NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

Produced by the Teacher at Sea Alumni Association offsite link and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation offsite link, these videos feature unique stories of how teachers have found and nurtured their inner explorer.

This exciting series explores environmental DNA or “eDNA”,  environmental DNA sampling technology developed at NOAA AOML, and an at home, hands-on activity for DNA extraction. Engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate (5 E’s) the concept of environmental DNA by including the “Exploring Environmental DNA” video series in classroom lessons. The videos follow a flexible format that can be watched in order or individually, as needed, to supplement an entire lesson or lesson segment, classroom discussion, and activity. Suggested lesson ideas are included below the videos.

Specially equipped NOAA aircraft play an integral role in hurricane forecasting. Data collected during hurricanes by these high-flying meteorological stations help forecasters make accurate predictions during a hurricane and help hurricane researchers achieve a better understanding of storm processes, improving their forecast models. Get started learning about the NOAA Hurricane Hunter aircraft and pilots!

Follow along with the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer as its crew study deep sea ecosystems and animals. During live stream periods, you can listen along as scientists comment on what they are seeing and identify animals and deep sea features in real time. 

There’s a saying among climate scientists: What happens in the Arctic doesn’t necessarily stay in the Arctic. That’s especially true when a sudden warming of the polar stratosphere -- the layer of the atmosphere just above the layer where we live -- in winter causes the Arctic jet stream to slow and wobble, spilling frigid air and extreme weather south over North America and Europe, often for weeks at a time. 

The term jet stream is used increasingly in both weather forecasts and news reports of extreme events, from cold spells and flooding to heatwaves and droughts. But what is the jet stream, and why do we care about it so much?

At the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve, a new community of students is getting their boots wet gathering data through a new program that serves the children of migrant farmers.

Celebrate the vital role that aquaculture plays in supporting our nation’s seafood production, creating year-round jobs, rebuilding protected species and habitats, and enhancing coastal resilience. Meet some of the experts working in this important and growing field.

A key issue facing hurricane scientists and climate scientists is how Atlantic hurricane activity might be expected to change assuming the climate continues to warm over the coming century.

The Redlands Mesa area outside Hotchkiss, Colorado, is particularly at risk to wildfires, but with funding from NOAA’s Environmental Literacy Program, local high school students are taking action to tackle their community’s vulnerability to this hazard.