Through our exciting Population program, students will become marine mammologists and dolphin researchers and explore population biology. Students will discover how MMF scientists utilise Burrunan dolphin fin identification data to develop an understanding of the dolphin populations. Utilising dolphin fin data sets, students will match survey data collected with the MMF Burrunan dolphin catalogue to identify individual Burrunan dolphins, and their presence, absence and residency within the population. The students will then demonstrate their knowledge by exploring their results to share their understanding of the Burrunan dolphin population, and the biotic and abiotic factors which drive the Burrunan dolphin population structure.

This program provides assessment opportunities for students, with all assessment data provided to teachers upon completion of the practical activity.

*This program is suited for Level 5-6, Level 7-8, Level 9-10

*This program is suitable for delivery as :

Classroom incursion
Online webinar

Through participation in this program, students will:
Develop an understanding of population biology principles including population structure, dynamics, and factors influencing population changes.
Describe and demonstrate the methods used by marine mammologists to study dolphin populations, specifically focusing on fin identification techniques.
Work collaboratively to collect, record and interpret Burrunan dolphin population data using MMF dolphin fin identification data sets to identify individual Burrunan dolphins, and develop hypotheses for resident and transient population structures.
Develop critical thinking skills by interpreting data and making conclusions about the Burrunan dolphin population.
Communicate and present findings on the Burrunan dolphin population using scientific language, highlighting individual identification, population structure, and identify resident and transient individuals.

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MMF’s Populations program is a classroom incursion delivered as an interactive lecture-style presentation with hands-on practical activity. Following an approx. 30-minute introductory presentation, students will be tasked with completing a practical activity where they will be provided with a Burrunan dolphin sighting data set. Students will work collaboratively to complete the practical activity, and once completed a closing consolidation will allow students to share findings and demonstrate knowledge.

All incursion materials and resources will be provided by MMF. A practical assessment activity is included in this program, and can be completed during the incursion session, or as a follow-up activity.

This incursion can be delivered in a classroom or presentation. MMF requires an interactive SmartBoard or project/screen to deliver this incursion.

MMF can tailor program content to meet your curriculum learning needs, so please speak with an MMF Educator if you require specific content development.

For further information, please see the MMF Policies page.