
Students identified different species of crabs, their sex, health status and more when collecting data on Higgins Beach in September for the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Contributed / Scarborough Schools
About 230 Scarborough sixth graders and their teachers took to Higgins Beach last month in search of invasive crab species on which to collect data for the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
Science teachers Maura Lafond, Molly Chester and Laurel Herendeen and their students identified different species of crabs – specifically European green crabs, Asian shore crabs and native crabs.
“They measured them, determined whether they were male or female, if they were egg-bearing, and the general condition and health of the crab,” Lafond said.
The students then submitted that data to the Gulf of Maine Research Institute.
“Scarborough students are participating in our community science project investigating intertidal crabs,” wrote Abigail Long, community science coordinator at the institute, in an email to the Leader. “The project, hosted on our ecosystem investigation network, invites groups, including students, to contribute data to important research questions.”
Those questions include how crab populations compare on one part of Maine’s coast to another; how the populations change over time in relation to warming temperatures; and where Asian shore, European green and native crabs are projected to be most abundant in the future.
The data collected by Scarborough students – along with other school districts, residents and organizations in Maine – is of great need, Long said.
“Over the last three decades, some coastal communities have seen explosions of European green and Asian shore crabs,” she said. “Scientists, including our partners at Manomet, need more data to understand how these populations are changing and where they could have the greatest impact in the future.”
For Scarborough’s sixth graders, the project provides a hands-on, outdoor learning experience – a goal of the district.
“Scarborough Schools is looking to do a little bit more outdoor learning overall and bringing a team-building aspect to the beginning of the year,” said Herendeen. “We thought this was a great way to do science as well as get to know each other a little better at the early juncture in our school year, while also doing some real outdoor learning.”
It’s also an opportunity to get to know their town better, Chester said.
“We really just wanted to bring learning back to a local aspect,” Chester said. “Do something within the community, learn about something they’re probably already familiar with, go to a beach that they may have already been. Just bring the community into their learning.”
Many students benefit greatly by learning in that manner, Lafond said.
“I think we all find that a lot of students learn best when it’s something that they can do,” she said. “Before we went to the beach, we did a trial run where we brought in buckets of green crabs and they were able to practice what they were going to be doing on the beach. The next day, we went to the beach and they were prepared and were able to feel successful and have a hands-on approach to learning.”
No matter the topic, making a learning experience fun doesn’t hurt, either.
“I think it’s safe to say, based on feedback from the kids, that they really loved it,” Chester said. “They had a really, really fun time and their feedback just screams how valuable they found it.”
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