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Marine Ecosystems & Human Impacts

About The Program

The activities in this program are suitable for Grade 4-12. Please see Program Options for full list of activities to choose from. 

The EcoCentre provides a wide range of marine excursion activities at St Kilda Beach, St Kilda Pier and West Beach. Using Port Phillip Bay as our outdoor classroom we have a variety of hands-on activities that allow schools to tailor their excursion to match curriculum needs, inquiry topic and student projects.

  • What is the marine ecosystem of Port Phillip Bay?
    Why is it important to look after our marine ecosystems?
  • What are the human impacts on Port Phillip Bay
  • How can humans help Port Phillip Bay?
Location:

St Kilda Beach, St Kilda Pier, and West Beach, VIC

Excursion Duration:

4 hours (10am – 2pm). Shorter excursions (60min, 90min or 2 hour) can also be arranged.

Year Level:

Grade 4 to Year 12

Maximum number of classes:

4 (Group max: 25)

Cost per class:

$500 + GST

Availability

 All terms on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Most suitable in the warmer, drier months of term 1 and 4.

Program Themes:

 Marine ecosystems, Port Phillip Bay, Little Penguins, molluscs, coastal erosion, Indigenous perspectives, STEAM, STEM, plant ecosystems, wildlife, shell survey, Baykeeper, science excursion


• 3-4 Represent and communicate observations, ideas and findings to show patterns and relationships using formal and informal scientific language (VCSIS072)
• 3-4 Science knowledge helps people to understand the effects of their actions (VCSSU056)
• 3-4 The diversity and longevity of Australia’s first peoples and the significant ways Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are connected to Country and Place (land, sea, waterways and skies) and the effects on their daily lives (VCHHK078)
• 5-6 Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment (VCSSU074)
• 5-6 The growth and survival of living things are affected by the physical conditions of their environment (VCSSU075)
• 5-6 Scientific understandings, discoveries and inventions are used to inform personal and community decisions and to solve problems that directly affect people’s lives (VCSSU073)
• 7-8 Ways that flows of water connect places as they move through the environment and the ways this affects places (VCGGK106)
• 7-8 Interactions between organisms can be described in terms of food chains and food webs and can be affected by human activity (VCSSU093)
• 9-10 Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the environment; matter and energy flow through these systems (VCSSU121)

Full Day Program: Please select up to 3 activities (1hr each). If you are a school of 4 classes (max 100 students) you will select 4 activities (45 mins each). 

Shorter excursions of up to 60 minutes, 90 minutes or 2 hours can also be arranged

1. Marine Ecosystems – Little Penguin Colony (Grade 4-12)
**Temporarily unavailable due to pier construction**                                                     
Explore the complex and fascinating marine ecosystems in the Bay including Little Penguins and develop an understanding of animal behaviour, adaptations and survival needs of marine animals in Port Phillip Bay.

2. Shoreline Shell Survey (STEAM) (4-12)
Understand the biodiversity of shells (molluscs) in the Bay and how molluscs could be affected by climate change, acids and pollution. A STEAM data collection and classification activity.

3. Oceans of Rubbish (STEAM) (4-12)                                                                   Explore our current major issue of marine pollution by conducting STEAM litter audits, recording data and ascertaining how litter arrives here. Discuss the myriad of effects experienced by marine animals as a result of marine pollution. Take action by completing a litter pick up. For primary-aged students, activity can include a Radical Recycle relay game.

4. Indigenous Plants and the Bay (4-12)
Walk through West Beach to explore our Indigenous plants, and understand how these are used for food and resources by the Boon Wurrung people. Learn about the Boon Wurrung’s story of the formation of the Bay, and gain insight to how local Aboriginal people lived in connection to the seasons and flows of nature. How did they have a different impact to today’s impacts?

5. Plant Walk West Beach (4-12)
Find and identify Indigenous plant species and understand plant zonation in coastal areas. Understand how urban development and community action can make a huge positive and negative difference to the long term sustainability of our foreshores.

Note: Please choose either ‘Plant Walk West Beach’ or ‘Indigenous Plants and the Bay’, not both

Restrictions: Our group sizes are capped at 25 students and our maximum is 100 per excursion. More than 4 classes can be accommodated by special request.
We will send you instructions for transport and a day plan after you book.

Please note excursions are run on Tuesdays or Thursdays

7. Live Mollusc Survey (STEAM)
Only available to senior secondary aged groups of 15 or less. The EcoCentre has a permit to dig up live molluscs to record data for research purposes. Students will conduct a 3 quadrant transect to collect data on live molluscs and record their findings.

2. Beach Treasure Hunt (Intertidal zone exploration)
Undertake a beach treasure hunt and classify treasures into living and non-living. Investigate the features and adaptations that help living animals survive in this marine environment and make a pledge to protect them. Sketching of adaptations is part of the 1 hour activity.

3. Coastal Erosion (STEAM)
Through the ‘erosive nature of waves’ and ‘sandcastle weather proofing’ experiments students will learn about wind, water and weather as factors that cause erosion. The 1 hour activity includes experimenting with design features to reduce the impacts of erosion.

 

7. Save Sam the Seadragon
Our puppet Sam the Weedy Seadragon has an important message to share about the life in Port Phillip Bay, food chains and energy exchanges within an ecosystem. As Victoria’s marine emblem Sam was happily surviving in Port Phillip Bay until plastic started to enter the ecosystem. Through hands-on activities students will learn about why plastics are amazing but when they get out of control they cause problems for our wildlife.

 

• F-2 Living things have a variety of external features and live in different places where their basic needs, including food, water and shelter, are met (VCSSU042)
• F-2 Use informal measurements in the collection and recording of observations (VCSIS052)

"We had a wonderful day and the content covered by our educator was well structured and relevant to our in class topics. His expert knowledge was extremely well received by the students (and staff)."

- Year 8 Science teacher"

Book Today

Please note, outdoor excursions only run on Tues, Wed, Thursdays.

School Information

Organising Teacher Details

The EcoCentre acknowledges the Kulin Nations, including the Yalukit Willam clan of the Boon Wurrung language group, traditional custodians of the land on which we are located.

We pay respects to their Elders past and present, and extend that respect to other First Nations and Elder members of our multicultural community.