In this lesson, students will consider the ways that people attempt to create aquariums that provide realistic habitats for marine animals. They will use the Internet to "visit" three aquarium habitats and determine whether these aquariums succeed in providing high-quality environments for the animals that live in them. Students will conclude by designing their own aquarium habitats based on what they have learned.

Geography, life science

Standard 8: "The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on Earth's surface"

Two to three hours

• Computer with Internet access

Students will

• compare and contrast aquarium habitats with natural marine habitats;
• "visit" three online aquarium habitats and list the animals and plants they see, as well as the positive and negative things they notice about these habitats;
• list and discuss potential problems that arise when marine animals are kept in aquariums; and
• write paragraphs describing hypothetical aquarium exhibits of their own design.

Make a "T-chart" (a two-column chart used to compare and contrast things) on the board with the headings "Aquarium" and "Natural." Have students contribute words to describe animal habitats in aquariums versus in nature. For example, under "Aquarium" they might write "glass tanks" or "people can touch the animals," while under "Natural" they might write "animals can go wherever they want."

[Note: Before exploring the Web sites below, you might want to have students go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium's glossary to learn the definitions of the terms "estuary" and "slough."]

Have students look at one or more pictures from each of these Web sites:

Our Estuaries and Sloughs Exhibits (aquarium habitat) Elkhorn Slough (natural habitat)

Ask them to describe the differences between the aquarium exhibit and the natural slough, based on these photographs.

Ask students to "visit" a few exhibits at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, California (including the estuaries and sloughs exhibit) to see whether they think the aquarium is a good human-made habitat for marine animals. To do this, have students follow these directions:

Make a chart with five rows and four columns. In the first column, label rows two through five "animals," "plants," "what's good about this exhibit" and "what's not good about this exhibit." In the top row, label columns two through four "Estuaries and Sloughs," "Kelp Forest," and "Open Waters."

Go to the following Web pages for the Monterey Bay Aquarium to see examples of aquarium habitats. Complete your chart with as much information as you can find on each page.

Estuaries and Sloughs
Kelp Forest
Open Waters Exhibit

[Note: To save time, you can divide the class into groups and assign each group to one of these habitats.]

Discuss students' findings as a class. Add to or change the "T-chart" to show the comparisons they would now make between aquarium and natural habitats.

Have students get into groups and discuss some of the problems that arise when keeping marine animals in aquariums. Ask them to list their ideas. Examples might include small habitat size, the danger of animals not getting along, or the importance of controlling water quality.

Discuss as a class the things that aquariums such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium do to make their habitats resemble natural habitats. Do students think they are doing a good job?

Have each student or small group choose one marine species. They can find information about a variety of marine species at Yahooligans! Aquatic Life.

Ask students to imagine that they have been hired to design aquarium exhibits. Their exhibits must safely and comfortably house their species and educate visitors about it. The exhibits must also provide as realistic a habitat as possible.

Have them write paragraphs explaining what their exhibits might include and look like. Their paragraphs should conclude with an explanation of whether they predict that this species can and should be kept in an aquarium.

• Have students draw their aquarium exhibits on paper or use crafts materials to build models.
  
  
• Have students look at these pictures of "artificial reefs," which are human-made structures in the ocean or sea. Point out that none of these are in aquariums—they are all out in the open, where the animals are free to come and go.
  
  Artificial Reefs Worldwide
  Meanish Pier (scroll down the page to see the pier picture)
  Rigs-to-Reefs Information
  
  Ask students to hypothesize how fishermen, divers, and ecologists might feel about these artificial reefs. Have students make presentations that showcase some of the different types of artificial reefs that can be found in our oceans and seas and the animals that are attracted to these reefs.
  
  
• Have students use the Virtual Aquarium to design their own aquarium habitats.

Monterey Bay Aquarium
National Geographic Traveler: Aquariums Go For the Wow
Virtual Aquarium
Yahooligans! Aquariums