Students will identify the relative depth of corals in the ocean by observing the behavior of cold and warm saltwater in an experiment. Students will gain a global understanding of coral reef life by reading for information and creating a model of a reef. For more information about the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, visit http://coralreef.noaa.gov/.

These life science lessons and activities are about food chains and ecosystems and include “Food Chain Hide and Seek,” “Connected Ecosystems” and “In Hot Water.” For more information and to download the lesson plans and activities, go to http://mcr.lternet.edu/education/.

Students learn the importance of monitoring endangered marine mammals like humpback whales and how monitoring can help marine conservation efforts.

For more information:
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education and
http://www.ngsednet.org/community/index.cfm?community_id=128.

The activity covers background, migration, and feeding behaviors of humpback whales. It also includes a simulation of bubble net feeding and a drawing exercise.

This lesson introduces high school students (grades 9-12) to the topic of sensory perception in the marine environment. The WebQuest introduces the role of acoustic cues in ocean ecology and challenges students to determine if acoustic warning devices are useful tools to prevent right whale fishing gear entanglements and ship strikes in the Gulf of Maine.

Students exercise their observation skills to do some of the actual work of marine biologists who study the endangered North Atlantic right whale. They identify an individual whale by examining photographs taken at sea. They then examine a record of sighting of the whale in order to track its movements.

The lesson begins with a broader introduction on new species discovered around seamounts, then narrows down through mollusks to focus on squids. Students research and write reports on squids covering their body forms, feeding behavior, movement, and interesting facts.