Pier into the Ocean!

The "Pier into the Ocean!" program is an exciting study of prehistoric life, food chains, and predator-prey relationships. There are three learning stations during this 2 hour program. These learning stations include fishing, fossil hunting, and a hands-on "food web discovery" of live marine life. The students rotate through the 3 different stations, with about 35 minutes of fun activities at each station.

Students fish for porgies, croakers and other ocean fish at the fishing station. Sometimes small sharks are caught. The students will learn about the special adaptations of the fish they catch and learn about human effects on fish populations. Even investigating the bait we use provides insights into marine life! The shrimp and squid that we use for bait are two of the most important forms of marine life in all the world's oceans.

During the fossil hunting, students search for 30 million-year-old artifacts left behind from a time when the ocean covered the entire coastal plain all the way to Raleigh. Students discover how life and the Earth have changed over time. Each student can keep two of the fossils they find as souvenirs!

The third station is a "Food Web Wonder". Students explore food chains by studying live marine life. Students hold both predator and prey during hands-on studies of live animals.

To simplify your day, we have included lunch as part of this program. This consists of pizza delivered to the pier.