Young Biologist | September 2026

Course curriculum

1. WELCOME
2. YB CERTIFICATE CATEGORIES
3. YOUNG BIOLOGIST CAMP
4. PRE-EVALUATION
5. YOUNG BIOLOGIST BEACH CLEANUP PROJECT
6. Downloadable Handbook
1. 1. GENERAL INFORMATION
2. 2. ACTIVITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL VOLUNTEERS
3. 3. VOLUNTEER TRAINING
4. 4. BENEFITS & INCENTIVES PROVIDED FOR ALL ACTIVE VOLUNTEERS
5. 5. STAFF RESPONSIBLE FOR VOLUNTEERS
6. 6. VOLUNTEER BILL OF RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
7. 7. ATTENDANCE POLICY
8. 8. DRESS AND APPEARANCE POLICY
9. 9. SEPARATION POLICY
10. 10. VOLUNTEERS’ ROOM
11. 11. VOLCOM
12. 12. CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION
13. 13. GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE
14. 14. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
1. South Africa’s coast is influenced by two major currents
2. Two Oceans of South Africa and its diversity
3. Differences between the three main coastal regions
4. A. Kwa-zulu Natal Province – East coast: Marine life is diverse and colourful
5. B. Agulhas province- South Coast: The intermediate region
6. C. Namaqua Province – West Coast: Vast numbers, but few species
7. How the South African climate and hence vegetation is affected by the ocean currents
1. Tides
2. Abiotic and biotic factors
3. Intertidal Zonation
4. Intertidal Zonation - where to find what on the rocky shore!
5. Rock Pools - survival of the fittest!
1. Why is classification important?
2. Creating order in a living world
3. Scientific Names
1. Key concepts:
2. Introduction
1. Uses of Green Algae
2. Green Algae
1. Examples of Brown Algae
2. Brown Algae: Kelp
3. Kelp Forest Structure and foodwebs
4. Uses of Brown Algae
1. Red Algae
2. Uses of Red Algae
3. Cooking and Eating seaweed
1. Key concepts
2. Meaning of biological terms
1. Phylum: Porifera
1. Key characteristics
2. Cnidaria classes
3. Sea Anemones
4. Coral
5. Coral bleaching
6. Jellyfish
7. Hydroids
8. Bluebottles
1. Flatworms
2. Flatworm moving
3. Flatworms - When We Thought The Ocean Couldnt Get Any Weirder... WTF-latworms
1. Peanut worms
2. Peanut worm under a microscope
1. Characteristics
2. Class Polychaeta
3. Free Living worms
4. Sedentary Worms
5. Polychaete Worms - astonishing ocean worms you never knew existed!
1. Characteristics
2. BRINE SHRIMP (Artemia salina)
3. Class: Picnogonida : Sea spiders
4. Subphylum: Crustacea
5. Class Cirripedia: Barnacles
6. Isopods and Amphipods
7. Hermit Crabs
8. Crabs
9. Rock Lobsters
1. Characteristics
2. Mollusca Classes
3. Class Polyplacophora : Chitons
4. Class Bivalva
5. Class Gastropod : Slugs and snails
6. Winkles
7. Limpets
8. Abalone, perlemoen and ear shells
9. Whelks
10. Cowries
11. Slugs and snails ( Nudibranchs =naked +gills)
12. Class Cephalopoda
13. Octopus
14. Cuttlefish
15. Paper Nautilus (Argonauta argo)
1. Characteristics
2. Echinoderm classes
3. Class: Asteroidea - Starfish or Seastars
4. Class: Ophiuroidea - Brittlestar
5. Class Echinoidea- Sea Urchin
6. Class: Holothuroidea - Sea cucumber
7. Class: Crinoidea - featherstars
1. Key Concepts
2. Introduction
3. What is a fish?
4. Jawless Fish
5. Cartilaginous fish
6. Bony Fish
1. Post-Evaluation Survey

About this course

Free
105 lessons
0 hours of video content

Instructor(s)

Senior Teacher Wandiswa Jonga

Head of Core Education Programmes Chanelle Thomas

Chanelle Thomas is an environmental educator with over 15 years of experience in nature conservation. She is passionate about sharing the wonders of nature with young people and creating opportunities for meaningful connections with the environment. Through engaging, hands-on learning experiences, she inspires curiosity, appreciation, and stewardship of the natural world.

Young Biologist | September 2026

Course curriculum

Introduction

MODULE 1: Volunteer Handbook

MODULE 2.1: The Two Oceans of Southern Africa

MODULE 2.2: The Rocky Shore Ecosytem

MODULE 2.3: Why is classification important?

MODULE 3: Seaweeds or Algae

3.1 Green Algae

3.2 Brown Algae

3.3 Red Algae

MODULE 4: Marine Invertebrate Phyla

4.1 Phylum Porifera

4.2 Phylum Cnidaria

4.3 Phylum Platyhelminthes

4.5 Phylum Sipunculida

4.6 Phylum Annelida

4.7 Phylum Arthropoda

4.9 Phylum Mollusca

4.10 Phylum Echinodermata

MODULE 5: Marine Vertebrates

Post Evaluation

About this course

Instructor(s)

Senior Teacher Wandiswa Jonga

Head of Core Education Programmes Chanelle Thomas

Teacher Kaamilah Damons

Instructor(s)

Teacher Kurt Van Der Rede

Teacher Koelsum Petersen