In this activity students will work in teams to investigate the impact of an invasive species on native species, using the six classic steps for solving environmental problems. Teams will research a local invasive species problem, complete an experimental design plan, write clear procedures for experimentation, state expected results and conclusions, and work together to determine the course of action ... Full description.

This activity will help students understand the complexity of ocean exploration. They will understand the technological applications and capabilities required for ocean exploration and the importance of teamwork in scientific research projects. Students will also develop abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry as they work together to fashion research equipment from common materials. In addition ... Full description.

This tutorial is an overview of the complex systems that govern the movement of tides and water levels. The tutorial is content rich and presented in easy-to-understand language with many illustrative and interactive graphics to visually enhance the text. This page begins with what tides are while other linked pages cover What Causes Tides, Gravity, Inertia, and Bulges, Changing Angles and Tides, ... Full description.

This lesson will help students discover how structural complexity of benthic habitats affects the biological diversity of species living in those habitats. Students describe the significance of such complexity to organisms that live in these habitats and describe at least three attributes of benthic habitats that can increase physical complexity. Students will give examples of organisms that increase ... Full description.

Paleontologists occasionally find ancient tracks and footprints preserved in the rocks. This lesson opens the door to analysing those footprints, and gleaning information about body size and activities of the extinct animals that made the tracks. Students will learn that patterns can reveal much about the past, in light of the present; and that bipedalism has appeared several times. Relationships ... Full description.

This slide show discusses plant-rich deposits called middens, that are found in caves and rock shelters in the arid southwestern United States. Middens are an amalgamation of plant and animal remains encased in crystallized packrat urine, and can be used to reconstruct past vegetation and climate in the immediate area of the midden deposit. This slide set outlines past climate variability by reconstructing ... Full description.

Randy Davis is a marine biologist who made a major contribution to the study of Weddell seals in Antarctica. Weddell seals spend about 90 percent of their time submerged, making them a tricky animal to study. Davis developed a special camera to study the seals. This in-depth profile takes a look at Weddell seals in Antarctica and of how scientists monitor them. In the question and answer profile Randy ... Full description.

Using this material, students will discover that under special experimental conditions, fish have been observed functioning in ice-free cold salt water at a temperature of -6 degrees Centigrade. Research has found that these fish have eight types of anti-freeze molecules which bathe the interior surface of their skin, acting as a barrier to ice propagating in from outside. When the anti-freeze molecules ... Full description.

This article describes a new method of studying climate change. A previously unnoticed cooling trend that persisted for a millennium caused enough ice to build up in Antarctica's Ross Sea that thousands of Adelie penguins abandoned their colonies beginning about 2,000 years ago. The techniques may also help to refine our understanding of climatic change on the southernmost continent. This article ... Full description.

This case study addresses the invasion of lionfish, a native to coral reefs in the tropical waters of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, to the Alantic Ocean off the southeastern United States. The study explains how scientists are using newly collected data and technology to learn how an invasive species like the lionfish affects an ecosystem. Students can learn about the environmental and economic ... Full description.