This easy to use, comprehensive website includes a wealth of real-time and archived data, as well as several lesson plans. Using the highly-interactive map, you can access stations that measure parameters including air and water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and water clarity in the Maryland portion of Chesapeake Bay. The lesson plans cover salinity, dissolved oxygen, and harmful algal ... Full description.

Three-dimensional General Circulation Models divide the ocean into a rectangular grid with layered vertical columns. This North Atlantic model uses a 1-6-degree grid with 37 layers. It captured 30 years of velocity, sea-surface temperature, and salinity. The model realistically separates the Gulf Stream from the Florida coast. A feature as small as the Gulf Stream had not appeared in lower-resolution ... Full description.

This site from SERC's Starting Point presents sample Gallery Walk questions about the ocean. Questions examine the manner in which ocean energy and water exchange impact the atmosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere and discuss salinity, temperature, density, primary production, turbidity, and current patterns for the various environments. The questions are organized according to the cognitive level ... Full description.

A collection of the datasets from the IRI/LDEO Climate Data Library, which contain important information about our planet Earth. Datasets include: Topography, ENSO (El Nino-Southern Oscillation) Monitor, Historical Temperature and Precipitation, and Ocean Climatology, including ocean temperature, salinity, and nutrients, including dissolved oxygen, nitrate, phosphate, and silicate. Figures are very ... Full description.

CenGOOS operates a clearinghouse of buoys in the central Gulf of Mexico. Mousing over the buoys on the map reveals ownership and location information. Clicking on the buoy opens a new window complete with data profile. CenGOOS operates one buoy in the Gulf. Measured parameters of the CenGOOS buoy include air and water temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, barometric pressure, salinity, ... Full description.

Caro-COOPS is based upon an array of coastal and offshore moorings deployed off of the coast of the Carolinas. Mousing over a buoy on the map displays measurements including: latitude and longitude, air and water temperature, wind conditions, solar radiation, and for most, salinity, chlorophyll, surface current information, and more. Clicking on the buoy opens a new window that displays the measurements ... Full description.

With three levels to choose from on each page - beginner, intermediate or advanced - this site provides a good introduction to the structure of the ocean. Included are excellent graphics and text about patterns of ocean salinity and temperature with depth, as well as surface currents, deep ocean circulation and even the water cycle. Extensive in-text links provide the means for users to explore the ... Full description.

In this activity students will explore how changes in the salinity and temperature of water affect its density and motion. They will discover that in winter months, primary production in the Antarctic Ocean is nearly zero, which creates difficulty for the grazers who depend on primary production. But in the 5-6 months of austral spring and summer, these waters become a nutrient-rich pasture for plankton. ... Full description.

In this activity students will focus on the temperature, density, and salinity in the deep sea. They will be able to explain the relationship among temperature, salinity, and density; and, given CTD (conductivity, temperature, and density) data, students will be able to calculate density and construct density profiles of a water column. They will also be able to explain the concept of sigma-t, and ... Full description.

This collection of classroom activities covers ocean study topics such as climate and the degree to which the ocean controls climate, physical properties of the ocean (density, salinity, currents, and others), and the scale of ocean life and life support structures. Each activity features an overview, concepts, a materials list, and instructions. Highlighted terms are linked to a glossary. Full description.