How Henry "SEAS" It

We are always tickled to find out what snip-it of information in an action packed day stands out for students. We often overhear comments and receive feedback from parents and teachers that give us a bit of an idea of what students really take-away from the day. When we get a picture to go along with it, we are positively delighted!!!

“Tell Us How YOU ‘Sea’ It” gives students who have participated in the Marine Science AfloatTM program a chance to reflect on their field trip with us and share what they have learned, with PMR staff, but also a much wider audience as we post these on our website in the “How I ‘SEA’ It” Gallery.

We were floored by what Henry, a 3rd grader at Orchard Height’s Elementary, shared with us. He succinctly summed up our ‘Intro to Puget Sound’ in a well-drawn (we appreciate the saddle patch Henry) and labeled picture. We recognize that the moment our Lead Educator utters poop in his intro, we’ll get a lot of ears perking up; it’s nice to know it sinks (pun intended) in.

The nutrient cycling Henry depicts in his picture is important for Puget Sound and makes it the green machine that it is, supporting so much life. The problem with poop is that it sinks and is packed with nutrients the phytoplankton (plant plankton) need. This would be fine if the phytoplankton were on the bottom, but they are restricted to the photic zone where sunlight reaches. This problem is solved in Puget Sound by upwellings over the sills glaciers left behind. When currents hit these sills, it drives water and nutrients up to the photic zone where the phytoplankton flourish and start a very rich food web. Thanks to these upwellings we can support phytoplankton and in turn, barnacles, salmon, and orcas.