NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

The Deep Ocean Education Project is a collaboration among NOAA Ocean Exploration, Ocean Exploration Trust, and Schmidt Ocean Institute featuring high-quality ocean exploration and science education materials from the three organizations. The Deep Ocean Education Project website – launched in 2021 – is built around themes that are easily searchable, address key ocean-related phenomena, and encourage and support three-dimensional approaches to teaching and learning for K-12 education. The objective is to provide a one-stop resource hub for public, educators, and students looking for deep-sea educational materials. The website also includes information on how to connect with research vessels, including a list of upcoming events and opportunities, and live feeds of expeditions.

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the National Marine Sanctuary System, the best of the best educational materials for an elementary school audience have been compiled in collaboration with the National Park Trust. Discover Spectacular with these education and outreach digital materials focused on 10 exciting topics: climate change, ocean acidification, marine debris, kelp forest ecosystems, coral reef ecosystems, sea turtles, sharks, whales and ocean noise, seabirds, and shipwrecks.

Dive into tutorials on corals, estuaries, global positioning, pollution, ocean currents, and tides. Learn the basics about these topics and how they are a part of NOAA's work.

How can scientists learn about climate from these beautiful and essential underwater ecosystems? Many coral reefs have been around for millions of years, yet they are extremely sensitive to changes in climate conditions. Corals are affected by ocean warming (sometimes bleaching when temperatures rise or fall), by pollution and runoff, and by changes in the pH of seawater, which decreases as more carbon dioxide enters the ocean—a trend known as ocean acidification.

The ocean absorbs the extra carbon dioxide we emit into the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels, like coal, oil, and natural gas, and that changes the chemistry of the ocean. We call this “ocean acidification.” The change in chemistry is reducing the amount of calcium carbonate in the ocean. Just as humans need calcium to build their bones, sea creatures need calcium carbonate to build strong skeletons and shells. Ocean acidification changes the chemistry of the ocean and causes “osteoporosis of the sea,” which prevents animals at the bottom of the food chain from building and maintaining the protective shells they need to survive.

In 2015, NOAA scientists went on a research expedition in the U.S. Virgin Islands aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster to continue to map the Caribbean's sprawling coral reef ecosystem, home to an amazing variety of ocean life. The science team used multibeam sonar, scientific echosounder, underwater gliders, a remotely operated vehicle, and other high-tech tools to locate previously-unknown seafloor habitats; to map out coral reefs in fine detail; and to find 'hotspots' where many species of fish gather to spawn in rhythm with the lunar cycle. Explore their findings through videos, photos, podcasts, and other information.

These education theme pages are designed to provide the best of what the OceanExplorer.NOAA.gov website has to offer on a number of popular ocean science topics. Each theme page provides links to background information, lessons, multimedia interactive activities, career profiles, and information on associated past expeditions.

These ocean exploration facts in this section provide short answers to common or intriguing ocean questions. The questions are organized in a series of categories; click on a category to learn more about these topics.

Get answers to hundreds of questions about the ocean and coasts on topics like ocean life and ecosystems, maritime transportation, technology, ocean observations and much more.

Coral reefs are one of the most important ecosystems on our planet that protect and foster biodiversity. The diversity of locations and reef types makes this system unique and allows for valuable comparisons of reefs from differing biogeographic regions and of differing levels of use. Explore this collection of NOAA webinars, lesson plans, posters, videos, infographics, virtual reality, and more learn about coral reef ecosystems and NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ efforts within the sanctuary system to preserve them and limit the impacts they face.