Education

IV. Sealife (Fish, Birds, and Mammals of the Open Ocean)

At the PVS website, students access short descriptions and illustrations of sealife. This information will help students anticipate and understand why the voyagers see certain kinds of birds in different region or catch certain kinds of fish while trolling. It will also help students understand which birds can be used for finding land. Students may also wish to do background research on the ecology of the open ocean--how these birds and fish survive in this environment and what the structure of the food chain is.

Possible Activities: Field trip to a fish market to view and identify deep-sea fish; research into local fishing practices and fishing laws designed for sustainable recreational and commercial fishing; field trip to a bird island and sanctuary to view and identify sea birds; comparisons of reef fish with pelagic fish.

Resources within this website:

• Fish, Birds, and Mammals of the Open Ocean

• Fishing on Board Hokule'a