Behind the Seas at EPCOT
Wednesday morning the boys were scheduled for the Careers in Marine Biology Y.E.S. program at EPCOT.
Here is the description of the program:
Exploring Careers in the Marine Sciences | Disney Youth Education Series
Meet our marine biology professionals for a discussion on various marine careers and the education and experience it takes to succeed, in the field.
Program Overview
"Make a splash" and investigate five fascinating career tracks during this 3-hour program. Discover how Disney scientists maintain the environment and inhabitants of the nearly 6 million gallon aquarium at the center of The Seas with Nemo & Friends, which is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Students in grades 7-12 will learn the education and training required for a marine science profession, understand the responsibilities of studying and caring for aquatic animals and how they can play a role in oceanic conservation. Key Learning Points
During this interactive field study, students will:
- Get an inside look at the diverse careers necessary to provide excellence in marine animal care and develop a feel for the day-to-day duties associated with those careers.
- Understand the educational background and experience needed to be successful in the careers of marine mammal trainer, marine researcher, water scientist, aquarist and veterinarian.
- Learn about the different research projects currently taking place at The Seas with Nemo & Friends and how research helps manage and protect marine species.
- Understand the role chemistry plays in marine life management and water quality.
- Explore some of the new, high-tech methods used to care for marine life.
- Become inspired to practice conservation in their own communities and consider a career in marine sciences.
The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot® is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums.
Ben and I were both really looking forward to this- we love the oceans and sea creatures and we have been involved in many marine programs in our area since he was little. I honestly think shark was one of Ben’s first words. In preparation for this class, he purchased a book from
Amazon, “A Short Introduction to Marine Biology”
The groups going to the Y.E.S. classes had private coach buses so we didn’t take up all the room on the resort buses. We had to meet at 8 am, following the ala carte breakfast set up outside in the hallways.
We arrived at EPCOT, went through bag check/park entry and met up with our Disney guide.
She gave instructions about the morning, told us we would be putting our belongings in a locked chest and handed out headsets so she could communicate with us during the class.
As always, no pictures were permitted in the backstage area.
The first part of our program was about animal care. We went into a classroom where the instructor discussed what it is like to care for all of the fish/animals in The Seas Aquarium. Then the students were divided into 3 groups and they were given a medical case history of an animal to diagnose.
This was a really cool activity, and since this did not take place backstage, I could take photos!!!
They were able to ask for all sorts of things to help them figure out the problems: X-rays, lab work, feeding reports, fecal samples, temperature and other vital statistics. They were able to pose questions to the instructor. Then the students had to present to the rest of the group, telling what they determined and how they came to their conclusions.
Here is Ben presenting about their turtle that was sick and not eating because it had ingested a plastic bag.
The other groups had a dolphin suffering from pneumonia and a manatee affected by red tide.
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After this part of the program, we spend some time backstage.
We went to the dolphin tank where the instructor told us about the dolphins housed at EPCOT and told us about the research being done, like studies on communication. We were given brief biographies of the two dolphins we could see. One was Ramone and I can’t remember the other dolphin’s name. I tried to look up the names on the internet, but I was not able to find them.
From the main aquarium observation area
We also were introduced to the two manatees. Lil Joe and again, I am blanking on the name of the second manatee. EPCOT is a secondary care facility which is overseen by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Their purpose is to rehabilitate and then release rescued animals who are not ready to live on their own in the wild or may never be able to be released.
That appears to be the case with Lil Joe. He has been released many times from different aquatic facilities but has ended up being continually rescued because he has been malnourished. His caretakers fear that he can’t make it on his own in the wild due to the lack of survival skills.
So he will probably continue to live at EPCOT, where he and his tank mate will each be fed around 100 pounds of lettuce every day!
We weren’t able to take pictures while backstage, but here are some from the viewing aquariums.
Manatee poop!
Continued in Next Post
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Being at HS back to school night last night made my head spin. So when DS and his lanky 5'7" or whatever height he is now plopped across my lap for a backscratch I eat it up 
Ben will probably always give hugs!! We mommas need them. One of the most precious parts of vacation is the older kids being kids 
(for a LOT more money) 
