Bycatch is a sad reality for many sea turtles, dolphins, and sharks; it occurs when they get unintentionally caught in commercial fishing nets. The class plays a game using popcorn and crackers, each child will attempt to catch the...

The fifth installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program defines dead zones and how they form. Pupils then examine data from the Gulf of Mexico to determine dead zone formation.

It's time to hear about some adventures in travel! The Transcontinental Railroad changed life and travel in the United States during the 1800s. Practicing online research skills, pupils discover the features they would like to visit on...

Buoys around our coastlines are equipped with sensory devices which monitor temperature, salinity, and water pressure. Emerging earth scientists examine some of this data and relate salinity to the electrical conductivity of the surface...

Marine biology apprentices interpret data of sturgeon interaction with gill nets. They use the data to calculate the percentage of fish entangled in each twine size to discover if there is any correlation. This is a valuable exercise in...

A plethora of information about the blue crabs of Chesapeake Bay will amaze and delight your marine biologists. They learn, through direct instruction, about the characteristics and life cycle of this fascinating arthropod. A highlight...

Cnidaria is a broad phylum of 11,000 different species from jellyfish to coral. Most Cnidarians are marine species with a few freshwater examples. A lesson presentation explains the important characteristics of different species of...

Show the six-minute video, "Changing Planet: Fading Corals," and then demonstrate how calcium carbonate forms a precipitate in the presence of carbon dioxide. Separate your scientists into small groups to gather information about coral...

Inform your class about the adaptations in fish eyes: cones, lens size, endothermy, and speed of vision. The adaptations are related to diving behavior. Junior marine scientists compare the adaptations of four different fish species to...

Introduce your mini-marine biologists to using databases. Tables of how many Chilean Sea Bass were caught and number of hours spent fishing are examined. Using the data, individuals calculate the "Catch per Unit of Effort" for each year....

Explore the practice of oyster gardening. Because oysters play a vital role in marine ecosystems and their populations have declined, biologists are transplanting oyster seed to repopulate reefs. After learning about this practice,...

Ninth graders write a letter to the editor about the impact of people on marine life from the point of view of a fish.

In this marine life worksheet, students label the ocean animal and each part of its habitat. Students then draw one of the habitats including the animals and plants that live there.

In this intertidal zone worksheet, students study the various marine life creatures and list the characteristic that allows them to stay put in the intertidal zone. Students then draw or cut and paste the marine life and seaweed into...

Students explore the different zones of life in the ocean.

Learners explore limu diversity. In this ocean ecosystem lesson, students classify limu according to its physical properties. Learners work in small groups to generate scientific observations and sort limu by characteristics.

Students investigate the creatures of intertidal zones. They explore the adaptations species make to survive .

Young oceanographers take a look at sea level data from several cities over a few centuries. They use the data to fuel a discussion about what kind of changes are taking place and the impact they are having on the coastal ecosystems....

Students assess the ocean's microstructure by analyzing graphs created during tne Ronald H.Brown research cruise. they discuss at what depths various sea animals live and write paragraphs on data analysis from the graphs.

Students conduct an Internet investigation to discover the natural history of local salmon and/or steelhead. They then write a story that describes the life of a salmon or steelhead from the local creek, including a description of each...

In this science worksheet, students examine 16 detailed pictures of different species of marine invertebrates. Students identify each species. There is no room to write the name under the picture. It is assumed this is an oral activity,...

Students explore the concept of environmental stewardship. In this science lesson, students investigate the impact of oil spills as they discuss historical spills. Students use problem solving skills to brainstorm clean-up methods.

Students examine how food webs illustrate the ways in which organisms depend on each other for energy and nutrients, and make food webs showing the feeding relationships among organisms encountered in the Gal??pagos coastal waters.