Sheffield youngsters splash down for ocean quest exploits

Pupils of Sharrow Primary hold the tentacles of a giant squid which has been made for an interactive lecture about sea life at the Octagon.

The special Ocean Quest lecture at the University of Sheffield took more than 1,000 children on a journey – starting on the shore, moving out to coral reefs and the open ocean before travelling to the midnight zone at the bottom of the sea.

On the reef, youngsters found out about how corals provide a home for huge numbers of fish and other sea creatures, including seahorses, which were on stage.

Pupils of St Marie's School look at jellyfish at an interactive lecture about sea life at the Octagon.

The budding scientists took a look at sharks to find out what makes them top predators and discovered how they can detect a teaspoon of blood in a space the size of the octagon.

Youngsters saw chemicals being mixed on stage to show how some animals can produce their own light at the bottom of the sea, with 200 glow sticks in the dark hall to illustrate it.

The lecture culminated in the appearance of a 14m-long life-size model of a colossal squid which moved round the audience as it glowed from the inside.