COURTESY OF MAINE AQUACULTURE INNOVATION CENTER
Imagine a tank filled with 50 gallons of seawater– the same volume as 50 jugs of milk. That is the amount of water a single Eastern oyster can filter in one day. Just consider how much water a whole reef– or farm– of oysters could process during that time! It is these amazing creatures, along with Maine’s other farmed bivalves, blue mussels, sea scallops, and soft-shell clams, that take center stage in the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center’s (MAIC) new K-12 bivalve curriculum.
Bivalve farming, also referred to as shellfish aquaculture, presents a significant opportunity for Maine’s coastal communities. In a recent report published by the Maine Aquaculture Association, shellfish aquaculture contributed over 1,000 jobs and $85.5 million to the Maine economy (Maine Aquaculture Economic Contribution Report). Maine’s shellfish aquaculture industry provides many ecological benefits to the Maine coast while also creating working waterfront jobs. By introducing aquaculture concepts to students early and often in their education, we provide our youth with the opportunities, tools, and pathways they need to launch into a career in aquaculture in their home state.
MAIC is working with partner organizations to bring ocean farming into the classroom through hands-on, aquaculture-centered curricula. Most recently, the MAIC Education Team (which includes two Maine classroom educators) has created a Bivalve Curriculum for 6-12th grade students that can also be easily adapted to lower grade levels. This curriculum covers everything from basic bivalve biology to the economics of running a bivalve farm in Maine. Each lesson includes place-based, hands-on activities and is designed to be affordable, easy to understand for teachers, and accessible right off the website with minimal additional prep.
To help launch this new curriculum, MAIC hosted two teacher “summer camps” in July to introduce the activities to classroom educators in a hands-on setting. 24 teachers came together at the Darling Marine Center on the Damariscotta River to discover the anatomy of bivalves, experiment with building their own models of farm equipment, and try oysters. Later, 12 more teachers gathered at the Downeast Institute on Beals Island to tour a bivalve processing facility, visit an oyster farm, and discover a shellfish hatchery. By bringing professional development experiences to Maine teachers, MAIC is supporting classroom engagement with our communities, environment, and the future of our state. Teachers left the experiences glowing, saying “many connections were made and passion ignited” and that they can’t wait “to share the importance of bivalves in our ecosystem” with their students.
This school year, MAIC is excited to continue our education work with a focus on “living water” and the science behind creating healthy aquatic environments to grow healthy food. We continue to encourage teachers to get involved with our aquaculture programming by reaching out to learn@maineaquaculture.org and keeping an eye out for our annual educators’ workshop and other events.
This work is supported by a grant from the US Department of Agriculture. For more information about MAIC’s education work, visit learn.maineaquaculture.org or reach out to us directly at learn@maineaquaculture.org.