Underwater world revealed to children

Sihrene Hunt from Moerewa School looks at a camouflaged scorpion fish on the wall inside Blue Mao Mao Arch, with Matthew Rakena from Kerikeri Primary School looking on at the Poor Knights for the recent Experiencing Marine Reserves annual competition trip. Photo / Darryl Torckler

A bunch of school children from around the country have got to see first hand the abundance of life under the sea at the Poor Knights Marine Reserve.

The youngsters, many accompanied by parents, took part in the Experiencing Marine Reserves (EMR) annual competition trip to the Poor Knights.

The competition is open to schools participating in the EMR programme and students are judged on their ACTION projects at the end of the programme.

This was the second year EMR had more than 30 student from the eight regions it runs its programmes - Northland, Auckland, Taranaki, Coromandel, Gisborne, Wellington, Tasman, and Otago - come to Whangarei for the event. Previously only Northland/Auckland winners had been able to attend, however funding from the Bobby Stafford Bush Foundation has allowed students and caregivers from as far away as Otago to attend the past two.

- www.facebook.com/emr.mtsct/?fref=ts or www.emr.org.nz