Learning resources about oysters and current issues in Chesapeake Bay. Students learn about oyster anatomy, ballast water, invasive species and more through online puzzles. Teachers can download 10 multidisciplinary lesson plans about oyster biology and fishery issues. Links to web resources on the Bay, oysters, plankton and biofilms. Also available: day programs with hands-on and shipboard activities ... Full description.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service resource defines shorebird and identifies bird families making up this diverse group. Introduces migratory life style with examples of timing, routes, distances. Provides current population estimates, identifies threats and conservation efforts to protect them. Bibliography and links to other resources. Full description.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's resource and activity center for teachers and students. Find teaching units for K-12 on: coral reef habitats and marine life; human dependence and impacts on the reef; biodiversity and threatened species; coastal zone and reef management. Lesson plans offer objectives, inquiry learning focus activities, resources, class or field activities. Student pages ... Full description.

Four lesson plans focus on understanding toxic and harmful algal blooms. Designed for use in conjunction with Bigelow Laboratory's "Toxic and Harmful Algal Bloom" web site. Each module includes background, learning objectives, student preparation, and standards-related classroom or lab activity. Topics cover: role of algae in the food web; development of algal blooms; impacts and bioaccumulation of ... Full description.

Lesson plan introduces the science behind the causes, occurrence and impacts of hypoxic or "dead" zones in coastal waters. Provides background, glossary, graphics for classroom activity, data files, and links to related projects and websites. Activities focus on: nutrient enrichment; dissolved oxygen; mechanisms of oxygen depletion. Students use data (real or simulated) to graph the hypoxic zone where ... Full description.

Interactive content highlights three imperiled south Florida ecosystems: the Everglades, Florida Bay, and Florida Keys. Provides introduction, definition, and image of each habitat type within the ecosystems; outlines threats to ecosystems and conservation issues. Other features include: introduced species and their impacts; biological profiles for marine and freshwater fishes from the Florida Museum's ... Full description.

This collaboration of over 20 institutions and agencies monitors target species of intertidal plants and animals at nearly 60 Southern California shore sites. Site provides species images and profiles, sampling methods, data and publications. Tidepools are the focus of a math curriculum that meets CA standards. Good resource for California teachers. Full description.

Government task force created in 1998 to research, monitor and conserve coral reefs. Site includes: background on coral reef habitats; reef ecology and environmental requirements; environmental requirements of reefs; reef functions and significance; natural and human threats to reefs. Also covered are: Task Force actions; policies and partnerships; and the National Action Plan for Coral Reef Conservation. ... Full description.

Education programs provide fieldtrips, shipboard experiences, camps and projects focused on the Great Lakes. A science and multidisciplinary Great Lakes curriculum includes fisheries, aquatic food web, exotic species, water quality and weather. Teaching resources range from fact sheets to artifact trunks and CDs. Teacher training and workshops cover current topics and offer grant and fellowship opportunities. ... Full description.

The benthos is an aggregation of organisms living on or at the bottom of a body of water. The benthic community is composed of a wide range of plants, animals and bacteria from all levels of the food web. Site provides an introduction to the benthos with descriptions of infaunal, epifaunal, and demersal benthic communities. You can also view an illustration of a sample benthic community. Full description.