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A journey two thousand and twenty-two leagues under the sea.

Thank you to all the parents/carers, students and Governors that attended our free interactive Christmas Science Lecture last night: Two Thousand & Twenty-Two Leagues Under the Sea.

As the name suggests, the lecture was a journey of discovery into the depths of our planet's oceans - where our guests learnt about the different zones and the many fascinating creatures and dwell within them.

Starting in the Epipelagic Zone, we learnt how the transference of energy occurs in their food chain, starting with a process called Photosynthesis; where algae turn sunlight into glucose, which in turn makes its way gradually through different species, before ending up in the ocean's largest predators.

Next, we took a dive into the Mesopelagic Zone (also known as the Twilight Zone) and explained how sea creatures have developed adaptations to deal with the extreme underwater pressure they face. One of these remarkable adaptations is the Dive Reflex, which we were able to explain with a live demo, and assistance from Mr Colins, our Deputy Headteacher. To demonstrate this, we dunked his face into ice water whist measuring his heart rate. While we didn't manage to achieve the data for the results, it was fun to see Mr Colins take the plunge, in the name of science. 

After a short break, our guests returned to a pitch-black Main Hall to venture into the Bathypelagic Zone; a layer of the ocean that is surrounded in darkness, and teaming with life. Here our student volunteers explained Bioluminescence (the production and emission of light by a living organism) with glow sticks, while being lured to the front of the stage by a strange light and familiar voice.

The second half of the show saw an in-depth look into the last two zones (the Abyssopelagic and Hadalpelagic) and the oldest and largest sea creatures on the planet that reside there. Colossal squids and Sperm Whales to name a few.

Our lecture drew to a close with an insight into the biggest threats our marine environment faces and how plastics (and microplastics) are destroying our oceans.

With lots of interactive experiments and audience participation, our Christmas Science Lecture was an absolute blast and a pleasure for our Science Department to organise and put on for our community.

Thank you again to everyone that attended. We hope you found it an entertaining and engaging journey under the sea.

We'll leave you with these quotes from David Attenborough:
"The ocean's power of regeneration is remarkable - if we just offer it the chance,"
"We are in reach of a whole new relationship with the ocean, a wiser, more sustainable relationship. The choice lies with us."​