High School Jellyfish Aquarium
Donation protected
I, Karu Jayathilake, am the father of Anissa, a junior high school student in both the Metro Nashville Public School system and the School for Science and Math at Vanderbilt (SSMV). The SSMV is a science and engineering program that offers motivated Nashville students the opportunity to learn from scientists and engineers at Vanderbilt University throughout their high school career (grades 9 to 12).
When Jordan Grigor, a marine biologist, joined the teaching team at the SSMV in 2016, he wanted to bring the oceans to Nashville, so students could better study the threats currently faced by marine ecosystems which cover 70% of the planet, and help spread awareness to the communities surrounding Nashville.
2020 graduating class at SSMV who are studying marine ecosystems
Following the success of an earlier fundraising campaign, the SSMV purchased a 90 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump, and students stocked it with corals, fish, crustaceans, worms, mollusks and algae. The students went on to learn about each living and non-living component of the system and the project has been wildly successful, gaining the attention of scientists in the coral reef documentary “Chasing Coral”, the local news, and the Tennessee Aquarium. But there was one missing animal that everyone wanted to learn about…
Jellyfish!!!
Not only are jellyfish dreamy, mysterious creatures drifting throughout the oceans, they are also vitally important as food for a bunch of animals including turtles, and other animals hitchhike to where they want to go on the backs of jellyfish.
Students building system to hatch brine shrimp as food for jellyfish
A very interesting jellyfish that can be kept in a single-species aquarium is the “upside-down jellyfish” (Cassiopea sp.). This amazing animal is not only one creature, but two!
Upside-down jellyfish
It contains algae that produce materials to help it grow, but when the algae are heat-stressed, the jellyfish expels the algae and both creatures suffer. This makes upside-down jellyfish highly relevant to learn about with regard to global warming.
Video of our jellyfish filmed by NewsChannel 5 Nashville.
We were gifted a new jellyfish tank that has been recently installed at the Wyatt Center at Vanderbilt University, creating an interesting and educational exhibit for the public.
Students painting the jellyfish stand
We hope to provide opportunities for the SSMV students to raise these jellyfish, use cameras to study their behavior, and microscopes to study their anatomy. No jellyfish will be harmed in this project.
The Tennessee Aquarium has kindly contributed the animals themselves and provided their valuable expertise. However, continuing to build and maintain these ecosystems must depend entirely on donations. This is where our request to you is so important.
Local news crew filming the introduction of the jellyfish to the aquarium, also with an employee from the Tennessee Aquarium
Our Goal: $3000 – This project needs funds to purchase salt, replacement cartridges for its water purification system, chemicals to maintain suitable conditions, and testing kits for continuous monitoring. Even more importantly, the students will need to build a system to properly feed the jellyfish by establishing a brine shrimp hatchery. Funding would also help this project to bring classroom research to other schools in the greater community in the Nashville area through education sessions. The goal is to establish a robust ecosystem that students will participate in studying and maintaining, through the end of 2020.
This project will contribute greatly to the students’ understanding of marine ecosystems, and hopes to inspire others about the wonderful world of jellyfish. No amount is too small to support our project. Please share our story to help us realize our goal!
Thank you in advance, Karu Jayathilake
SSMV website
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/upside-down-jellyfish-take-up-residence-at-vanderbilt-universitys-ssmv-aquarium
https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2018/08/17/upside-down-jellyfish-teach-land-locked-teens-about-ocean-conservation/
Project Facebook page
Project Twitter page
Student-run Aquarium Blog
When Jordan Grigor, a marine biologist, joined the teaching team at the SSMV in 2016, he wanted to bring the oceans to Nashville, so students could better study the threats currently faced by marine ecosystems which cover 70% of the planet, and help spread awareness to the communities surrounding Nashville.
2020 graduating class at SSMV who are studying marine ecosystems
Following the success of an earlier fundraising campaign, the SSMV purchased a 90 gallon tank with a 30 gallon sump, and students stocked it with corals, fish, crustaceans, worms, mollusks and algae. The students went on to learn about each living and non-living component of the system and the project has been wildly successful, gaining the attention of scientists in the coral reef documentary “Chasing Coral”, the local news, and the Tennessee Aquarium. But there was one missing animal that everyone wanted to learn about…
Jellyfish!!!
Not only are jellyfish dreamy, mysterious creatures drifting throughout the oceans, they are also vitally important as food for a bunch of animals including turtles, and other animals hitchhike to where they want to go on the backs of jellyfish.
Students building system to hatch brine shrimp as food for jellyfish
A very interesting jellyfish that can be kept in a single-species aquarium is the “upside-down jellyfish” (Cassiopea sp.). This amazing animal is not only one creature, but two!
Upside-down jellyfish
It contains algae that produce materials to help it grow, but when the algae are heat-stressed, the jellyfish expels the algae and both creatures suffer. This makes upside-down jellyfish highly relevant to learn about with regard to global warming.
Video of our jellyfish filmed by NewsChannel 5 Nashville.
We were gifted a new jellyfish tank that has been recently installed at the Wyatt Center at Vanderbilt University, creating an interesting and educational exhibit for the public.
Students painting the jellyfish stand
We hope to provide opportunities for the SSMV students to raise these jellyfish, use cameras to study their behavior, and microscopes to study their anatomy. No jellyfish will be harmed in this project.
The Tennessee Aquarium has kindly contributed the animals themselves and provided their valuable expertise. However, continuing to build and maintain these ecosystems must depend entirely on donations. This is where our request to you is so important.
Local news crew filming the introduction of the jellyfish to the aquarium, also with an employee from the Tennessee Aquarium
Our Goal: $3000 – This project needs funds to purchase salt, replacement cartridges for its water purification system, chemicals to maintain suitable conditions, and testing kits for continuous monitoring. Even more importantly, the students will need to build a system to properly feed the jellyfish by establishing a brine shrimp hatchery. Funding would also help this project to bring classroom research to other schools in the greater community in the Nashville area through education sessions. The goal is to establish a robust ecosystem that students will participate in studying and maintaining, through the end of 2020.
This project will contribute greatly to the students’ understanding of marine ecosystems, and hopes to inspire others about the wonderful world of jellyfish. No amount is too small to support our project. Please share our story to help us realize our goal!
Thank you in advance, Karu Jayathilake
SSMV website
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/upside-down-jellyfish-take-up-residence-at-vanderbilt-universitys-ssmv-aquarium
https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2018/08/17/upside-down-jellyfish-teach-land-locked-teens-about-ocean-conservation/
Project Facebook page
Project Twitter page
Student-run Aquarium Blog
Organizer
Karu Jayathilake
Organizer
Nashville, TN