Plankton Detectives: Young Explorers Dive into Ocean Life at Fête de la Science

In Paris, Sakina-Dorothée Ayata (Sorbonne University) and Laetitia Drago (CNRS), led an engaging activity for two classes of young children, aged 6 to 8. The interactive session focused on planktonic organisms, with the children taking on the role of plankton detectives.

Through a series of fun activities, including crossword puzzles, building a planktonic food web, and connecting syllables of sampling tools, the children gathered clues to identify their assigned plankton species. To make the experience even more immersive, live Artemia salina (brine shrimp) were hatched in small aquariums, giving the pupils the chance to observe real-life plankton in action. It was a memorable hands-on introduction to the hidden world of ocean life!