The Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) is an intriguing and publicized environmental problem. This swirling soup of trash up to 10 meters deep and just below the water surface is composed mainly of non-degradable plastics. These plastic materials trap aquatic life and poison them by physical blockage or as carriers of toxic pollutants. The problem relates to materials science and the advent of plastics in modern life, an example of the unintended consequences of technology. Through exploring this complex issue, students gain insight into aspects of chemistry, oceanography, fluids, environmental science, life science and even international policy. As part of the GIS unit, the topic is a source of content for students to create interesting maps communicating something that they will likely begin to care about as they learn more.

The ocean absorbs almost half of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activities, changing its chemistry in ways that may have significant effects on marine ecosystems. Join Scripps marine chemist Andrew Dickson as he explains what we know --Đ and what we don't --Đ about this emerging problem. (56 minutes)

Join research oceanographer and photographer Dale Stokes for a global photographic journey featuring ships, submarines, underwater habitats, and both poles. This presentation includes a decade of images documenting exotic locations underwater and topside and a variety of unusual vessels and research instruments. (58 minutes)

Climate has enormous impacts on the marine life off California, influencing its major fisheries and the abundance of krill, seabirds and mammals. Join Tony Koslow as he shows how a 60-year ocean observation program, the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (or CalCOFI) is unraveling the impacts of the El Ni–o/La Ni–a cycle and human-induced climate. (52 minutes)

Join Philip Hastings, curator of the Marine Vertebrate Collection at Scripps and learn how research on fishes of the Gulf of California and Southern California is essential for guiding conservation efforts aimed at protecting marine fisheries and ecosystems. (56 minutes)

From mangroves to deep-sea reefs, join Brad Erisman and Octavio Aburto-Oropeza on a grand tour presenting the diversity of marine life in the Gulf of California. Learn how humans impact these fragile ecosystems and how marine reserves and habitat monitoring provide scientists with critical information needed to protect and restore these amazing ecosystems. (51 minutes)

Explore the kinds of sounds made by marine mammals and what we can learn about marine mammal populations from recording their sounds with Scripps Institution's John Hildebrand. (28 minutes)

How will researchers harness the genetic potential of marine organisms? Join Dr. Terry Gaasterland as she describes how scientists at the new Scripps Genome Center are pioneering research in marine genomes. (54 minutes)

Join Mark Hildebrand on a journey from the open waters of the world's oceans to sophisticated genetics labs and ultimately to the incredible world of nanotechnology and marvel at ground-breaking applications he and his colleagues are finding for diatoms, one of the smallest and most important marine organisms. (49 minutes)

WhyReef is a virtual reef where boys and girls from all over the world can dive into a virtual coral reef and discover the amazing marine life that dwells within. Become coral reef scientists and keep track of fish, coral, turtles, and other reef creatures!

Students write about the important aspects of a species of sea life, including physical characteristics, habitat, behaviors and interaction with humans and also provide a video that addresses that sea life along with a short summary. The video and its respective summary are then required to be uploaded to a discussion board so students can share what they learned about the species that they selected.

Just because you can̢ĺŰĺŞt see it doesn̢ĺŰĺŞt mean it isn̢ĺŰĺŞt there. Whether it sinks or floats, plastics in the sea spell trouble for all the animals in the ocean. By matching animal cards to plastic risks, students find out the many ways marine life can be affected by plastics in their aquatic home.