Designing a workshops for a girls STEM event using reefkeeping as the topic

[BlennyBabe]

Hello Everyone,
Its been a while since I have posted (years I think) I hope you are all well and your reefs are thriving.

I am leading a workshop for a girls Career and Pathway Expo that is focusing on getting girls interested in STEM careers. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)

I have 3 35 minute sessions to teach to 15-20 girls at a time. I need to introduce them to marine biology as a career pathway. I was an aquarist at Point Defiance Aquarium before my role as a Program Coordinator (read: Jill of all trades) for Harbor WildWatch. My role now is primarily in education, but I still do plenty of STEM as a part of my job. I thought reefkeeping would the perfect topic to get the students engaged.

Here is the little write up I did for the flyer:
Can you imagine a job that encompasses Biology, Ecology, Microbiology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Genetics, Structural and Mechanical Engineering, Fluid dynamics, Disease Pathology, Aquaculture, Research, Education, and Aesthetics and Decorating? Are you hard working, physically fit, creative and dedicated? Do you have what it takes to be a professional aquarist? This demanding job requires many STEM skills. Students will try their best to create an imaginary aquarium exhibit that best reflects natural habitats and meets the needs of all the inhabitants, while staying under budget. We will be discover what animals can live together, and what requirements they have for food, flow, substrate, population density and water chemistry.

So I'm looking for suggestions for theoretical tanks that the girls could set up. The only requirement of the project is that they must present a plan for stock list, equipment, aquascaping, and specific habitat they are trying to emulate. No mixing of animals from different biopes. No animals that will outgrow their tanks. No animals that are endangered in their native habitat. Bonus points for captive bred animals. They will be making hard decisions!

They will be given a budget, have access to the internet and books for their research on animals and equipment, a list of considerations.

For example:
1. Cleaner Wrasse are good for controlling parasites, but are necessary for the reef to thrive. They are not captive bred.
2. Harlequin Tuskfish will eat crustaceans
3. Yellow Tangs require a tank that is 8 feet long.
4. Octopus live less than a year.
5. Lionfish will eat any fish smaller than their mouth.
6. Fish larger than 6 inches will need heavy filtration
7. Seahorses need low flow
8. Hard corals need high flow

You get the idea.

So what I need from you creative folks is a few proposals for tanks. They should have an ideal stock list (simple) a few equipment needs (flow, filtration and light) and a rough idea of the cost.

[CStrickland]

That sounds wonderful! Good luck with your workshop.
I don't have any advice, but I wanted to share a link to one of my fav threads in case you haven't already seen it. Brandon is super friendly so I wouldn't hesitate to PM him with questions.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2470320

[BlennyBabe]

Thanks! Thats such an inspiring project!

[BlennyBabe]

Bump. Any suggestions?

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by BlennyBabe

Pardon the intrusion, but you might modify those assumptions to make them a bit more realistic.

For example:
1. Cleaner Wrasse are good for controlling parasites, but are necessary for the reef to thrive. They are not captive bred. Cleaner wrasses do not eat parasites that aquarists are most concerned with
2. Harlequin Tuskfish will eat crustaceans
3. Yellow Tangs require a tank that is 8 feet long. Not really. Some tangs do, yellow tangs do not
4. Octopus live less than a year.
5. Lionfish will eat any fish smaller than their mouth. Lionfish will eat fish that are up to two thirds of their own length, sometimes to their demise; the mouth of a lionfish is hinged and is much larger than it appears when closed
6. Fish larger than 6 inches will need heavy filtration All fish need biological filtration
7. Seahorses need low flow
8. Hard corals need high flow Some do, some do not

[BlennyBabe]

Thanks Steve!