About 70% of our planet is covered by oceans and seas: large, full of life and mysterious.
They are a source of food, way of transportation, oxygen producer, and more.

But the sea is in danger: overfishing, plastic waste, acidification, species extinction.
We need to better understand the marine life and deal with it in a sustainable way, because our life is closely linked to the sea. If it is sick, we cannot stay healthy.

Production:
edeos - digital education
http://www.edeos.org/en

This Why Files informative page is part of a series that features the narrative of Bob, the bobtail squid. Bob describes the symbiotic relationship formed between his ancestors and the bioluminescent bacteria that offer him protection from predators. The next page in this series describes the relationship from the enslaved bacteria's perspective and features scientist Margaret McFall-Ngai. Links are provided to glossary terms and a bibliography.

Summary: Cavitation is the transition of a fluid into vapour due to local reduction of pressure which is generated by high local flow velocities. The transition of a fluid into vapour also occurs during cooking of water by an increase of the local temperature. The term cavitation is generally reserved for conditions in which the temperature of the bulk fluid is not changed. Although cavitation can occur in many situations this course focuses on ship hydrodynamics and ship propellers. The course is divided into five main groups: physics, types and effects of cavitation as well as calculations and test facilities and techniques. Some of these topics are illustrated with the use of videos. (Study goals:) 1. Reproduce the main lines in a selection of the latest developments in the field of propulsion and resistance hydrodynamics, where the current selection of propulsion and resistance topics includes unsteady hydrodynamics of the flow over a foil, cavitation forms, problems and tools for analysis and design, propulsion systems in a service environment and ship drag reduction by air lubrication. 2. Analyse a hydrodynamic problem in the propulsion and resistance area, into well defined sub problems that can be analysed with state of the art knowledge and tools 3. Select the appropriate theory or tool (either numerical or experimental) for an analysis of the identified problem. 4. Reproduce and present to an audience, the main lines in a contemporary publication from the field of Propulsion and Resistance hydrodynamics. 5. Understand, interpret and react to questions from the audience and the lecturer and in doing so, stimulate the scientific debate.

This lesson plan is written around a brief role-play in which students learn about and act out plants and animals in a salt marsh habitat as the tides change.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

This is a field and computer laboratory exercise that introduces undergraduate students, advanced high school students, and members of the general public to using Google Earth, GPS, aerial imagery, and an online illustrated vegetation and tidal marsh environment identification guide to distinguish and map vegetational and physical environmental zones within a salt marsh. They also learn about the physical and ecological relationships between these environments.

Students use GPS devices to collect field data as waypoints and tracks, and upload the data to computers in GPX format. They learn to open the data in Google Earth along with infrared and color aerial imagery, and use the GPS data to interpret the aerial imagery. Using Google Earth tools, they draw polygons to demarcate the boundaries of environmental zones in the wetlands that they recognize on the imagery.

The students and instructors also take photographs of the students in each of these environmental zones and embed the photographs into information balloons of placemarks in Google Earth.

The exercise was originally designed for use at Flax Pond, a salt marsh on the North Shore of Long Island. However, it can easily be adapted for use in other tidal marshes, and can serve as a template for developing similar activities to be conducted at other locations in which aerial imagery can be used to distinguish various forms of land cover.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

In this activity students work in groups to investigate the problem of Gulf of Mexico hypoxia before developing mitigation strategies based on local contriubtions to the problem. The students present their ideas in a public meeting debate format from which a solution must be selected by the entire class.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

This course is an introduction to the fundamental aspects of science and engineering necessary for exploring, observing, and utilizing the oceans. Hands-on projects focus on instrumentation in the marine environment and the design of ocean observatories for ocean monitoring and exploration. Topics include acoustics, sound speed and refraction, sounds generated by ships and marine animals, sonar systems and their principles of operation, hydrostatic behavior of floating and submerged bodies geared towards ocean vehicle design, stability of ocean vessels, and the application of instrumentation and electronics in the marine environment. Students work with sensor systems and deploy them in the field to gather and analyze real world data.

Corals, like other living animals, require a particular range of environmental conditions to survive. In this lab, students examine sea surface temperature, depth, salinity, and aragonite saturation data to discover coral reefs' favored environments.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

The marine environment is unique and because little light penetrates under water, technologies that use sound are required to gather information. The seafloor is characterized using underwater sound and acoustical systems. Current technological innovations enable scientists to further understand and apply information about animal locations and habitat. Remote sensing and exploration with underwater vehicles enables researchers to map and understand the sea floor. Similar technologies also aid in animal tracking, a method used within science and commercial industries. Through inquiry-based learning techniques, students learn the importance of habitat mapping and animal tracking.

This class is designed to provide the student with a global to molecular-level perspective of organic matter cycling in the oceans and marine sediments. Topics include: Organic matter (C,N,P) composition, reactivity and budgets within, and fluxes through, major ocean reservoirs; microbial recycling pathways for organic matter; models of organic matter degradation and preservation; role of anoxia in organic matter burial; relationships between dissolved and particulate (sinking and suspended) organic matter; methods for characterization of sedimentary organic matter; and application of biological markers as tools in oceanography. Both structural and isotopic aspects are covered.

Using this resource, create a standalone learning module, lesson, assignment, assessment or activity.

This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Octocorals are found worldwide and are a significant part of the biodiversity in temperate marine biomes. Like most animals, corals have complex interactions with microbes, which likely have critical impacts on their health. However, very little is known about the structure and function of the octocoral microbiome or the interactions with their host. A new study examined the microbiome diversity and secondary metabolism of different octocoral species and healthy versus unhealthy tissue. Healthy octocorals have a microbiome that is distinct from the surrounding environment, host genus-specific, and defined by so-far uncultured groups of bacteria. In contrast, the microbiome of necrotic coral tissue shows large shifts in its community structure compared to healthy tissue and is colonized by seawater bacteria. Functional analysis showed that healthy corals were enriched in microbial genes associated with antiviral defense, host-symbiont recognition, micronutrient acquisition and heat-stress response..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

Students are asked to present a speech at the opening of the River and Ocean Film Festival, explaining why marine debris is such a problem for wildlife. Use information from the video, the fact sheet, the infographic, and the data collected on the shoreline to outline a speech. The audience is visitors to the Washington Coast. Includes Teacher directions and scoring notes.

Join Scripps marine ecologist Edward Parnell as he describes the science behind Marine Protected Areas, how they are established and preliminary results from the first such areas around CaliforniaŐs Channel Islands. (58 minutes)

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)

The largest of the 30 National Sea Grant programs, California Sea Grant draws on the talents of scientists and engineers at public and private universities throughout the state. Join Dr. Russ Moll as he describes how the program contributes to the growing body of knowledge about coastal and marine resources and helps solve contemporary marine-related problems. (26 minutes)

Join Scripps director Charles Kennel, a member of the Pew Oceans Commission, as he discusses the crisis in marine ecosystems and the scientific and governance challenges inherent in responding to the crisis. (53 minutes)

One of the greatest challenges facing society today is protecting and restoring biodiversity in the oceans. Join Dr. Nancy Knowlton, director of ScrippsŐs Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation as she describes how CMBC research activities are helping us rise to this challenge. (59 minutes)

Join Paul Dayton, co-author of the recent Pew Oceans Commission report on Ecological Effects of Fishing, for an eye opening view of the profound consequences fishing can have on marine ecosystems and the types of protection and restoration needed to improve these critically stressed environments. (48 minutes)

Travel with Scripps marine biologist, Dr. Jeffrey Graham, to swamps, jungles, and isolated islands where he probes the world of air breathing fishes and asks the question, why breathe air? (53 minutes)