This website offers a brief overview of Red Tide and the toxic algae responsible for it. Several words and phrases within the summary are hyperlinked to more detailed explanations on remote sites. A data activity in which students in grades 9-12 can analyze graphs with real data from 1997-2000 is included at the bottom of the site. This activity conforms to national science correlation standards for grades 9-12 (as indicated on the website).
This NOAA computer-based activity is designed to teach students in grades 9-12 how satellite imagery and remote sensing can be used to monitor harmful algal blooms (HABs). This lesson teaches students how to read and interpret satellite images and how to use GIS maps and satellite images to interpret the relationship of HABs and manatee deaths. The activity features a lesson plan and a step-by-step activity containing hyperlinks that connect the student to the relevant images and maps.
This image-rich website from the Australian Antarctic Division's Biology program describes its research in marine microbial ecology. It includes an introduction of microbial ecology and microbial processes, followed by information about the research project. Field sampling, microscopy, flow cytometry, pigment analysis, flourometry, HPLC, culturing, feeding experiments, and the research staff are each discussed using vivid imagery. Links are provided to related websites.
This site uses satellite imagery and text to show how wind-driven upwelling in ocean waters off the coasts of Peru and Northwest Africa provides nutrients that support some of the world's richest fisheries.
Believe it or not, your life depends on algae! Join Scripps' Institution's Russell Chapman as he discusses the important roles algae have played in the development of life as we know it. (55 minutes)
Peter Franks shares the astonishing findings from cutting-edge equipment he and colleagues have developed to chart the distribution of Phytoplankton, the tiny single-celled plants of the sea that are the base of the marine food chain. (55 minutes)
Brian Palenik describes how he and other marine scientists are exploring genomes to understand how Phytoplankton, the "plants" of the sea, have adapted to life in the oceans. (28 minutes)
SeaWiFS documented the rapid demise of El Nino in the waters around the Galapagos Islands. The images show a explosion in plankton growth as the warm El Nino waters blamed for choking off essential ocean nutrients are replaced by deep cold up-welled waters. The false color images, which document plankton concentrations a period from May 9 to May 24 1998, show that life in the region to the west archipelago has returned in remarkable abundance. High concentrations are shown red. Areas occluded by clouds are shown in white.
SeaWiFS documented the rapid demise of El Nino in the waters around the Galapagos Islands. The images show a explosion in plankton growth as the warm El Nino waters blamed for choking off essential ocean nutrients are replaced by deep cold up-welled waters. The false color images, which document plankton concentrations a period from May 9, 1998 to May 31, 1998, show that life in the region to the west archipelago has returned in remarkable abundance. High concentrations are shown red and low concentrations in blue. Areas occluded by clouds are shown in white. A relief image of the Galapagos islands has been superimposed on the images to clarify the location of the islands.
By monitoring the color of reflected light via satellite, scientists can determine how successfully plant life is photosynthesizing. A measurement of photosynthesis is essentially a measurement of successful growth, and growth means successful use of ambient carbon. Until now, scientists have only had a continuous record of photosynthesis on land. But following three years of continual data collected by the SeaWiFS instrument, NASA has gathered the first record of photosynthetic productivity in the oceans. By taking three years of continuous data as a whole, experts have been able to map trends and anomalies in the global circulation of carbon to a degree of detail than has never been done before. It is a baseline measurement to by which all future measurements will be compared.
Marine biologist Tierney Thys teamed with Christian Sardet (CNRS/Tara Oceans), No Sardet and Sharif Mirshak to use footage from the Plankton Chronicles project to ignite wonder and curiosity about the hidden world of Plankton that underpins our own food chain. A quiz, thought provoking question, and links for further study are provided to create a lesson around the 6-minute video. Educators may use the platform to easily "Flip" or create their own lesson for use with their students of any age or level.
These activities, in conjunction with Bigelow Laboratory's “Toxic and Harmful Algal Bloom" web site, will help your students gain a better understanding of toxic and harmful algal blooms. Each module below consists of background content material and related standards-based activities. Each module is independent of the others; however, some background knowledge is required to complete the lessons.
Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) on board the Orbview 2 satellite captured the phytoplankton bloom October 6, 2002 . Red represents high concentration of chlorophyll, follow by orange, yellow and green. Land and cloud portions of the image are presented in natural color. SeaWiFS monitors ocean plant life by measuring the amount of chlorophyll in the ocean. Large phytoplankton blooms tend to coincide with natural phenomena that drive that nutrient-rich water to the surface. The process is called upwelling. Winds coming off principal land masses push surface layers of water away from the shore. Into the resulting wind-driven void deeper water underneath the surface layers rushes in toward the coast, bringing with it nutrients for life to bloom. This upwelling fuel the growth of marine phytoplankton which, along with larger seaweeds, nourishes the incredible diversity of creatures found along the northern and central California coast.
This fun Web article is part of OLogy, where kids can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. Here, they learn about marine biology. It All Started in the Ocean looks at how the world's five great oceans are linked and how scientists know that life probably started in the oceans. Mysteries of the Deep explains that scientists know less about the ocean than they do about the dark side of the Moon. There Are So Many Ways to Live in the Sea debunks the perception that the ocean is one big ecosystem. Underwater Wonders has links to trading cards that showcase some of the "biggest, smallest, fastest, weirdest, coolest, spookiest stuff" on the planet. Ocean Layer Cake profiles the sunlit, twilight, and dark zones. Life on the Edge looks at continental shelves, where 80 percent of all sea life lives. Just How Do You Live in the Water? highlights some of the special adaptations sea organisms need. The Oceans and Us looks at human dependence on the ocean and the risks we pose to it.
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