NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

Did you know that there are about 120 World War II era aircraft lying at the bottom of Lake Michigan?

Despite some being more than 300 feet across and up to 60 feet deep, sinkholes aren’t likely contributors of large volumes of water, but just knowing the amount could help scientists get a more accurate reading on water levels across the Great Lakes.

Seamounts represent some of Earth’s tallest peaks, unexplored territories, and critical habitats supporting important fisheries across the globe. Students will apply the phenomenon of upwelling and currents to determine why many seamounts sustain diverse ecological communities and support surprising levels of biological productivity in nearby waters. Students analyze data and various models to evaluate how well they represent patterns of ocean currents around seamounts and determine the effects these current flows have on productivity.

Learn more about the intelligent mammals that inhabit our ocean, the problems they face, and their importance in the marine ecosystem. Read to explore NOAA’s efforts to protect dolphin populations and how national marine sanctuaries benefit dolphins.

Published by New York Sea Grant offsite link, Plastic pollution and you is a 15-lesson curriculum focused on marine debris sources, impacts, and solutions. These hands-on lessons and activities help students learn the different types of plastics, their impact on marine and freshwater ecosystems, and about ways to address and prevent plastic pollution. Interdisciplinary elements of this curriculum include policy research, environmental justice, and effective outreach and communication strategies.

Learn about one of the ocean’s top predators — sharks — and their critical role in maintaining the marine ecosystem. This collection features NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries resources for everyone to explore NOAA’s efforts to research and conserve shark populations, how sharks support the sanctuary system, and more.

Flooding. It’s often associated with heavy rains and severe storms. But with rising sea levels, flooding in some coastal communities is now occurring during high tides and sunny days.

Sea turtles are a key part of marine ecosystems worldwide, but they face many threats today. Explore a collection of NOAA webinars, a virtual reality dive, lesson plans, videos, posters, web stories, and more to gain a deeper understanding of sea turtle species and NOAA's efforts within the sanctuary system to protect them and limit the threats they face.

Most people associate sea turtles with warm, tropical destinations. You might be surprised to learn that some sea turtle species can also be found in the frigid ocean waters off Alaska. 

On Dive in With NOAA Fisheries, a conversation with Barbara Schroeder, the National Sea Turtle Coordinator in the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources. Hear about sea turtles, bycatch, and the innovations and solutions getting implemented or developed thanks to some hard-working scientists at NOAA Fisheries, in coordination with industry.