Some important background information must be supplied in order to understand and complete this activity. Teachers must also have some knowledge of marine biology and accompanying concepts which will better prepare them to field questions from their students that may deviate from this subject. One must be able to decipher which fish populations are in peril (category 1) and which ones are still relatively stable (category 2). For this activity you will be using 12 different types of fish to represent these two different categories.

Category 1 (Peanut M&MÕs): Over fished and threatened species of fish. Swordfish and Marlins (Blue): These large and impressive fish are widely hunted for sport fishing and have become over fished and depleted in the Atlantic ocean. Fishing for these fish produces high bycatch because they are caught on long lines that contain thousands of hooks or in long drift nets that consequently catch many other unwanted species of fish and marine life. Orange Roughy (Orange): Most Orange Roughy come from deep waters off New Zealand and Australia. Their populations have been greatly depleted and will require many years to recover because of their slow growth and maturity rate. Orange Roughies can take up to 20 years to reach spawning age and live to be more than 100 years old. Lobsters and Shrimp (Red): In and around the U.S. lobster and shrimp populations are over-fished. The main concern with shrimping is the large amount of bycatch. For every pound of shrimp caught, an average of seven pounds of other marine life is killed and shoveled overboard. The sea floor habitat is also severely disturbed by the trolling nets that are used to catch shrimp. Salmon (Brown): Healthy populations still exist in Alaska, but elsewhere they are in severe danger. Several salmon populations are listed as endangered, and many are extinct. Salmon farming is also detrimental to the environment because of large volumes of pollutants that it adds to the water. Scallops (Yellow): Atlantic Sea scallops are over-fished and depleted. Bay scallops are in danger because their environment is compromised by algal blooms. Dredging for scallops is very harmful and disrupts habitat on the ocean floor. Tunas (Green): Bluefin Tuna are severely over-fished and Albacore, Yellowfin and Bigeyes are declining in some regions. Bycatch is also a concern because marine mammals like dolphins and porpoises are also caught in the nets. This is because the tuna and dolphins tend to be found together and fishermen mistakenly set their nets on the dolphins.

Category 2 (Plain M&MÕs): Relatively stable fish populations. Some of these fish are not as popular or valuable as Category 1 fish. Striped Bass (Brown): Abundant. Half of all fish sold are now farm raised. Striped bass farms tend to be relatively benign where water pollution is controlled and population sizes are stable. Mackerels (Green): Most Mackerels are in the safe zone. King, Atlantic and Spanish Mackerels have been over-fished in the past, but good management has improved population sizes. Squid (Orange): Squids are abundant because of their ability to mature fast. They also live in a wide range of habitats and can function under variable conditions. Crabs (Red): There are very large and diverse groups in many regions. Some suffer from water pollution and Alaskan King crab has been over-fished.. Overall crabs are in good shape. Clams and Oysters (Yellow): Many clams and oysters are farm raised which help to regulate the population and maintain habitat because they are grown in racks.. Catching wild shellfish is a concern because the ocean floor is disrupted by nets and dredges. Dolphinfish (Blue): aka Mahimahi or Dorado. Widespread and abundant. The dolphinfish is fast growing and highly fecund.

Materials needed for this exercise are as follows:

• Paper and Colored Pencils to make Fish Cards.
• One 1lb. bag of Plain M&MÕs.
• One 1lb. bag of Peanut M&MÕs.
• Paper plates or bowls in which to place your populations of fish.
• Plastic spoons for each student.
• Audubon Guide to Seafood. (See or contact Dr. Katrina Mangin for a copy of this material) Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology BSW 310 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721 Phone: 520-626-5076 Fax: 520-621-7630
• Pictures obtained from the Encyclopedia of Fishes or Audubon Guide to Seafood of each fish species represented in this activity.
• A key that identifies which color and shape of M&M corresponds to each fish species.
• A data table which will be used to record and track the population sizes and other pertinent information for these 12 fish species.

Other activities may include having the students alter their eating habits for a week. Have them minimize or eliminate foods from their diet that they consider to be non-essential or luxury foods. This will show them that there are alternatives and adjustments they can make to thier diet that are just as satisfying as their previous diet. They can relate this to people cutting back in the amounts of threatened fish that they eat and look for sensable alternatives.

Alert students to the vast amount of conservation groups and other organization that are involved with habitat and species preservation. You may even want to have the class start it's own conservation group and have them set goals and ideas for preserving the school grounds.