by Erin Loury, Ichthyology Lab

Unwrapping a jumbo-squid-sized mail delivery was but a dream for marine scientist hopefuls of yesteryear.  Now, thanks to our pals at Stanford’s Hopkins Marine Station, your students can have that experience in your own classroom!

The Squid-4-kids program, run by graduate students out of the Monterey-based Hopkins Marine Station, can provide your students a one-of-a-kind learning experience to poke, prod, and dissect a giant of the deep.  The squid and lesson plans come free, you just pay for shipping.  All Humboldt squid are collected in conjunction with ongoing research or by sport fishermen who donate their excess catch.

For more information, check out  the Squids-4-Kids website, or click to down load the Squids4Kids Application.

And while you’re at it, check out the awesome squid research these Hopkins students are doing!  This great podcast and photo slideshow on searching for squid with the Hopkins crew was put together by Cassandra Brooks, an MLML alum working for the National Park Service.  And Hopkins student Danna Staaf is not just a squid researcher but also a squid blogger extraordinaire.  Give her a visit and get your dose of Squid-A-Day!