Christine Carrillo
The crab and the lobster fought.
The lobster bulldozed over the crab.
The crab trampled over the lobster.
And a lesson in survival of the fittest was learned.
As both animals were driven by hunger, their instinctual behavior
kicked in, despite their simulated habitat, and they fought one
another for nearly every piece of fish that fell into the tank.
About 13 students carefully observed and took notes on the
animals' behavior and the feeding process as a whole, since, after
all, that is what the Marine Aquarium Science class at Orange Coast
College is all about.
"We're very happy to have this class because it gives our students
a hands-on learning experience ... which is the best type of
learning," said Professor Dennis Kelly. "They work way harder in this
class but the payoff is that they get to learn these animals
personally."
After listening to Kelly's brief lecture late Friday morning, the
students learned about aquarium feeding through a more sensate
method. Two of Kelly's former students, both of whom now work as
student aquarium managers at OCC, opened their bags of frozen fish --
anchovies, squid, etc. -- and taught the students how to cut and
prepare the food for the different fish in each of the aquariums
along the classroom's walls.
"It's just such a responsibility ... you're responsible for their
lives," said 16-year-old Alden Glinert, a marine ecology major. "You
can learn so much from viewing them through the glass. Aquariums, in
general, are just intriguing."
Since many of the students, like Glinert, have an interest in
aquariums, the class also serves as an education they can take home
with them or even turn into a career. By teaching students the
mechanics of aquariums along with how to simulate the animals'
natural lifestyles in an artificial setting, the students, Kelly
hopes, will walk away from the class with a well-rounded knowledge
about marine aquarium science.
"The ocean is so huge and we know so little about it," said
20-year-old Nikolai Alvarado, who came to the United States from
Costa Rica just to study marine science. "This marine science
department is really good. It's not just lecture. We get to learn by
doing."
* IN THE CLASSROOM is a weekly feature in which Daily Pilot
education writer Christine Carrillo visits a campus in the
Newport-Mesa area and writes about her experience.
