WELCOME, TEACHERS and TANK VOLUNTEERS!
10:00 INTRODUCTIONS & THINGS WORTH EMPHASIZING JUDY PICKENS West Seattle area coordinator 10:15 SIS ON THE WEB PHIL SWEETLAND Database/technical support volunteer 10:25 TANK EQUIPMENT NANCIE HERNANDEZ Technical support contractor/area coordinator + PHIL 11:45 LUNCH BREAK 12:15 FEEDING & MONITORING NANCIE & PHIL 1:00 LESSONS SUPPORTING NGSS/COMMON CORE JUDY + BETH MILLER K-12 stormwater education and outreach program manager, Seattle Public Utilities 1:45 LAST QUESTIONS & EVALUATION JUDY
WHAT IS SALMON IN THE SCHOOLS? A program that uses the rearing of salmon to develop an understanding of biological processes and systems, habitat, stewardship, and the importance of salmon to Pacific Northwest culture and commerce . WHAT IS SALMON IN THE SCHOOLS - SEATTLE ? A coalition of city staff and environmental volunteers supporting salmon- based opportunities for public and private students in Seattle to build stewardship and environmental literacy. SIS-Seattle provides resources and expertise to enable teachers to offer school-wide, hands-on learning through the rearing of salmon. SIS-Seattle is one of several regional intermediaries between schools and the State Department of Fish and Wildlife, making sure that schools get eggs and that the program meets all state requirements. SIS-Seattle is maintained through volunteer efforts, governmental funding, and school support .
PARTICIPATION 73 PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN SEATTLE HAVE PERMITS FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR. NEW MAP
YOUR SALMON-YEAR TIMELINE COHO OR CHUM October - Schedule fall spawning field trips and classroom visits. Recruit tank volunteer. October-December - Prepare tank, brief students, and plan with tank volunteer. Early January - Pick up eggs or receive delivery. Begin developmental observations and other salmon-related learning experiences. Late February/early March - Engage students in feeding fish and monitoring water quality. April-May - Release fry at permitted location and explore habitat. File release report and sign up for next year.
VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT
MAINTAINING YOUR SALMON AQUARIUM: EQUIPMENT
TYPICAL TANK SET-UP Thermometer Large filter Small Initial filtering or filter screen External cooling wand chiller Aerators Water inlet tube Water Cabinets must have proper air pump for flow on at least three sides. chiller AquaEuro chiller ¼ HP
LOCATING YOUR CHILLER Provide adequate air circulation to keep the chiller cool. Locate near a water source and electrical outlet. If possible, position off the floor to prevent dust accumulation. Left Side Open Left Side With Vented Door Right Side With Second Vent
EXAMPLES OF TANK SET-UPS
PROPER CHILLER VENTILATION
ENGAGING ALL THROUGH ART
LEARNING FOR ALL AT THE TANK AREA
TYPES OF FILTERS
KEEPING FILTER CLEAN
LUNCH ! 11/15
MAINTAINING YOUR SALMON AQUARIUM: FEEDING & MONITORING
ABOUT YOUR EGGS
FEEDING TO REDUCE MAINTENANCE ✓ Do not feed your fish until they have completely absorbed their yolk sacs. ✓ Begin by “tease feeding” in tiny amounts until your fish learn to eat. ✓ Feed no more than your fish will eat before it settles to the bottom. ✓ Test water at least once per week while in fry stage. ✓ Switch to flake food as fry grow because it stays suspended longer. ✓ Switch to bloodworms a few weeks before release; they too, stay suspended. ✓ Do not feed on weekends but do arrange for feeding over long holidays and vacations. This is the “suture line,” where the salmon’s yolk sac used to be. It needs to be almost completely invisible before they are fed. Full absorption of the yolk sac is known as “buttoning up.” These chinook were fed for the first time about A WEEK AFTER this picture was taken. The fish will look very skinny at this point but they are OK!
FROM BUTTONING UP TO READY TO RELEASE
WHAT TO MONITOR WHEN Every school day ✓ Check and record water temperature. ✓ Check for any trash in the tank and remove it with a net. ✓ Check for dead eggs or fish and remove it with net. ✓ Check that the filter/aeration system is running and bubbling. ✓ Note any unusual fish behavior, ex. Circling, curved alevin. ✓ Record information on charts. Weekly or more frequently if levels rise ✓ Check ammonia, nitrite, and pH with Master test kit (nitrate is optional but of interest). ✓ Record information on chart. March thru May ✓ Rake a net across the gravel to check for uneaten food or fish waste. ✓ Clean tank as needed or at minimum, change 15 gals per week.
INVOLVING STUDENTS Student jobs • Temperature specialist • Feeder • Trash / mortality / systems specialist • Ammonia tester • Nitrite tester • Nitrate tester (optional test) • pH tester • Cleaner Choose a model that works for you and your students. • Alternating teams • Tank monitoring or feeding as rewards • Alphabetical order • One team to monitor throughout project • One team to help with cleaning throughout project • ???
MONITORING Make an X to indicate that feeding and trash systems have been checked. Track mortality and keep the count of live eggs/fish up-to-date. Comments to include hatch, mineral block addition, cleaning, etc. If temperature not recorded, use 48° F. Trash/ Date Feeding Systems Mortality Count Ammonia Nitrite pH Nitrate Temp °F ATU °F Comment X 3/1 190 50 1,342 3/2 190 48 1,358 3/3 190 48 1,374 X X Changed 20 gallons of 3/4 1 189 1.00 1.00 7.2 30.0 49 1,391 water X 3/5 189 48 1,407 X X 3/6 189 48 1,423 Cleaned sponge; added 100 X X 3/7 4 185 0.35 1.00 6.6 60.0 48 1,439 drops pH Up; added mineral block X 3/8 185 49 1,456 3/9 185 48 1,472 3/10 185 49 1,489 X X Changed 25 gallons of 3/11 8 177 0.15 1.00 7.0 40.0 49 1,506 water 11/15
ACCUMULATED THERMAL UNITS Temperature affects everything from the rate at which salmon eggs develop to the amount of food that fry require and the amount of dissolved oxygen that water will hold. Accumulated thermal units (ATUs) are a way to track the effect of temperature in order to predict when eggs will hatch and when alevin will start swimming freely as fry. What is an ATU? ATU is the number of degrees (“increment”) that each day’s tank water temperature is over freezing, added to the ATUs as of the previous day. In Fahrenheit, the increment over freezing is tank water temperature minus 32 o F . How to use ATU measurements Involve students in using ATU measurements to predict date of hatch and date when alevins will start swimming freely (“button up”). In a creek or river, other factors such as oxygen level and water flow also influence the speed of development but, in your tank, temperature is usually the only variable. SPECIES STAGE ATUs in °F CHINOOK SALMON To start hatching 860-980 To start swimming freely 1620-1800 CHUM SALMON To start hatching 850-950 To start swimming freely 1620-1800 COHO SALMON To start hatching 720-900 To start swimming freely 1260-1450
All compare water in vial with a color card
WATER QUALITY GOALS Ammonia: Goal 0 ppm. High ammonia can quickly poison your fish. Carefully monitor! Nitrite: Goal 0 ppm. A trace amount will stress fish; a high amount will kill them. Nitrate: Goal 0 - 40 ppm. Slowly rising levels can stress fish, causing listlessness and loss of appetite. pH: Goal 7 - 7.6 ppm. Levels above or below this range can make ammonia and nitrite even more toxic.
TRACKING TANK CHEMISTRY: An Example
SALMON AS A BUILDING BLOCK FOR LEARNING
HOW TEACHERS ARE USING THEIR SALMON TANK TO SUPPORT CLASSROOM LEARNING
NGSS Science and Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting Standard Engineering Concepts Practices • • • Salmon 4 LS1-1 Engaging in an LS1A: Structure and Systems and Lifecycle argument function internal and system models 4 LS1-2 from evidence external 3 LS1-1 • • Developing LS1D: Information 3-LS3-2 and using processing/ sense 3-LS4-2 models receptors • LS4B: Natural selection, • LS3B: Variation of traits • LS1B: Growth and development of Organisms ▪ Salmon Books (see handout) ▪ Salmon Logs - Mini lessons link the salmon tank to district science kits, Animals 2x2, and Organisms ▪ Salmon Development and Behavior Observations ▪ Predicting Salmon Hatch - Students calculate accumulated thermal units using temperature data and math to predict when eggs will hatch in their tanks ▪ Field Trips/ Salmon Dissection
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