Educational Activities

E-mail Responses
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9-3-03

Ms. Cantu’s 3rd Grade Class
Bryan Elementary
Mission, Texas
Question 1:
Why are you studying phytoplankton?

Answer:
The scientists on board are studying phytoplankton, mainly because they are interested on how the ocean’s first link in the food chain, does so well in an environment where there is not a lot of nutrients. They also want to know how much photosynthesizing they are capable of and how day and night affects them.

Ms. Cantu’s 3rd Grade Class
Bryan Elementary
Mission, Texas
Question 2:
Have any of you gotten into trouble?

Answer:
Well...When we went to Midway we were supposed to be on the ship at a certain time. We were minutes late and it was brought to our attention that time is something that is strictly followed on ship and that our being late was being frowned at and that it should not happen again. We all felt horrible and apologized. Other than that we have made some mistakes when it came to learning and reading the equipment but we learned from them and turned them to learning experiences!!

Tim
Sacket, 12th grade
Enid Highschool, Enid, OK
Question 3:
What effect, if any does, the amount of sunlight have on the speed of accent and decent of the phytoplankton in meters per second?

Answer:
Precise speed of accent and decent of phytoplankton is not known. The amount of sunlight does have an affect on the speed of decent because the more sunlight the faster they produce carbohydrates, up to certain point. The amount of carbohydrates determines their buoyancy, with more carbohydrates causing a greater density. Rhizosolenia do not actively move up or down, they just sink or rise based on their density.

Whitney
Murden, 6th grade
Wink Elementary, Wink, TX
Question 4:
What is the weather like out there? Is there any time difference from me here in Texas?

Answer:
The weather is great!! We have had about 3 hot days the rest are just sunny and pleasant. We did have a light shower late at night about 4 days ago. The crew tells us that we have been lucky to have such great weather in the Pacific. I believe that the time difference is 7 hours. Right now it is 1:00 p.m. on the ship, in Texas it is 8:00 p.m.

Whitney
Murden, 6th grade
Wink Elementary, Wink, TX
Question 5:
How hard is underwater coral reef? How deep is it where you are researching?

Answer:
Coral are living animals which, together with symbiotic algae, produce a calcium carbonate tube to live in. These tubes are very small, but grow in large masses to produce the structures called reefs. Calcium carbonate is the mineral that limestone is made of, so most corals feel very hard, like stone.

Kallyn
Sacket, 12th grade
Enid Highschool, Enid, OK
Question 6:
What is the effect of changing the number of rpms in each of the ship’s propellers?

Answer:
We have two variable pitch propellers on the New Horizon. There is a ratio that has to be maintained for different pitches, but basically the greater the rpms, the faster the ship will go. The two props can spin at different rates to cause the ship to turn, or even spin in different directions to cause tight turns needed while docking.

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