A Visit to Tauranga's Marine Research Centre

I was very happy to visit the Marine and Coastal Research Centre at Sulphur Point. Here scientists study the critters and plants that live in our ocean and harbour. They also study the impact the Rena wreck has on these environments.

The sea horses were all caught in the Tauranga harbour and many of them are pregnant. And guess what? The daddies are pregnant! Weird! But they have the round tummies.

And the sea anemones are so beautiful. Can you see how it looks as if they blow up their tentacles? These are bubble-tip anemones and they are actually animals that look like plants! And can you believe that they are related to jellyfish? 

What do they eat?  They wait for small fish and other prey to swim close enough to get caught in their stinging tentacles. They paralyse the fish and then sweep it to their mouths.

Sea anemones don’t always stay in one place, though. They can slide slowly along the ocean floor or swim by moving their tentacles.