Giant Cuttlefish

Secondary KLA:
Science
Educational levels:
Year 7, Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, Year 11, Year 12

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resource preview

This 12 minute video segment from Catalyst outlines the fascinating and unique features of the giant cuttlefish and its mass breeding at Point Lowly. Then it explains how scientists have determined the vulnerability of this species- the fact that the eggs are sensitive to high levels of salinity and the fact that they die after breeding, so that destruction of the eggs in one year could have a dramatic impact on the whole population. Finally there is the debate as to whether the establishment of a desalination plant for the use of the mining industry in their habitat will prove to be a mortal threat.

NSW syllabus outcomes

(SC4-14LW) relates the structure and function of living things to their classification, survival and reproduction

(SC4-15LW) explains how new biological evidence changes people's understanding of the world

(SC5-14LW) analyses interactions between components and processes within biological systems

(SC5-15LW) explains how biological understanding has advanced through scientific discoveries, technological developments and the needs of society

Australian curriculum content descriptions

(ACSSU112) Interactions between organisms can be described in terms of food chains and food webs; human activity can affect these interactions

(ACSHE120) Science and technology contribute to finding solutions to a range of contemporary issues; these solutions may impact on other areas of society and involve ethical considerations

(ACSHE121) Science understanding influences the development of practices in areas of human activity such as industry, agriculture and marine and terrestrial resource management

(ACSSU176) Ecosystems consist of communities of interdependent organisms and abiotic components of the environment; matter and energy flow through these systems

(ACSHE158) Advances in scientific understanding often rely on developments in technology and technological advances are often linked to scientific discoveries

(ACSHE228) The values and needs of contemporary society can influence the focus of scientific research

More information

Resource type:
MovingImage
ScOT topics:
Desalination, Cuttlefish
File type:
text/html
Language/s:
en-AU
Author:
ABC - Catalyst
Publisher:
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Date created:
Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Resource ID: 4b2da9fe-ebdc-43c4-b46b-79ed1705f0b6