Seahorses

Moderation state
funded
Grant Applicant
Allison Everist
School Site
Tahoe Lake Elementary
Grant Category
Mathematics & Science
Grant Date
2020-07-23T12:00:00
Description

A year ago, I visited the the big island of Hawaii.  I went to the Ocean Rider seahorse farm, had a tour and even got to hold a seahorse.  I was educated on the various impacts on the seahorse population and how important sustainable farming is.  I was inspired by the tour and stated their training program to get certified to own seahorses myself.  I want to share the excitement I have for seahorses and agree with the Ocean Rider mission statement:  To inspire ocean awareness by saving the endangered seahorses from extinction through education and propagation.

 

Benefits of Program

There are several benefits to having seahorses in the classroom. 

The first benefit is learning responsibility.  They will get to feed and take care of the animals and learn about their life cycle.

The next benefit is environmental education. The students will be learning about ocean life.  They will get to see the difference between our local habitats and the that of the ocean.  Along with this, the students will learn sustainable ocean farming and how to protect our oceans.  It is extremely rare to sea seahorses in the wild even if you are an experienced snorkeler or diver.  Therefore, seahorses are in high demand by aquariums.  The average life expectancy of. seahorse in captivity has previously been a few months.  This has led to over-fishing of seahorses.   In addition, there has been over-fishing of seahorses for medicinal purposes, as novelty items and more.  This lead to a sustainable farm, Ocean Rider, to start a breeding program. Their efforts have made a huge impact on the seahorse population and life expectancy in captivity has risen to 4 years.  Ocean Rider has also inspired hundreds of other oceanic sustainable farms.

A final benefit of this program is overall mental health and well-being.  It has been proven, that keeping fish improves mental health and also helps to reduce anxiety.  Fish tanks bring a sense of nature and calming into a classroom.  

Success of Program

This grant would enhance and strengthen the educational experience in the classroom.  By having seahorses in the classroom, the students will be able to experience first hand an ocean habitat and the importance of environmental sustainability.  I would define success for this grant through the continuation of education to the other classes.  I hope that the students will be excited about their education of seahorses and ocean life and want to share that with other classrooms on campus.  I plan on having the students share their knowledge by inviting in and educating other students.

Implementation

After funding, I plan on establishing and setting up the tank in my classroom.  It can take a few months to get the tank established and ready.  The goal is to have the seahorses shipped during the Thanksgiving Break.  This will allow me to be available to receive and introduce them to the tank. 

Can you share this grant with your grade level or subject team?

After the tank is established I plan on educating my students about seahorses, ocean life and the importance of sustainable farming.  I plan on inviting other classrooms and grade levels throughout the school to come in and then be taught by my students.  Through our SWEP partnership, students in the Tahoe/Truckee region understand the environment in which they live and are empowered to take action in their community to make a positive difference.  This grant, will allow our students to enhance this education through a global approach that introduces them to the oceans and sea life.  

Sustainability
I have spent the last several months learning more about raising seahorses. I have gotten certified by Oceanriders where I will be purchasing the seahorses. They work closely with their purchasers to ensure that they are knowledgeable in tank set-up, maintenance and care of the seahorse. They want to help ensure longevity of the animals and hopefully their ability to breed. Therefore, once funded, this grant will be mostly sustainable. The main consumable is food for the seahorses.
Amount Funded
$983.00
Individual Budget Items(s)
$300 - 2 Sunburst Hippocampus Erectus
$40 - Power Filter
$60 - Protein Skimmer
$33 - Cobalt Mini-Powerhead
$40 - UV Sterilizer
$19 - Instant Ocean Salt
$19 - Hydrometer
$45 - Test Kit
$7 - Reef Buffer
$18 - De-Nitrate
$16 - Cleaning Gloves Pack
$27 - Black Sand
$40 - Feeding Station
$120 - Frozen Mysis Shrimp (12 months)
$25 - Coral
$9 - Sunflower Decoration
$12 - Tall Plants
Shipping
$92.00
Taxes
$61.00
Other funding sources

I already purchased the tank, stand, heater and light on my own.  I wanted to have fish in my classroom during the last 3 years and bought these items on my own.  

File Uploads
seahorses.jpg (80.33 KB)
Tank Harware_0.pdf (181.36 KB)
Water Maintenanc.pdf (476.94 KB)
Food and Decor.pdf (341.17 KB)
Supporting Links
https://seahorse.com