In about 1968, when I was teaching science at Sam Houston High School in Houston, Texas I was approached with an offer to teach a course in Oceanography/Marine Science. The main science department for H.I.S.D. had begun a new science branch and the curriculum was being developed which consisted of a study of the Oceans and a trip to Galveston to collect organisms. The collected organisms were to be brought back to the classroom where salt water aquariums would be set up. The correct PH, density and correct parameters for the organisms to survive had to be employed. This was all new things for me, so the entire course became a learning experience for me. In preparation for the field trip several things needed to be accomplished. The aquariums needed to be set up and my administration was all for obtaining all the needed materials. A new class had to be organized which I was to teach. I think I was chosen because I had taken a course in Oceanography at Texas A&M as part of my graduate degree, so there I was with a new course. There was an administrative head of the department that was to go on our first trip to Galveston with me and show me where and how to collect. We would need minnow seines, aerators to keep the organisms alive until we got them back to the aquariums, and many other things that I did not know I needed, but later found out. I think the H.I.S.D. administrator was Mr. McGee, but I cannot remember for sure. So the class was organized and aquariums set up in readiness for the collected organisms. A bus was ordered, a date set, and our trip to Galveston to collect organisms was ready. There were several locations where collection would occur, including mudflats, marsh, sandy beaches, jetties and groins. As the organisms were collected, depending on their size, they were put into a baggie with salt water and air pumped in using a battery operated air pump. A 5 gallon bucket with salt water was also used to keep the organisms living until we were able to get them into aquariums. Ocean water was also needed to be collected and brought back to the aquariums. After arriving home, the salt water collected had to be placed in the aquariums with the proper parameters. The organisms brought back sometimes had to be floated in a baggie to allow the organism time to adjust to the new environment. The first trip was a complete learning experience for both myself and the students. After a few trips I had developed a routine that worked to get back with salt water and most of the animals alive. We collected hermit crabs that did well in their new environment. Anemones collected at the jetties did equally well. Blue crabs would survive but no other organism could be placed with them. If they did, the crab would quickly would kill any fish or minnow.
In 1972 (I think it was 2nd semester) a student volunteered to take an 8 mm camera and film our field trip. Several years ago I found the film in some of my saved stuff and had it converted to digital. This trip was made by Sam Houston students, including my wife as a chaperone. We basically made the same stops that I later used at Spring High School, where I began the same type course with the aquariums and field trip. Below I have given links to YouTube video of the 1972 field trip. The first link starts with my wife, cautiously throw back silverside minnows so they would not die. https://youtu.be/0u4yAh5-m8w?t=564
https://www.blakehart.com/MarineOceanographyFieldTrips.html
The second link is the complete Field Trip to Galveston from Sam Houston High School. Taken originally with an 8mm camera and converted to digital, then placed on YouTube, The film is not perfect but does show some of the stops we made and shows the ’72 class working.
The following is the part of the video showing the ’72 group going back to Sam and some of the ’72 faculty leaving school for the day.
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