In this activity students will search the Web in order to answer specific questions about the salinity of oceans. They will then create a visual presentation of their findings, using pie charts illustrating the chemical composition of the ocean, or line graphs of the three major oceans showing seasonal salinity readings, or a comparison of the salinity of each of the oceans. In the second part, students ... Full description.

In this lesson, students become familiar with how ocean water forms density-stratified layers in many places. They design and carry out a series of tests to show how water masses of four different densities interact, using clear straws to stack colored water of different salinities. Temperature is varied to increase the differences in density of each water sample. 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.

This online method manual from EPA describes how to conduct estuary monitoring programs, with step-by-step guides for chemical, physical and biological sampling and data interpretation. Also describes how to plan and maintain a volunteer force, with tips on liability and financial issues, volunteer recruiting training and retention. Addresses quality assurance so that results have weight. Provides ... Full description.

This press release summarizes the results of research on sediment cores taken from the subtropical Atlantic Ocean. Analyses of organic molecules from planktonic algae in the sediments indicates that large and abrupt temperature changes in warm areas of the ocean occurred at the end of the last glacial period. Full description.

This resource uses text, images, maps and a laboratory exercise to explain how differences in the temperature and salinity of ocean water cause the formation of deep-ocean currents. It is part of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's "Ocean Surface Topography from Space" website. This material is also available on the "Visit to An Ocean Planet" CD-ROM. Full description.

This site explains how temperature, pressure, and salinity work together to determine the density of ocean water. The three density layers of the ocean are described by means of text description and a graphic illustration. Full description.

This site contains links to course information, outlines, summaries and computer-based drills and exercises, called Virtual Voyages, for an Introductory Oceanography class at San Francisco State University. Virtual Voyages engage students outside of the classroom and cover such topics as the seafloor, earthquakes, plates, ocean currents, beach waves, tides and habitat. There are also links to the ... Full description.

This site provides an illustrated lecture about ocean chemistry from a geochemistry course offered by Dr. Scott Wood at the University of Idaho. Topics include geochemical processes that occur in estuaries, halmyrolysis, the concept of residence time for elements in the ocean, the mechanisms by which elements are added to or removed from seawater, carbonate behavior in seawater and a definition of ... Full description.