Ocean Commotion

Exhibitor Information

Join us for Ocean Commotion on Friday, November 1, 2024 at LSU’s Pete Maravich Assembly Center. This will be a day to share knowledge about our coast and environment with Louisiana K-8 students. The event runs from 7 am –3 pm (including set-up and tear-down). Students will come in two waves: middle school in the morning, elementary in the afternoon. Parking, lunch, and a t-shirt are included.

Register your exhibit: Registration is closed.

We hope to see you this fall!

For exhibitor related questions about Ocean Commotion, contact Vanessa van Heerden at vanheerden1@lsu.edu .

2024 Exhibits and Exhibitors

What is your wingspan?
Louisiana Sea Grant
www.laseagrant.org
How do you measure up? Compare sizes of birds and their wingspans and measure your wingspan and find out which birds are similar to your size while learning unique facts about each species.

Discover Nature and #FindYourWild
USFWS/Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges Complex
www.fws.gov/refuge/big-branch-marsh/
Learn more about the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at the Southeast Louisiana National Wildlife Refuges Complex. Find out fun nature facts about native wildlife in Louisiana and earn prizes.

Insights into the Collections at the LSU Museum of Natural Science
LSU Museum of Natural Science
www.lsu.edu/mns/
Come see specimens of marine fishes from all over the world – from the deep sea to the shore! Students will learn about the scientific value of museum specimens.

Love Seafood? Love Sea Life!
Capital Soil & Water Conservation District
The Exhibit will include different types of sea life located around the Louisiana Coast. We will talk about their life cycle, how they are harvested, what we use them for, and the health of the ecosystem they live in.

Do Oysters Poop?
Louisiana Sea Grant Oyster Research Lab
www.laseagrant.org/outreach/aquaculture/oyster-research-lab/
Oysters are filter feeders and remove algae, nutrients, and suspended matter from sea water. But where does that filtered material go? Come see firsthand how oysters can poop!

The Coast Guard in Louisiana
United States Coast Guard MSU Baton Rouge
Come and see what the Coast Guard does in Louisiana on the river! Play with PPE and learn how the Coast Guard helps!

Oil Spills, Clean Up, and Natural Resources
Louisiana Oil Spill Coordiantor’s Office (LOSCO)
losco.org
What happens when oil spills in an environment? How do we clean it up? Test your clean up skills and keep the oil from spreading and escaping!

Saving our Seas: A Lesson on Marine Debris
LSU Campus Sustainability
lsu.edu/sustainability
Students will gain a greater understanding of ocean-based and land-based marine debris and the impacts on the aquatic ecosystem through hands on activities.

Native Neighbors
Baton Rouge Zoo
www.brzoo.org
Explore some biofacts and interact with live animals to learn about how all living things are connected and how you can protect the creatures in ecosystems.

Flood Fighter Challenge
LaHouse Research and Education Center
www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/family_home/home/lahouse
Your house needs to be protected from the oncoming flood. What kind of foundation will you put your house on? Will your house survive the flood? Students will learn how to answer these questions through hands-on play.

Power Up!
LaHouse Research and Education Center
www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/family_home/home/lahouse
Get ready to Power Up your knowledge on energy efficiency! You’ll discover how small changes can make a big impact on saving energy. Students will learn about energy, where energy comes from in nature, and how we can all do our part to become power up pros!

Weather & Water In Our World
National Weather Service
www.weather.gov
Learn about weather instruments, hurricanes, tornadoes, and flooding with local meteorologists and hydrologists!

Water Filtration
Engineering Bioiversity Ambassadors
Explore water purifying abilities of different soil mixtures through this interactive demonstration.

What can 80+ year old shipwrecks teach us about underwater landslides and marine environment?
Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences – Xu Lab
https://faculty.lsu.edu/kxu/index.php
Did you know that scientists can collect data from shipwrecks? Come learn from scientists that just visited two World War II-era shipwrecks. See what they found and what their data can mean for the future!

Digging Deep: Exploring Mississippi Mud and Geology
Mississippi River Delta Transition Initiative (MissDelta)
www.missdelta.org/
Students will learn about why the underwater portions of deltas are important for coastal conservation and will learn about how we can study delta erosion by taking samples, such as sediment cores.

Energy Carnival
Louisiana Office of Energy
Spin the wheel and test your energy/recycle knowledge to win a prize! Then play our carnival recycle game. Can you toss the items in the correct recycle bin? Win a prize if you are correct!

Losing Ground
4-H Youth Wetlands Program
www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/kids_teens/projects/ywp
Students will learn about the phenomenon of subsidence and its impact on coastal Louisiana through an engaging, hands-on demonstration led by youth presenters.

Water Pollution
Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
www.btnep.org
Interact with a model to learn about how rainfall runoff introduces pollution to waterways!

Roots to the Rescue
Dogwood Alliance
https://dogwoodalliance.org/
Join us for a fun, hands-on adventure where you’ll learn how trees are nature’s superheroes! We’ll explore how trees help stop flooding and protect our communities from water damage.

Planting the Future
St. Scholastica Academy’s Nature’s Minions
www.ssacad.org
Students will create a mini-composting bin and a “flowering necklace” made from a seed. Once the seed sprouts, the students can plant it in their mini compost bin and watch their plant grow!

One Fish, Two Fish, Plastic Fish
St. Scholastica Academy’s Nature’s Minions
www.ssacad.org
Students will practice catching (fake) fish in a sea of plastic pollution and learn about the effects of plastic pollution on marine life and ways to prevent it and to clean it up.

Whoo’s in YOUR Backyard?
Westdale Heights Academic Magnet School
westdaleheights.weebly.com
Students will learn about the adaptations of different Louisiana wildlife, biodiversity, and the job of a wildlife rehabilitator. Special guest: live animals!

Biomimicry: It’s Nature!
Eva Legard Center for Coastal and Environmental Studies
https://ebrschools.org/schools/evalegardcenter/
This exhibit will talk about Biomimicry and how we use nature to engineer real world solutions.

The Louisiana Freshwater Sponge Project
Baton Rouge Community College
www.mybrcc.edu
Students will view freshwater sponges through microscopes and learn about these environmental health indicators.

Green Mardi Gras
Eva Legard Center for Coastal and Environmental Studies
https://ebrschools.org/schools/evalegardcenter/
This exhibit will demonstrate the need for sustainable Mardi Gras throws to mitigate litter production during one of Louisiana’s largest cultural celebration.

Coastal Wetlands and Carbon Cycling
Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences – White Lab
https://faculty.lsu.edu/whitelab/
Students will learn about the importance of wetlands in storing carbon and interact with actual sediment coring equipment.

Adaptations and unique feeding habits of salt marsh periwinkle snails
LUMCON
https://lumcon.edu/
Explore the relationship between smooth cord grass and salt marsh periwinkle snails through feeding behaviors, specifically the cultivation of fungi.

Dolphin FINger Print
Audubon Aquarium Rescue
https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/audubon-aquarium-rescue
Come learn about how scientist use dolphin dorsal fins to identify individuals over time!

Growth of a River Delta
Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences – Hiatt Lab
https://matthewhiatt.wixsite.com/coastalhydrolsu
Have you ever wondered how rivers create land in along the coast? The very ground we stand on was built by a river delta thousands of years ago. This exhibit will explore how river deltas like the Mississippi River Delta are built and how they change over time.

Fun with Seawater
Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences – Wetland Biochemistry Analytical Services
www.lsu.edu/cce/research/labs/wbas.php
Will demonstrate the water salinity on density using potatoes and have a setup for measuring the salinity of freshwater, brackish water and seawater.

A Virtual Trip to Louisiana’s Threatened Wetlands
Department of Oceanography and Coastal Science – Xue’s Lab
https://faculty.lsu.edu/zxue/index.php
Using VR headsets, students will get an immersed expedition to Barataria Bay and Wax Lake Delta. They will learn why wetlands are important habitats.

Rocking Adventures with LASM
Louisiana Art & Science Museum
www.lasm.org/
Using geology-based, STEAM-focused hands-on activities and demonstrations, students will explore how the geologic past is connected to present day life and to a sustainable future.

Swamp in the Heart of the City
BREC’s Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center
brec.org/swamp
View and interact with touchable artifacts from the Swamp – skulls, furs, shells, feathers and more. Meet live animals – snakes, turtles, baby alligators – to touch and learn about.

Walnut Bayou
Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality
www.deq.louisiana.gov
Learn about how water can transport and deposit sediment in a dynamic water environment through an interactive model called Walnut Bayou. Students will also investigate how different environmental stressors influence these environments.

Fight The Mosquito Bite
EBRP Mosquito Control
www.brla.gov/418/Mosquito-Abatement-Rodent-Control
Learn about the ways we control mosquitos and how you can help.

Wetlands Jeopardy & Other Games
Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Act
www.lacoast.gov
Play a game to learn about wetlands ecosystems and the importance of protecting and restoring them. Coloring pages, activity books, and stickers are available to give away to students!

East Baton Rouge 4-H: Marine Debris
East Baton Rouge 4H Extension
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064683847388
4-H agents will share how marine debris affects the environment and the organisms in those environments. We will discuss what plastics are, where they can be found, how they are classified, and what makes them dangerous to our marine environment.

Waves of Innovation: Tech Meets the Ocean
Aquatic Germplasm and Genetic Resources Center, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
www.aggrc.com
Students will interact with a 3D printer and other technology to produce devices to safeguard genetics of aquatic animals, and for conservation of important species.

Turtle Temps
BayouSTEM
www.bayoustem.com
Ever wonder how increasing land and ocean temperatures are impacting turtles around the world? In this exhibit, you will become a scientist to examine turtle species using a slider bar along a thermometer diagram.

Underwater Volcanoes
BRSTEM Institute
www.batonrougestem.org
The demonstration provides a visual illustration of submarine volcanoes. Observers will learn how this phenomena occur near areas of tectonic plate formation.

Capital Area Water Sources
Capital Area STEM Network
capitalareastem.org
This exhibit will showcase different water sources in Baton Rouge such as river water, lake water, bayou water, and tap water. Match the water to its source and learn how our tap water is sourced in relation to the water cycle!

USS KIDD: Finding the Safe Path on the High Seas
USS KIDD Veterans Museum
www.usskidd.com
Explore life as a sailor and interact with the various tools that sailors use to determine the location of their ship anywhere on the globe. When modern GPS fails, a ship can still get where its going!

Something’s Fishy!
Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries
www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/for-teachers
Do you know how biologists determine the age of fish? Can you tell the difference between various species of freshwater and saltwater fish? Come test your knowledge with the Fisheries Outreach Team!

Water Cycle Bracelets
Coast & Environment Graduate Organization (CEGO)
www.facebook.com/cego.lsu/
Come learn the parts of the water cycle by making your own bracelet!

Delta and River Table
Department of Oceanography and Coastal Science – Mariotti’s Lab
www.lsu.edu/cce/academics/graduate/docs/index.php
Using a large delta table, students will see how rivers and deltas work, how water and sediment move, and how land is formed and destroyed. You might get wet and dirty, if you choose to.

Gyotaku
EnvironMentors Program
www.lsu.edu/cce/experience/environmentors.php
Create your own version of the traditional art Japanese fishermen used to record their catch. Just roll a rubber model of a fish with tempera paint and press it onto paper.

Plankton Drop
EnvironMentors Program
www.lsu.edu/cce/experience/environmentors.php
Learn about the vertical migrations of plankton and design your own species.

Touch Boxes
EnvironMentors Program
www.lsu.edu/cce/experience/environmentors.php
Explore and identify native and nonnative plant and animal species in Louisiana through this interactive activity.

Go with the Flow
Louisiana Sea Grant
www.laseagrant.org
Learn how commercial fishing gear works!

Sort the Shrimp
Louisiana Sea Grant
www.laseagrant.org
Children will have the opportunity to sort through shrimp catch like the commercial shrimpers

Steward’s Ship – Adaptation Exploration
Louisiana Children’s Museum
www.lcm.org
Come aboard the Steward’s Ship! This vessel is Louisiana Children’s Museum new mobile exhibit exploring the many ways that animals and humans have adapted to survive in Louisiana’s wetland environments.

Voyage of the Blue Crab
Louisiana Master Naturalist
www.louisianamasternaturalist.org/
Explore the different life cycle stages of the blue crab as it moves through the Louisiana marshes. See if you can help the crab complete its life cycle.

Animal’s Superpowers
Louisiana Sea Grant
www.laseagrant.org
Come learn about local wetland animals’ abilities to adapt to their environment in Louisiana.

Catch the Gator!
Louisiana Sea Grant
www.laseagrant.org
Learn how alligators in Louisiana are a conservation success story! Plus, there may be live alligators at this exhibit….

Products of the Sea
Louisiana State University
Ever wonder what everyday products come from the sea? Come see if you can find the ONLY ONE at our booth that doesn’t have anything from the ocean in it!

Sharks of Coastal Louisiana
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center – Plumlee Lab
https://fishecodynamicslab.wixsite.com/home
The exhibit will educate students on the morphology and ecology of sharks common to coastal Louisiana. We will have shark teeth, skin, jaws, and a frozen shark for students to touch.

Underwater Robotics with SeaPerch
Louisiana 4-H Program
www.lsuagcenter.com/topics/kids_teens
This exhibit will provide hands-on experience with the SeaPerch underwater remotely operated vehicle. We’ll also have examples of how underwater ROV’s are used in marine research, and career pathways for youth.

Out “in the elements!”
LSU Coastal Meteorology Lab
https://faculty.lsu.edu/paulmiller/comet_lab.php
Students will be exposed to fans producing a range of wind speeds and provided with anemomenters (i.e., wind speed measurement devices). They will estimate the speed of the air based on their senses and then measure it to see close they got!

LSU Coastal Roots
LSU College of Human Sciences & Education
www.lsu.edu/coastalroots/
Students will plant native tree seeds to help restore coastal forests.

Ready, Set, Design Challenge
Tulane Center for K-12 STEM Education
http://k12stem.tulane.edu
Your Challenge: Hurry! You have been hired by a family whose beach house is about to be destroyed by a hurricane. You will design a structure that will reduce beach erosion and protect the house from being destroyed by the impact of the waves.

U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter
U.S. Coast Guard
www.cscg.mil
Climb aboard one of the U.S. Coast Guard’s helicopters, see the equipment used on assignments, and learn about procedures for rescues at sea.

Safe and Clean Waters
U.S.C.G.AUX FLOTILLA 4 4
https://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=081-04-04
Students will learn about the pollution we create, how long it takes to breakdown, and water safety through an interactive game.

Design & Build Your Own Foil Boat
Society of Peer Mentors
www.spmlsu.org
In this activity, students will work together to come up with a design for an aluminum foil boat. Their boat will be tested by placing various objects inside to see how well it floats.