The kids and I have had some fun over the past week playing with our little Bioluminescent Sea Sparkle, which in short, is the micro-organism that serves as a tiny little night-light in the ocean. Both boys love the stuffed toy, but our almost-six year old really loved hearing about the facts, which spurred some fun ocean-themed conversations and some reminiscing about our last trip to the Seattle Aquarium.
The label the the Sea Sparkle came with is invaluable. It gives the common name, the scientific name (in this case: Noctiluca scintillans), a real image of the cell and shows the size of the cell (in this case, a little smaller than a pin-head). When you open the card, it explains the facts of the little guy.
The inside label reads: FACTS: When you go to the beach or bay at night and see tiny sparkles of light coming from the water, it isn't your imagination. It's Noctiluca! From the Latin for "night light," Noctiluca are also known as Sea Sparkle.
These tiny dinoflagellates float beneath the surface of the ocean by the millions. When they are disturbed, they glow and produce bright flashes of light. This glow is called "bioluminescence," and in the ocean it is usually greenish or blue, as these colors travel well through the water.
[That is just a snippet from the first two paragraphs taken from the Sea Sparkle tag]
Our Sea Sparkle comes from the Aquatics line, which is made up of eleven different microbes. Sea Sparkle can be bought as the original plush toy that we have, or a Petri Dish that contains three small Sea Sparkles.
As a parent, I love that this is a fun and educational toy that spurred questions and conversations surrounding Ocean Life. I can also see these little stuffed toys being great tools for teachers, doctors and educational presenters (zoo presentations, aquarium presentations, etc). These are a great way to take the mystery out of the common cold, little tiny creatures, and some of the other little things we just can't see.
In addition to these great educational toys, GIANT Microbes also has a line of ties, mugs and ornaments.
by GIANT Microbes
$8.95
Edition Reviewed: Sea Sparkle stuffed toy - Review sample received courtesy of GIANT Microbes in coordination with a review campaign through Karma Media Team!
