of the 65-foot Miss Virginia Beach and pulled what looked like a clump of stringy, brownish-yellow grass from it.
``This is a hydroid, one of the oldest forms of life on the planet,'' said Mast, who works for the Virginia Marine Science Museum. With a master's degree in marine science education, she frequently conducts the floating classroom sessions.
Boat passenger James Schlitt looked closely at the part plant-part animal as Mast deposited it in a plastic container, the touch-tank aquarium.
``I read about those,'' he said. ``Some of them got in the water lines of a nuclear power plant. They cling to the walls of the cooling system and have shut them down.''
Although only 11, the aspiring physicist smiled at the irony of one of the planet's oldest living creatures shutting down one of man's latest creations.
James is a fifth-grader at Kingston Elementary School and was one of 33 students who took a cruise off Rudee Inlet recently to learn about marine biology.
The students lined the gunwales as the Miss Virginia Beach rocked in the gentle swells and brisk breezes off Rudee Inlet. They listened eagerly as Mast explained each variety that was hauled aboard: a cutlass fish, a horseshoe crab, a couple of skates, flounder, spotted hake, a sea horse and one form of marine life that elicited fifth-grade laughter, a sea anchovy.
The latter had the students cracking pizza jokes.
All the marine life was returned to its home after the lesson was completed.
Two of Schlitt's pals said that they learned from the two-hour cruise:
``I found out that skates can change colors to protect themselves,'' said John Wilkinson.
Patrick Burke said, ``And male skates have feelers that they use in mating.''
Teacher Betty Boggs said the trip was part of a 13-installment study of marine biology.
``They have learned how to do research. They made an artwork project to integrate art, science and language skills,'' said Boggs.
``We've also told them about career possibilities in the field.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT
Fifth-grade students aboard the 65-foot Miss Virginia Beach off
Rudee Inlet observe marine life brought aboard from a trawling
net.
Chris Emory, 10, builds the courage to feel a skate, a member of the
ray family. The students learned that skates can change colors.
Students get the feel of a horseshoe crab. Also brought up in the
``Ocean Collection'' trawling net were cutlass fish, skates,
flounder, spotted hake, a sea horse and a sea anchovy.
Teacher Betty Boggs, left, feels the texture of a bottom sample from
Rudee Inlet with the help of Chris Mast, who conducts floating
classroom sessions for the Virginia Marine Science Museum.
by CNB