In this lesson students discover how growth rates of corals can be estimated from samples collected at a single point in time. Students will identify and briefly explain two methods for estimating the age of hard corals, learn how oxygen isotope ratios are related to water temperature, and interpret data on oxygen isotope ratios to make inferences about the growth rate of deep-sea corals. This hands-on ... Full description.

This Classroom Connectors lesson plan teaches students about ocean movements such as currents, tides, and waves. This includes types of currents, Northern and Southern Hemisphere currents, differences between salt and fresh water, trade winds, and tsunamis. The site provides goals, objectives, an outline, time required, materials, activities, and closure ideas for the lesson. The Classroom Connectors ... Full description.

In this lesson, students will investigate hydrothermal vents to see how the chemistry of the water they emit provides clues to the location of the vents. They should be able to describe hydrothermal vents and characterize vent plumes in terms of physical and chemical properties; describe data gathering operations in which a towed instrument package ("tow-yo") measures conductivity, temperature, and ... Full description.

Since the Cold War ended, scientists have been documenting environmental contamination due to nuclear testing by the former Soviet Union. This radio broadcast reports on scientists who are following the trail created as chemical and radioactive contaminants work their way into the Arctic food chain. The radionuclides are being used as tracers which can demonstrate circulation of the Arctic Ocean. ... Full description.

This expedition explores the chemical and physical properties of the ocean and their role in governing oceanic processes. Topics include: Is There Salt in Seawater?, Ions of Salt, What is Source of the Salt?, Salinity Variability, Salinity and Precipitation, Calculating Salinity, Ocean Temperature, Solar Radiation, Variations in the Properties of Sea Water, Light Penetration, Temperature, Thermocline, ... Full description.

This activity will help students to understand that ocean water is sampled for chemicals and organisms. The sampling device must gather enough water for conducting all the tests, the depth at which the sample was gathered must be accurately known, the temperature at time of collection must be known, and it must not allow contaminants to enter as it is being brought up on deck. Students will design ... Full description.

In this lesson students discover what factors are indicative of chemotrophic nutritional strategies. Students will be able to describe at least three chemotrophic symbioses known from deep-sea habitats. They will identify and explain three indicators of chemotropic nutrition. This hands-on activity uses online data resources and includes: focus questions, background information, evaluations and extensions, ... Full description.

This classroom activity gives students a close-up look at a deep sea vent community. Working in small groups, students can complete this Web investigation in a single class period. The printable six-page handout includes a series of inquiry-based questions that prompt students to remember what they already know about deep sea vents and how they can tell if something is living. It has detailed directions ... Full description.

The National Sea Grant Library (NSGL) is the digital library and official archive for NOAA Sea Grant documents. It is the only comprehensive collection of Sea Grant –funded documents from over 30 programs and projects across the country. This collection encompasses a wide variety of subjects, including oceanography, marine education, aquaculture, fisheries, aquatic nuisance species, coastal hazards, ... Full description.

The New Millenium Observatory is a seafloor observatory off the coast of Oregon, which studies the relationships between submarine volcanic events and the chemistry and distribution of hydrothermal vents and the biologic communities that depend on them. This website is a multimedia presentation of the ongoing research at Axial volcano. The NeMO Explorer page offers several virtual tours, which allow ... Full description.