On Saturday the 30th of March, the members of the Ocean Keeper Club visited the Center for Marine Conservation for their third learning session, covering the seagrass marine ecosystem and the charismatic dugong living in it: sea cows growing to a size of up to 4 meters, just from eating the marine grass! The pupils learned about the ins and outs of seagrass meadows, the species they support, and their importance to the planet. After having received a lesson on the anatomy of both the seagrass plant and the dugong, the children were divided into groups and challenged to draw the anatomy of both organisms, testing their memory of the lesson. A quiz on the contents of the lesson brought out their competitive side and the kids proved they had been paying close attention! 

At the end of Saturday’s session, the students who executed the homework assignment of simulating the wave-breaking properties of mangrove forests were rewarded with a CTC Manta ray T-shirt for their excellent work. The Center Team, led by Herni Hastutie, thoroughly enjoyed teaching such a motivated class and looks forward to the next session on coral reefs. In the meantime, the pupils can focus on their homework assignment: creating their most beautiful seagrass and dugong art.

Writer: Casper Kuijper
Photos: Casper Kuijper