Educational resources on our worlds ocean.
National Geographic
Education
National Geographic Education Programs has created thousands of free educational resources aligned with National Standards, for use by teachers, informal educators, families, students, and kids. As part of the National Geographic Society’s Ocean Initiative, which aims to restore health and productivity to the ocean, NGEP has developed more than 450 ocean and geography themed assets in support of ocean education. These materials are meant to inspire people to care and act, reduce the impact of fishing, and promote the creation of marine protected areas. Explore natgeoed.org/ocean for high-quality activities, videos, photos, maps, encyclopedic entries, and articles to enhance knowledge and inspire a sense of ownership of the ocean.
Wiley/TED Education
Teachers and students can use TED Studies: Marine Biology to enhance existing curricula in undergraduate education courses. Educators and students will find activities and multimedia resources which link the study of Marine Biology to the real world, plus expanded academic content such as key terms, related journal articles and major debates in this highly topical area. For an abridged, interactive version of this content, subscribe to the TED Studies: Marine Biologycourse via the iTunesU course app for iPad by clicking here .
Oxford University, Somerville College
Prof. Alex Rogers
Alex Rogers is a Professor of Conservation Biology at the Department of Zoology and a Fellow of Oxford University, Somerville College. He obtained his first degree in Marine Biology at the University of Liverpool and a Ph.D. in the genetics and taxonomy of marine invertebrates also at Liverpool. In his early career Alex held Research Fellowships at the Marine Biological Association, Plymouth and at the University of Southampton’s National Oceanography Centre. Since then he has lead the Core Programme on Biodiversity at British Antarctic Survey and then moved to the Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, where he became a reader in marine ecology.
One More Generation - OMG
One More Generation is a nonprofit organization founded by two elementary students who are dedicated to the preservation of endangered species and our environment. Their goal is to ensure all endangered species survive at least One More Generation… and beyond.
After starting OMG, Olivia (now 10) and her brother Carter (now 11.5) got involved in the animal rescue efforts during the BP Gulf Oil Spill. While they were in the Gulf they learned firsthand how plastic pollution affected animals in our oceans more than the oil from the oil spill. The two then launched their Plastic Awareness Coalition and then created various environmental-education programs.
The curriculum we're sharing with our TMP citizen is called "Effects of Plastic Pollution" which Olivia and Carter created in an effort to teach kids about the problem of plastics in our ocean. This curriculum is an area not currently being covered in traditional classrooms.
Encyclopedia of Life - EOL
The Encyclopedia of Life has gathered information from all over the world to create the largest repository of species known to science. Their mission is to increase awareness and understanding of living nature through an Encyclopedia of Life that gathers, generates, and shares knowledge in an open, freely accessible and trusted digital resource.
World Oceans Day
World Oceans Day, held every June 8th, is the UN-recognized global day of ocean celebration. Every year people around the world come together to show their appreciation for the ocean – and take action to protect it. They invite the international community to join in by organizing an event , attending an event , or making a promise for the ocean. You can also download their activity kit including Dr. Seuss themed resources, activities from zoo and aquarium educators, and educational materials from ARKive.
Life on Earth would not be possible without the ocean. When viewed from space, our planet is a world covered with water. All living things are intimately tied to this water in so many ways. Yet, despite its importance, a 2003 report by the Pew Oceans Commission determined that the United States' general public knows very little about the ocean.
But why is this important? To understand how the ocean impacts our lives daily, we need to understand how it influences weather and climate, that its inhabitants produce much of the oxygen we breathe, that the life found in the ocean feeds us, and how its currents are used to connect humans around the Earth, as well as the myriad of ocean life forms that inspire and amaze us. When a person is literate in how the ocean impacts humanity on a daily basis, they are given the tools to better protect the ocean through their daily behaviors and their voting habits.
This guide was developed to support teachers in teaching topics with real-world context, and provide them with the background to feel competent and comfortable when teaching about the ocean. It provides a solid introduction to the ocean and the ocean literacy principles in an accessible and reader-friendly manner. In addition to general information about the ocean, the guide includes numerous education features, such as teaching tips and student thinking, that help to connect the content to classroom practice.
Marine Ecology, Human Impacts & Conservation
As part of National Geographic Society’s Ocean Initiative, National Geographic Education is working to help teachers like you educate your students about the importance of ocean health and the establishment and management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
National Geographic Education has developed a series of teacher-tested classroom activities for you to use in your science courses, specifically to incorporate within your high school biology curriculum to teach students about marine ecology, human impacts on the ocean, and ocean conservation.
This collection of activities invites you to use current classroom technologies, videos, photo galleries, and maps to give students a clear view of the health and importance of the ocean. These activities provide you with tools that help students take effective notes, use graphic organizers, and formulate opinions about ocean-related environmental issues. This project-based learning experience culminates with students using their new knowledge about marine ecology and human impacts on the ocean to create and propose a management plan for a Marine Protected Area.
This unit was originally developed for the National Teacher Leadership Academy (NTLA) 2010 Summer Geography Institute.
Subject Areas:
Marine Ecology, Human Impact & Conservation
Grade Level:
9-12
Lesson 2: Marine Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Lesson 3: Symbiotic Relationships in Marine Ecosystems
Lesson 4: Human Impacts on the World Ocean
Lesson 5: Human Impacts on Marine Species
Lesson 6: Ecosystem Imbalance in the World
Subject Area:
Ocean Exploration
Grade Level:
6-8
Subject Area:
Protect the Blue: Marine Protected Areas
Grade Level:
6-8
How does the percentage of protected land compare to the amount of protected ocean?
Subject Area:
Undersea Geology
Grade Level:
6-8
Subject Areas:
Deep Sea Ecosystems: Extreme Living
Grade Level:
3-5
Subject Areas:
How People Affect Ocean Animals and Plants
Grade Level:
K-2
How do people who live on coasts affect ocean animals and plants?
Light and life in the ocean & Coral Reefs
Professor Alex Rogers has created two lesson plans to introduce students to life in the ocean and the importance of coral reefs. Each lesson plan offers a Power Point presentation, video and teachers aid. They are designed to introduce students to the various life in our oceans.
Subject Areas:
Science and Art
Grade Level:
K-6 (Ages 5-12)
Alex Rogers Light and Life in the Ocean Lesson Plan
Alex Rogers Coral Reefs Lesson Plan
Effects of Plastic Pollution
OMG created this set of 10 educational cards so they could show students how plastic pollution effects virtually every animal on the planet. The cards are designed to express the importance of awareness and also serve as a tool to allow students to work as a group to discuss ways to rectify the issue in their homes, schools, and community.
Lesson Objectives
- Students will understand the effects of plastic pollution on living organisms.
- Students will be more aware of simple changes each one of us can incorporate into our daily lives which will have an immediate impact on our environment.
- Students will think critically about their role in reducing plastic pollution and be motivated to take responsible action to reduce the problem.
Subject Areas:
Science and Art
Grade Level:
K-6 (Ages 5-12)
Time:
60 minutes
Encyclopedia of Life
One Species at a Time podcasts from the Encyclopedia of Life are hosted by Ari Daniel Shapiro and produced by Atlantic Public Media. The One Species at a Time podcast series from the Encyclopedia of Life provides a chance to dive into the world of biodiversity through lively, 3-5 minute audio stories about species. The podcasts are accompanied by a Meet the Scientist feature page, multimedia extras, interesting facts and relevant educational materials.
Creative Commons Attributions 3.0 United States License
Arctic Tern
Listen to the podcast:
The arctic tern (Sterna paradisaea) makes an incredible migration each year. These small birds travel distances of more than 50,000 miles, from pole to pole, crossing through temperate and tropical regions along the way. Carsten Egevang used geo-locator tags to track some of these terns, and he shares their story with us in this tour.
The Arctic Tern Google Earth Tour is narrated by Ari Daniel Shapiro. Produced by Atlantic Public Media and Eduardo Garcia Milagros.
Download the Google Earth KMZ file
Learn more about the Arctic Tern, scientists involved in this podcast or download the podcast
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna
Listen to the podcast:
What is it like to be eyeball to eyeball with a fish the size of a Volkswagen? Learn about the process of tagging tuna and how those tags are revealing surprises that might help save tuna from their own popularity in sushi restaurants.
Download the Google Earth Tour script
Google Earth Tour Video Credits:
This tour was created by Eduardo Garcia-Milagros, in collaboration with Atlantic Public Media, Randy Kochevar and Andre Boustany. The tour is narrated by One Species at a Time host, Ari Daniel Shapiro.
View the tour in Google Earth
If you have Google Earth installed, you can download and view the tour (4.7 MB) on your computer. If you have the Google Earth plugin installed as well, you can view the tour directly in your browser.
Bowhead Whale
Listen to the podcast:
Writer Karen Romano Young takes an icebreaker to Barrow, Alaska, to join in the festival of Naluqatak and learn about the intimate relationship between the Inupiat Eskimos and the bowhead whale. Listen as she tells Ari Daniel Shapiro how the whole community turns out for whale hunt, how the bowhead nourishes the Inupiat, both physically and spiritually—and how the hunt is proving to be an unexpected gift to scientists.
Learn more about the Bowhead Whale, scientists involved in this podcast or download the podcast
Box Jellyfish
Listen to the podcast:
Learn how three fiery, painful stings during an early morning swim in Hawaii changed the life of researcher Angel Yanagihara. Once the young biochemist had recovered from her box jelly encounter, Carybdea alata had her full attention. Now she works to unlock the secrets of venom of these beautiful, and sometimes dangerous, angels of the sea.
Think you can dance?
We challenged our listeners to dance like a box jellyfish. Check out all of the great submissions! Thanks to all who contributed!
Learn more about the Box Jellyfish, scientists involved in this podcast or download the podcast
Chinook Salmon
Listen to the podcast:
Can painted wooden fish on a schoolyard fence change human behavior and help clean up the ocean for the real salmon? Stream of Dreams in British Columbia thinks so, and a lot of wooden fish and some 100,000 school kids later, they have some intriguing results to show for their effort.
Learn more about the Chinook Salmon, scientists involved in this podcast or download the podcast
Coral
Listen to the podcast:
Coral reefs are bustling cities of marine life, until rising ocean temperatures turn them into ghost towns. Can reefs spring back from devastating bleaching events? Ari Daniel Shapiro and researcher Dr. Randi Rotjan of the New England Aquarium, journey to the remote Phoenix Islands to find out.
Learn more about the Coral, scientists involved in this podcast or download the podcast
Dinoflagellates
Listen to the podcast:
Science contributor Josh Kurz, tells the story of dinoflagellates through “music from the bottom of the food chain.” There are “billions of these microscopic creatures in every bucket of the salty sea,” Kurz reveals. Learn which dinoflagellate has a special glow, and which one is responsible for killing more people every year than sharks.
Learn more about the Dinoflagellates, scientists involved in this podcast or download the podcast
Giant Squid
Listen to the podcast:
How do you get two dead Giant Squid the size of a school bus from a fishing boat in Spain to a museum in Washington, DC, USA? Call in the Navy! Find out how Operation Calamari unfolded and how the museum managed to put their new Giant Squid on display.
Learn more about the Giant Squid, scientists involved in this podcast or download the podcast
Great White Shark
Listen to the podcast:
Students from Martha's Vineyard Regional High School in Massachusetts and La Salle Academy in Rhode Island question shark researcher Greg Skomal about this charismatic predator at the top of the ocean food chain. Learn some surprising facts and the answers to such questions as what preys on the Great White and do they mate for life?
Learn more about the Great White Shark, scientists involved in this podcast or download the podcast
Greenland Shark
Listen to the podcast:
Join shark expert Greg Skomal as he ventures under the Arctic ice in search of the Greenland shark. Sharing this icy, blue twilight with an apex predator is a thrill--so long as you don’t end up being mistaken for a ringed seal, the shark’s favorite meal. In this episode, we’ll learn how Skomal’s research is revealing how these evolutionary survivors endure despite astonishing obstacles.
Learn more about the Greenland Shark, scientists involved in this podcast or download the podcast
Map of the High Seas
This High Seas Map by National Geographic shows the parameters of our high seas, covering 64% of the ocean. Every nation has jurisdiction over their coastlines up to 200 nautical miles out. The High Seas are the open waters beyond the limits of the territorial jurisdiction of a country.
Map of Ocean Life: Diversity, Distribution, Abundance
The first Census Of Marine Life, completed in 2010, brought together 2,700 scientists from more than 80 nations to establish a baseline of the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the global ocean against which future change can be measured.
Go to Link
Credits:
Map design and development: Census Of Marine Life Mapping & Visualization Team: Patrick Halpin, Jesse Cleary and Ben Donnelly; National Geographic Maps: Allen Carroll, Frank Biasi and Richard Bullington. Photo and content development: Census of Marine Life. Education & Outreach Team; Sara Hickox, Darlene Crist and Frank Baker. TOPP visualization: Autumn-Lynn Harrison Supplemental information and full scientific citations for contributed content Located at
http://mgel.env.duke.edu/comlmaps
Produced by National Geographic Maps for the Census Of Marine Life
Copyright © 2010 National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.
Map of Ocean Life: Past, Present, and Future
The first Census Of Marine Life, completed in 2010, brought together 2,700 scientists from more than 80 nations to establish a baseline of the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the global ocean against which future change can be measured.
Credits:
Map design and development: Census Of Marine Life Mapping & Visualization Team: Patrick Halpin, Jesse Cleary and Ben Donnelly; National Geographic Maps: Allen Carroll, Frank Biasi and Richard Bullington. Photo and content development: Census of Marine Life. Education & Outreach Team; Sara Hickox, Darlene Crist and Frank Baker. TOPP visualization: Autumn-Lynn Harrison Supplemental information and full scientific citations for contributed content Located at
http://mgel.env.duke.edu/comlmaps
Produced by National Geographic Maps for the Census Of Marine Life
Copyright © 2010 National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.
OCEAN BENEFITS
- 5x more carbon is stored by coastal habitats than by tropical forests
- Absorbs heat and carbon dioxide
- Regulates our climate and weather
- 50% of the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean
- 16% of the global-population depend on fish as their primary source of protein
- 200 Million people are employed by the fishing industry
- 350 Million people with jobs linked to the oceans globally
- 85 Nations and $102B dollars per year are involved and international trade in fish and fish products
- 85% of global ocean productivity comes from the Southern Ocean
- 90% of global commerce moves by ship
- 90% of people in developing countries depend on the sea for their livelihood
- $161B dollars are generated by coastal tourism annually
- $10B dollars is traded in tuna annually
PROBLEMS
- Less than 1% of the deep sea has been explored
- 2.2T dollars has been lost due to poor ocean management spanning the last 3 decades
- 3x more trash dumped into the ocean than fish caught.
- 5x more nitrogen fertilizer application that there was in 1960’s
- 12 Boeing 747s can fit in the mouth of the largest trawl net
- 20M tons of fish are discarded annually due to by-catch
- 45% of our planet the high seas, we never talk about it!
- 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities
- 90% of marine species depend on healthy corals
- 90% Predatory fish stocks gone
- 95% of the ocean is unexplored
- 405 Dead zones and counting
- 2050, the year some Experts predict a total collapse of fisheries
- 550x is the est. of how many times fishing lines can be wrapped around the globe
- The Ocean is considered as an infinite resource and inexhaustible. It is not!
- Deep Sea Bottom Trawling is the practice of taking huge nets dragging across them bottom of the ocean floor scoping up all the life in its path
- Ghost fishing a result of nets lost at sea that continue to fish indiscriminately
- Coral Bleaching due to Ocean Acidification
- Pirate fishermen that don’t respect fishing laws or agreements
- Wasteful fishing practices – some fisheries catch 15 Kilos of unwanted catch to 1 Kilo of target catch
SOLUTIONS
- Become a citizen of The TerraMar Project
- Help us create the first ocean community of the high seas
- Become a friend to a species and Ambassador to TerraMar!
- Learn more about the High Seas on our education page
- Eat sustainably! Your choices at the supermarket will make a difference. Refer to FishtoFork in the UK & Seafood Watch in the US
- Avoid eating and purchasing these endangered fish; Atlantic Cod, Bluefin tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, Chilean Seabass, black cod, sharks, swordfish
- Support the application of the Public Trust Doctrine
- Support research that will help us better understand and protect our ocean
- Support the creation of marine protected places. Places where marine species and marine life can thrive and prosper
- Say no to plastic whenever possible and look for alternative products
- Start your own ocean awareness campaign in your hometown and share it with us!
- We want to hear from you, our citizens - Share your ocean stories with us.
- What did you teach your kids about the ocean today? Email us all your stories, videos and pictures! You may be featured on The Daily Catch & our Facebook page!
- We will keep you informed as to all key issues and legislation in the high seas
- TMP will alert you when there are petitions to sign or ways you encourage your lawmakers make the right decisions
