Our Environmental & Sustainability class have been connecting with others and putting learning into action in the real world of work.

The Senior Environmental & Sustainability (ESU) class made hydrophones last week as part of a the New Zealand Underwater Soundscapes Project. 

It is a common misconception that the underwater world is silent - in fact many marine organisms use sound for communication, reproduction and when hunting their prey. So, just like a microphone collects soundwaves in the air, a hydrophone detects acoustic signals under the water.

Students in our Environmental & Sustainability class have been researching underwater noise pollution and the effects it has on organisms and their ability to communicate. 

Delyth, one of our ESU students, commented "It was cool to see how well the hydrophones picked up the noises like the blender in the water and the tapping of the glass. It shocking to see that boat noises can mask the sounds of whales which is why they get hit." 

The workshop and research undertaken by students was supported their teacher, Melynda Bentley, alongside Dr Tim Haggit, Leigh, Angela and Jimmy from the Leigh Discovery Centre. Dr Haggit has been involved in this work for the last few years through funding provided by the Curious Minds Project. You can find out more about Dr Haggit and his team's work here.

This was a great opportunity for our students to connect with researchers and local industry in the community and experience real world learning. Because of this type of teaching, we have a number of students who progress on to work or further study in Sustainability after they leave MGC.