Coral Sea Detectives:
“Who Done It?”

 

You and your partner are sitting at your desks at the “Marine Detectives, Inc.” agency when the call comes in. Mr. and Mrs. Seahorse are very upset! While Mister Seahorse was on an evening stroll through the sea, the Seahorse babies were born. But the babies have disappeared!

 

“I just turned my back for an instant!” Mister Seahorse insists. The parents know that their children are gone—they’re probably someone’s supper. That’s just the way of the sea. But they won’t rest until they discover the culprit and bring him to justice. So who did away with the seahorse babies?

 

You will get to know Mister Seahorse and the events of the day, meet the suspects, Study the clues, and work together to figure out “who done it!”

 

 

Working with your partner, you will:

•       Learn about the seahorse family from the book Mister Seahorse.

•       Meet the suspects and visit web sites to learn about each.

•       Fill out a chart about the suspects that will give you clues to solve the mystery.

•       Study the clues and make your best guess about who had the seahorse babies for supper.

•       Share your findings and your guess with other detective teams, and vote to determine the guilty party.

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What you need to do to become a Coral Sea Detective!

 

1.                     Listen to the story Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle

2.                     Learn important information about the Seahorse family by clicking on the picture of the seahorse in the chart below. You’ll learn about how they live so you can figure out which suspect could have gobbled up the babies.  Fill in the clues chart for seahorses.

3.                     Use what you have learned from the book, too. You may not find every answer for every animal.  You will have enough clues at the end to solve the mystery.

4.                     Search a web site about each suspect, by clicking on the picture of the animal. Fill in the clues chart for each animal.

5.                     Study the clues. Who lives in the right place? Who eats the right things? Who do you think is guilty of the crime? Guess together, “who done it.” Circle that animal on your chart.

6.                     Meet with other detectives. Talk about what you learned, which suspect you chose, and why?

7.                     Vote, by raising hands, for the guilty party.

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 Clues Chart

Information	Seahorse	Suspect 1 Tilapia	Suspect 2 Lionfish	Suspect 3 Green Sea Turtle
Where do they live?
How big are they?
What and when do they eat?
Do they hide to avoid predators or surprise prey?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suspect 1: Tilapia (Also called Cichlid) You met Mister Tilapia in the book. He carries his eggs in his mouth. Does this mean he has a taste for tiny sea creatures? Or that his mouth was already full and he couldn’t have eaten the seahorse babies? Does he even belong on the reef, or was he out of place and hurrying to get home where he and his family really live? Click here to find out. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilapia

Suspect 2: Lionfish You also saw the striped lionfish in the book. He was peeking out from behind some coral. Was he being sneaky and following Mister Seahorse, knowing the babies would be born soon and hoping for a tasty, tender meal? He didn’t show himself and greet Mister Seahorse like a friend. Learn more about him here. http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/lionfish.html

Suspect 3: Green Sea Turtle The turtle wasn’t in the book, but Mister Seahorse’s cousin, Mister Pipe, saw a large green sea turtle dart into the area and back out shortly after the babies were born. He’s certainly big enough to make a snack of the tiny seahorses. And he came and went suddenly. Was he making a getaway from the scene of the crime? Investigate here. http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/education/turtles.htm

 

 

 

 

           Now go back and look at the evidence you’ve gathered.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations! You helped solve the case and put the guilty party behind bars in the Coral Reef jail! Doesn’t he fit in well, since he already has stripes? But there is much more to learn about these fascinating sea animals and their coral reef habitat. Have your teacher

help you look for more stories and information in books and on the Internet. Start with some of these sources.

 

Books

·      A Coral Reef by Jen Green  Call Number: 574.9 GRE

·      Life in the Coral Reef by Bobbie Kalman Call Number: 574.9 KAL

·      The Underwater World of the Coral Reef by Ann McGovern

   Call Number: 574.9 MCG

·      Coral Reef by Lloyd G. Douglas Call Number: ENF 574.9 DOU

 

Web Sites

·      National Geographic Coral Reef Video, www.nationalgeographic.com

  Click on “video,” then “environment,” then “habitats,” then “oceans.”   Then click on the photo link on the right titled “Coral Reefs.”

·      Missouri Botanical Gardens Biomes of the World: Tropical Oceans,

www.mbgnet.net/salt/coral/indexfr.htm

·      National Geographic Virtual World: Great Barrier Reef,

www.nationalgeographic.com/features/00/earthpulse/reef/reef1_flash.html

·      Ocean Conservancy Seat Turtles Coloring Book,

www.oceanconservancy.org/site/DocServer?docID=481

·      Shedd Aquarium Caribbean Reef, www.sheddaquarium.org/caribbeanreef.html Click on “Explore Now.”