Students in this lesson will be introduced to the concept of tides and tidal forces. By viewing a related applet which visualizes the relationship between the Earth, moon and tides, students will gain an understanding of why the Earth experiences tides. In the process they are asked to observe and explain how the relative positions of Earth, the moon, and the sun are responsible for the moon phases, ... Full description.

Estuaries have physical traits, and scientists use a variety of measurements such as water depth, salinity, and current speed to describe an estuary. This site describes the various measurements that make up the physical properties of an estuary, using Narragansett Bay as an example. Specific sections of this site focus on water chemistry (temperature, salinity, oxygen, chlorophyll a, and pH), circulation ... Full description.

The Mote Marine Laboratory Phytoplankton Ecology Program focuses on microscopic plants in the oceans, many of which produce harmful toxins. This program addresses phytoplankton behavior, photophysiology and bloom dynamics. This site contains data from investigations, which utilize remote sensing technology for monitoring natural phytoplankton blooms as well as laboratory studies to understand how ... Full description.

This NASA resource offers links and information that will help students and others answer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Full description.

This site presents average ice conditions estimated using satellite passive microwave data for the most recent month available, as well as snapshots of trends and anomalies that compare these recent conditions with the mean for the month. Full description.

When different kinds of oil enter the sea, many physical, chemical and biological degradation processes start acting on them. This resource describes the factors that decide the physical, chemical and biological degradation of the oil, as well as potential environmental damage, effects on wildlife, and effects on habitats, of the spill. The text is color-coded to reflect the sources of the information, ... Full description.

This site has been created by the University of Rhode Island's Office of Marine Programs as part of the Narragansett Bay Commission's Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) project. The site serves as a portal to find large quantities of information about the Narragansett Bay Estuarian Region. The Teacher Resource Section contains suggested classroom activities, ... Full description.

This lesson plan allows students to participate in a number of in-class experiments using ice. Students will come to understand the effects of global warming on icecaps and the worldwide consequences that may result. Full description.

In this lesson plan, students will learn about the potential threat posed by icebergs, particularly the enormous icebergs that have broken away from Antarctica's Ronne Ice Shelf. They will research a news article and various web sites (links are provided) to collect information about icebergs, discuss what icebergs are and where they are found, and brainstorm a list of potential problems that could ... Full description.

This article deals with the phenomena of El Nino and La Nina. Topics include the apparently widespread effect of these phenomena on weather systems around the Earth and new methods to detect their arrival and departure. There is a discussion of the use of SeaWIFS satellite data to detect changes in the distribution of oceanic algae (phytoplankton) which occur when warm or cool water masses move, as ... Full description.