Marine Ecosystem Made From Candy

This is a marine ecosystem made out of candy. It shows the biotic and abiotic components that live underwater.

Supplies

For this activity, you will be needing the following supplies:

shoe box

blue water colour

paint brush

sand

grass

weed

leaves

toothpicks

tablespoon

tape

glue-optional

scissor

artificial plant-optional

gumdrops

gum sharks

swedish fish

watermelon gummy

gummy worms

goldfish

Step 1: Setting Up the Ecosystem

Firstly, you will be making and decorating the ecosystem.

The supplies required in this step are:

blue water colour

paint brush

artificial plants (optional)

sand

grass

Start off by painting the back and sides of the box with blue. I prefer using a dark blue because it gives a natural effect to the ocean and looks clean. The deep water is also darker because sunlight can't reach there. Next, you can use your artificial plants to decorate your ecosystem. It enhances the beauty of the deep marine ecosystem. Then glue some grass at the back of the shoe box. If you're having trouble with gluing the grass, then you can tape it. Just try not showing the tape too much. Lastly for this step, spread out some sand on a paper towel for the oceans floor. The paper towel will hold all the sand steady and prevent it from spreading.

Step 2: Making Bacteria

In this step you will be adding bacteria in the water.

The supplies required in this step are:

gold fish

tablespoon

scissors

Start off by using the tablespoon to crush a goldfish into small crumbs. It shouldn't take more than 2-3 goldfish for this. After crushing them, use the scissors to cut some tape or you can glue them if you'd like. Now glue/tape the small crumbs of goldfish to the blue background of the box. Make sure to spread the pieces around and have at least a 5 cm gap between each crumb at minimum. Don't add too much crumbs, just around 5-10 crumbs of goldfish.

Step 3: Setting Up Algae and Seaweed

In this step, you will be setting up algae and seaweeds.

For this step, you require:

leaves

a weed

tape

scissors

Use scissors to cut a strip of tape out, then tape some leaves near the bottom right or bottom left corner of your box for algae. Algae puts more greenery in the water and is also food to many marine animals. After you're done putting algae in your ecosystem, pluck a normal weed from outside (wash it if necessary). Tape your seaweed right next to your algae and make sure you don't use a big strip of tape so it barely shows.

Step 4: Surgeon Fish

In this step, you are putting an marine biotic animal. Surgeon fish.

For this step, you will require:

swedish fish

tape or toothpick

There are 2 ways you can do this step. You can either hang the swedish fish from the top of the box to make it look more 3 dimensional, or tape it at the back. So if your box is made out of cardboard, poke a toothpick in the very top of the swedish fish with the fish facing either left or right. Then poke the other side of the toothpick which should not have anything on it on the inner top of the box near some bacteria (goldfish crumbs) making it look like the surgeon fish wants to eat the bacteria. If you are having trouble with that, just tape the surgeon fish at the back with its mouth facing towards bacteria. A surgeon fish is a primary consumer.

Step 5: Clams

In this step, you are going to make clams/seashell

For this step, you will require:

gumdrop - a white one if possible

scissors

Start off by cutting your gumdrop in half with scissors leaving a single small joint still connected. It doesn't matter what way since the gumdrop is circular. Then simply place it near the algae you made with leaves, with its open mouth side facing towards the algae. A clam is a primary consumer.

Step 6: Starfish and Crabs

In this step, we are making a starfish and a crab.

For this step, you will require:

toothpicks

gumdrops

gummy worms

watermelon gummy

Start by taking a gummy drop, and poking 5 toothpicks around the gummy drop in a star shape. Try to have an equal amount of space between each toothpick to make it look even. Then, poke gummy worms on each toothpick around the gummy drop to make it a starfish. Place the starfish down behind the clam because the starfish would eat a clam in the marine ecosystem. For the crab, use a gummy drop as the crabs head and body connecting them both by cutting a toothpick very short with scissors (red gummy drops if possible). Then, cut a toothpick in half with scissors and connect them to his upper body facing the toothpicks upwards. Poke the green skin in a watermelon gummy to the upper side of the toothpicks with the edible side facing to the top. Place the crab behind the starfish facing towards it. Though crabs are secondary consumers and starfish are tertiary, crabs still eat starfish.

Step 7: Tuna

In this step, you will make a tuna.

For this step, you will require:

mnm's

swedish fish

toothpicks or tape

You can either tape the tuna at the back or poke a toothpick in the swedish fish and then in the inner top of the box for a 3 dimensional look. Take a swedish fish and poke a mnm into its eye to make it look more like a tuna. So poke a toothpick on the top of the swedish fish and poke the other side on the inner-top of the cardboard box. Make sure the tuna is behind the surgeon fish and make it look like it wants to feed on the surgeon fish or catch it as a prey. A tuna is a tertiary consumer.

Step 8: Sharks

In this step, you will make your shark feeding on its prey.

For this step, you will require:

gummy sharks

toothpick

Start out by poking a toothpick in one of the gummy shark's fins and poking the other side on the back of the shoe box. We are making it hang from the back instead of the inner-top because it won't reach to the crab. The shark will be preying on the crab because the crab is a secondary consumer and the shark is a tertiary consumer.

Step 9: Finished Marine Ecosystem

Now your marine ecosystem made with candy is finished and ready.