BACKOn Friday 13th February, the Year 12 Geography classes (and their teachers) travelled up to the Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre, run by the University of Auckland. The Year 12 Geography students are currently learning about the health of the Hauraki Gulf, and the current issues that the Gulf faces, such as overfishing and pollution.
The Auckland University research scientists ran a hands-on workshop on how to tell how healthy a kina (sea urchin) is, and how that relates to the health of the Hauraki Gulf. The students then had the opportunity to taste raw kina! Then they went down to the rocky shore below the Discovery Centre to learn about the different tidal zones and the creatures that live there, and how pollution and overfishing affect their populations.
This was followed by a short coastal walk to look at the surrounding environment. Finally, the students experienced a presentation about the Hauraki Gulf and its importance to Auckland, and were offered the opportunity to see and hold different marine organisms like hermit crabs and starfish in the touch tanks.
The students all enjoyed a busy day filled with practical learning activities, and gathered a lot of information that they can use in their upcoming internal assessment. We are all looking forward to visiting again in 2027!
