Coastwatch Classroom is a new educational resource for teachers and students in grades 6 to 12 that expands on select articles from Coastwatch magazine and/or that offers entirely new lesson plans. We’ll continue to add new Coastwatch Classroom content here, along with links to the Coastwatch material it accompanies.

For more free resources for teachers and students in North Carolina, you can also visit Coastwatch Education.

The Watershed Wisdom Lesson Plan (Autumn 2021)

The Watershed Wisdom Lesson Plan includes “River Avengers,” an animated video.

The Watershed Wisdom Lesson Plan includes “River Avengers,” an animated video.

As is the case in many states, North Carolina has suffered its share of flooding, and its citizens have coped with fairly significant periods of drought and polluted waterways. With environmental issues such as extreme weather events on the rise, everyone — and especially students — should understand that water is a natural resource that needs to be valued and protected.

Designed for alignment with North Carolina 4th-grade and 5th-grade science standards, but appropriate for all students, regardless of age and location, Watershed Wisdom is a blended lesson that combines interactive components with hands-on projects.

With enough content to fill two full weeks of class time, the lesson begins with a host of activities to introduce students to the topic, including River Avengers, a short animation featuring four youngsters who pose an inquiry to the class: What ideas do students have to keep the river near their school safe and clean?

The rest of the lesson helps students gain the knowledge they will need to solve that inquiry through creative design-thinking tasks, group events, an interactive map activity provided by the EPA’s EnviroAtlas website, and other rich content that serves not only to educate students about water but to inspire them to take action to protect this valuable resource.

Information and samples of the lesson plan follow, and you can access the full lesson plan here.

Time allotment: Seven to 10 class periods for the entire lesson plan. Each activity takes a class period or less.

Learning objectives:

• Students can define and describe the water cycle.
• Students can define and describe the watershed ecosystem.
• Students can discuss the threats watershed ecosystems face.
• Students can describe actions people can take to protect and promote watershed health.

SAMPLE: THE “WAYS OF WATERSHEDS” INTERACTIVE SESSION

Entertaining video segments and interactive components help define and describe the water cycle and watersheds, feature information on the importance of watershed management, and provide strategies on how best to take care of local watersheds.

Teaching Tips

Support Materials for Students (and more)

SAMPLE: THE “WADDED WATERSHED” ACTIVITY

In this activity, students will use crumpled paper and markers to create model watersheds and track the flow of surface water across “land.”

Teacher Handout for Wadded Watershed

Video Demonstration of Wadded Watershed

“LEARNING FROM HOME” (THE EDUCATORS’ GUIDE)

Watershed Wisdom has several activities that are accessible at home via printed handouts and online interactive activities. Many of these lessons are perfect to assign through Google Classrooms, Canvas, Seesaw, or any other program to share assignments with your classroom. Access the free guide.

 

 

Blood Draw at the Horseshoe Corral (Autumn 2020)

Read the article online and/or access the article’s PDF.

North Carolina Standard Course of Study

8th grade science:

8.L.1.1 Summarize the basic characteristics of viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites relating to the spread, treatment and prevention of disease.

8.L.2.1 Summarize aspects of biotechnology, including:

Specific genetic information available

Careers

Economic benefits to North Carolina

Ethical issues

Implications for agriculture

Ocean Literacy Standards

1 The Earth has one big ocean with many features.

1.h Although the ocean is large, it is finite and resources are limited.

5 The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.

6 The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.

6.b The ocean provides food, medicine, and mineral and energy resources. It supports jobs and national economies, serves as a highway for transportation of goods and people, and plays a role in national security.

Guiding Questions

Use the article, as well as the resources below, to respond to the following focus questions.

  1. What other organisms are closely related to horseshoe crabs?
  2. What ecological niche does the horseshoe crab fill?
  3. Describe the relationship between horseshoe crabs and red knots.
  4. Compare and contrast indoor and outdoor aquaculture of horseshoe crabs. Why did the researchers experiment with both systems?
  5. Why do you think that horseshoe crabs have evolved to lay thousands of eggs during a spawning session?
  6. Describe an adaptation that horseshoe crabs have that helps them survive in their environment.
  7. Discuss the pros and cons of biotechnology in today’s medical research.

Lesson Links and Resources

Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission – The mission of the ASMFC is to promote the better use of fisheries along the Atlantic seaboard. This federal agency manages over 25 commercially important species, including coastal sharks, fishes, and a few arthropods. The horseshoe crab is one of the agency’s managed species. At this website, discover life history information, stock status, and management plans, as well as landing data for both biomedical and bait use.

Ecological Research & Development Group – Learn more about the conservation issues surrounding the horseshoe crab from ERDG, a nonprofit wildlife conservation organization with the primary focus to conserve the world’s four horseshoe crab species. Take a deep dive into their natural history, evolution, and value to biomedical research. The “Teacher Toolbox” tab includes hands-on activities for students.

Kepley Biosystems Inc. – Learn more about the horseshoe crab aquaculture research being conducted by Kepley Biosystems. This page delves deeper into the biomedical use of Limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL), a valuable substance derived from the blue blood of the horseshoe crab.

Harbor Branch Marine Biomedical & Biotechnology Research – The marine lab for Florida Atlantic University includes a world-renowned marine biomedical research group that focuses on marine pharmacology. Learn more about their work here.

Facts About Horseshoe Crabs – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offers this link for learning more about horseshoe crabs and their importance in the ecosystem.

Horseshoe Crab Educational Materials (all available from Delaware Sea Grant)

TED Ed Talk – This YouTube video explains more about why horseshoe crab blood is harvested.

The Ocean Today from NOAA – a series of educational videos featuring horseshoe crab research and medicines from the sea.

Project Limulus Tagging Project – a long-term research project conducted by Sacred Heart University studying the life history of the horseshoe crabs in Long Island Sound. Website includes links to lesson plans.

Additional Reading

Committee on the Ocean’s Role in Human Health. 1999. From Monsoons to Microbes: Understanding the Ocean’s Role in Human Health. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Dellinger, Anthony. 2018. “Blue Bloods Spawn New Research Partnership.” Coastwatch Currents, 8/19/2018.

Katona, Steve. 2015. “Marine Animals in Human Health: Will a Sponge Save Your Life?” Ocean Health Index, 1/22/2015.

Krisfalusi-Gannon, J et al. 2018. The Role of Horseshoe Crabs in the Biomedical Industry and Recent Trends Impacting Species Sustainability. Front. Mar. Sci. 5 June 2018.

Sargent, William. 1987. The Year of the Crab: Marine Animals in Modern Medicine. New York: WW Norton & Company.

Sargent, William. 2002. Crab Wars: A Tale of Horseshoe Crabs, Bioterrorism, and Human Health. Lebanon, NH: University Press of New England.

Smith, David, et al. 2017. “Conservation Status of the American Horseshoe Crab, (Limulus polyphemus): a regional assessment.” Rev Fish Biol & Fisheries (27) 135-175.

Zhang, Sarah. 2018. “The Last Days of the Blue-Blood Harvest.” The Atlantic, 5/9/2018.

Field Trip Opportunities

The North Carolina Aquariums have horseshoe crabs on display. The three aquariums reopened to the public on Sept. 14 with online-only tickets sales for specific times of entry. Contact each aquarium directly to inquire about current group admission policy.

 

Science Needs You: Monitoring and Assessing Water Quality Across the Neuse River Estuary-Pamlico Sound Continuum (Autumn 2020)


Read the article online and/or access the article’s PDF.

North Carolina Standard Course of Study

8th grade science:

8.E.1 Understand the hydrosphere and the impact of humans on local systems and the effects of the hydrosphere on humans.

8.E.1.3 Predict the safety and potability of water supplies in North Carolina based on physical and biological factors, including:

Temperature

Dissolved oxygen

pH

Nitrates and phosphates

Turbidity

Bio-indicators

8.E.1.4 Conclude that the good health of humans requires:

Monitoring of the hydrosphere

Water quality standards

Methods of water treatment

Maintaining safe water quality

Stewardship

8.L.3 Understand how organisms interact with and respond to the biotic and abiotic components or their environment.

HS Biology: 

Bio.2.2 Understand the impact of human activities on the environment.

Bio.2.2.1 Infer how human activities (including population growth, pollution, global warming, burning of fossil fuels, habitat destruction and introduction of nonnative species) may impact the environment.

HS Earth/Environmental Science:

EEn.2.4 Evaluate how humans use water.

EEn.2.4.2 Evaluate human influences on water quality in North Carolina’s river basins, wetlands, and tidal environments.

Ocean Literacy Standards

1 The Earth has one big ocean with many features.

1.e Most of Earth’s water (97%) is in the ocean. Seawater has unique properties. It is salty, its freezing point is slightly lower than freshwater, its density is higher, its electrical conductivity is much higher, and it is slightly basic. Balance of pH is vital for the health of marine ecosystems, and important in controlling the rate at which the ocean will absorb and buffer changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide.

1.g The ocean is connected to major lakes, watersheds, and waterways because all major watersheds on Earth drain to the ocean. Rivers and streams transport nutrients, salts, sediments, and pollutants from watersheds to coastal estuaries and to the ocean.

5 The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.

5.i Estuaries provide important and productive nursery areas for many marine and aquatic species.

6 The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.

6.d Humans affect the ocean in a variety of ways. Laws, regulations, and resource management affect what is taken out and put into the ocean. Human development and activity lead to pollution (point source, non-point source, and noise pollution), changes to ocean chemistry (ocean acidification), and physical modifications (changes to beaches, shores, and rivers). In addition, humans have removed most of the large vertebrates from the ocean.

6.e Changes in ocean temperature and pH due to human activities can affect the survival of some organisms and impact biological diversity (coral bleaching due to increased temperature and inhibition of shell formation due to ocean acidification).

6.g Everyone is responsible for caring for the ocean. The ocean sustains life on Earth and humans must live in ways that sustain the ocean. Individual and collective actions are needed to effectively manage ocean resources for all.

Guiding Questions

Use the article, as well as the resources below, to respond to the following focus questions.

  1. What is a citizen scientist?
  2. Why are contributions from citizen scientists useful?
  3. Describe the ecological functions of an estuary.
  4. Why are estuaries so valuable to commercial fisheries in North Carolina?
  5. Why is monitoring water quality in the Neuse River estuary important?
  6. Define the acronyms for AVPs, ModMon and FerryMon.
  7. Compare and contrast water-monitoring methods (frequency of sampling, parameters measured, collection sites, etc.) for the three projects.
  8. Explain the value of historical water quality data.

Lesson Links and Resources

iFlood Phone App for Outer Banks Area Only – iFlood is a citizen science app that is a partnership between researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the towns of Nags Head and Duck, funded by the U.S. Coastal Research Program. iFlood submissions assist researchers in developing models for episodic flooding due to ocean storms and rainfall.

CoastSnap Beach Monitoring – Help researchers monitor beach response to changing weather and wave conditions, as well as extreme storms. This citizen science project began in Australia; its only U.S. location to participate is at Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head.

North Carolina Observations in iNaturalist – Our state has its own observation section in iNaturalist, an extremely popular nature app for identifying plants and animals. By entering observations into iNaturalist, people help researchers add to their baseline knowledge about our natural world.

North Carolina King Tides Project – Citizen scientists are documenting extreme high tides or king tides with photographs. Join in the experience.

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences – The museum conducts various citizen science projects onsite or remotely. Check out the opportunities at this website.

Assist with the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) – The Ocean Conservancy has coordinated the ICC since 1986, collecting over 337 million pounds of trash since its inception. Volunteer groups and individuals collect trash and data to reach the goal of trash-free seas. Check out the CleanSwell app from the Ocean Conservancy, which allows individuals who pick up ocean trash along any beach to record that trash and share information with family and friends.

Marine Debris Phone App for Collecting Data from Trash – This mobile app for tracking litter is a partnership between NOAA’s Marine Debris Program and the Southeast Atlantic Marine Debris Initiative at the University of Georgia. Not just for coasts, the app also allows users to enter debris collected from any waterway or coastline. Available for both iPhone and Android.

Find a Citizen Science Project that Interests You – SciStarter offers information on over 3,000 citizen science projects with a searchable database to filter by location, topic, age level, etc.

Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) – A nonprofit community-based group of volunteers working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, snow, and hail).

Citizen Science Projects for Birders – Holbrook Travel has put together a list of five projects that birders may enjoy. From watching birds at your own feeders to assisting with banding hummingbirds, there should be something for all levels of citizen scientists.

Estuary Education Resources from NERRS – Broad collection of educational materials from the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS).

Eyes on the Bay Lesson Plans – Use Chesapeake Bay remote sensing data to gather information and interpret those data that focus on salinity, dissolved oxygen, and harmful algal blooms. These activities are aligned with Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum standards for grades 6-8 and 9-12.

Bridge Ocean Science Education Data Archive – A collection of activities developed by marine education specialists with Virginia Sea Grant based on research data. The data activities below correlate with this Coastwatch article and are appropriate for grades 9-12.

 

Inside the Greenhouse: North Carolina’s Hottest Year on Record (Summer 2020)

Opening spread of the Coastwatch article "Into the Greenhouse"
Read the article online and/or access the article’s PDF.

North Carolina Standard Course of Study

6th grade science:

6.E.1 Understand the earth/moon/sun system, and the properties, structures, and predictable motions of celestial bodies in the universe.

6.E.1.1 Explain how the relative motion and relative position of the sun, Earth, and moon affect the seasons, tides, phases of the moon, and eclipses.

6.L.2 Understand the flow of energy through ecosystems and the responses of populations to the biotic and abiotic factors in their environment.

6.L.2.3 Summarize how the abiotic factors (such as temperature, water, sunlight, and soil quality) of biomes (freshwater, marine, forest, grasslands, desert, tundra) affect the ability of organisms to grow, survive, and/or create their own food through photosynthesis.

7th grade science:

7.E.1 Understand how the cycling of matter (water and gases) in and out of the atmosphere relates to Earth’s atmosphere, weather, and climate and the effects of the atmosphere on humans.

7.E.1.2 Explain how the cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere and atmospheric conditions relate to the weather patterns on Earth.

7.E.1.3 Explain the relationship between the movement of air masses, high and low pressure systems, and frontal boundaries to storms (including thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes) and other weather conditions that may result.

7.E.1.4 Predict weather conditions and patterns based on information obtained from:

7.E.1.6 Conclude that the good health of humans requires: monitoring the atmosphere, maintaining air quality, and stewardship.

HS Biology:

Bio.2.2 Understand the impact of human activities on the environment.

Bio.2.2.1 Infer how human activities (including population growth, pollution, global warming, burning of fossil fuels, habitat destruction, and introduction of nonnative species) may impact the environment.

HS Earth/Environmental Science:

EEn.2.6 Analyze patterns of global climate change over time.

EEn.2.6.3 Analyze the impacts that human activities have on global climate change (such as burning hydrocarbons, greenhouse effect, and deforestation).

EEn.2.6.4 Attribute changes in Earth systems to global climate change (temperature change, changes in pH of ocean, sea level changes, etc.).

Ocean Literacy Standards

3. The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate.

3.b. The ocean moderates global weather and climate by absorbing most of the solar radiation reaching Earth. Heat exchange between the ocean and atmosphere drives the water cycle and oceanic and atmospheric circulation.

3.c. Heat exchange between the ocean and atmosphere can result in dramatic global and regional weather phenomena, impacting patterns of rain and drought.

3.f. The ocean has had, and will continue to have, a significant influence on climate change by absorbing, storing, and moving heat, carbon, and water. Changes in the ocean’s circulation have produced large, abrupt changes in climate during the last 50,000 years.

3.g. Changes in the ocean-atmosphere system can result in changes to the climate that, in turn, cause further changes to the ocean and atmosphere. These interactions have dramatic physical, chemical, biological, economic, and social consequences.

4. The ocean made Earth habitable.

4.c. The ocean provided and continues to provide water, oxygen, and nutrients, and moderates the climate needed for life to exist on Earth.

6. The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.

6.e. Changes in ocean temperature and pH due to human activities can affect the survival of some organisms and impact biological diversity (e.g., coral bleaching due to increased temperature and inhibition of shell formation due to ocean acidification).

6.g. Everyone is responsible for caring for the ocean. The ocean sustains life on Earth and humans must live in ways that sustain the ocean. Individual and collective actions are needed to effectively manage ocean resources for all.

Guiding Questions

Use the article, as well as the resources below, to respond to the following focus questions.

  1. When did North Carolina’s long-term weather observations begin, and what technology was used?
  2. Analyze the bottom graph on page 25 (North Carolina Minimum Temperature). In one or two concise sentences, describe what the data show.
  3. Explain this statement: “…North Carolina’s climate isn’t a staircase.” Use specific examples from the article to justify your explanation.
  4. Why are more record-breaking warm years in North Carolina likely in the future?
  5. What is one step you would like to see your community take to offset the effects of climate change?

Lesson Links and Resources

North Carolina Climate Science Report – Released in March 2020, this document from the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies is an independent assessment of our state’s climate, both observed and projected.

Coastwatch Articles on Sea Level Rise and Climate Change – Articles in recent issues of Coastwatch have focused on the intersection of sea level rise and climate change in our coastal region. Discover what the research says about the concerns, the science, and the solutions.

North Carolina Climate Blog – The North Carolina Climate Office offers a climate blog that shares news and stories about our state’s climate and weather. You can sign up for new blog notices on the following website.

North Carolina King Tides Project – Citizen scientists are documenting extreme high tides, or king tides, with photographs. Join in the experience.

Yale Climate Connections – Yale’s School of the Environment offers a variety of print articles and audio programs from around the globe focused on climate. Sign up for their weekly e-newsletter.

Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) – A nonprofit, community-based group of volunteers working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, snow, and hail).

Science Friday – Real Estate Hunting for the Climate Apocalypse is an activity for grades 9-12 in which students explore the potential impacts of climate change on natural resources and on different locations across the country.

Bridge Ocean Science Education Data Archive – A collection of activities developed by marine education specialists with Virginia Sea Grant based on research data. The data activity below correlates with this Coastwatch article and is appropriate for grades 9-12.

Additional Reading

Cherry, Lynne and Gary Braasch. 2008. How We Know What We Know about Our Changing Climate: Scientists and Kids Explore Global Warming. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications.

Malnor, Carol L. 2008. A Teacher’s Guide to How We Know What We Know about Our Changing Climate. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications.

Pilkey, Orrin H. and Keith C. Pilkey. 2011. Global Climate Change: A Primer. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.

Plastic, Plastic, Everywhere (Winter 2020)

An image of microplastics in various shapes and sizes
Read the article online and/or access the article’s PDF.

North Carolina Standard Course of Study

6th grade science:

6.L.2 Understand the flow of energy through ecosystems and the responses of populations to the biotic and abiotic factors in their environment.

6.L.2.3 Summarize how the abiotic factors (such as temperature, water, sunlight, and soil quality) of biomes (freshwater, marine, forest, grasslands, desert, tundra) affect the ability of organisms to grow, survive, and/or create their own food through photosynthesis.

8th grade science:

8.E.1 Understand the hydrosphere and the impact of humans on local systems and the effects of the hydrosphere on humans.

8.E.1.4 Conclude that the good health of humans requires: monitoring the hydrosphere, water quality standards, methods of water treatment, maintaining safe water quality, and stewardship.

HS Biology:

Bio.2.2 Understand the impact of human activities on the environment.

Bio.2.2.1 Infer how human activities (including population growth, pollution, global warming, burning of fossil fuels, habitat destruction, and introduction of nonnative species) may impact the environment.

HS Earth/Environmental Science:

EEn.2.4 Evaluate how humans use water.

EEn.2.4.2 Evaluate human influences on water quality in North Carolina’s river basins, wetlands, and tidal environments.

EEn.2.7 Explain how the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere individually and collectively affect the biosphere.

EEn.2.7.3 Explain how human activities impact the biosphere.

EEn.2.8 Evaluate human behaviors in terms of how likely they are to ensure the ability to live sustainably on Earth.

EEn.2.8.4 Evaluate the concept of “reduce, reuse, recycle” in terms of impact on natural resources.

Ocean Literacy Standards

1. The Earth has one big ocean with many features.

1.c. Throughout the ocean there is one interconnected circulation system powered by wind, tides, the force of Earth’s rotation (Coriolis effect), the sun and water density differences. The shape of ocean basins and adjacent land masses influence the path of circulation. This “global ocean conveyor belt” moves water throughout all of the ocean basins, transporting energy (heat), matter, and organisms around the ocean. Changes in ocean circulation have a large impact on the climate and cause changes in ecosystems.

1.g. The ocean is connected to major lakes, watersheds, and waterways because all major watersheds on Earth drain to the ocean. Rivers and streams transport nutrients, salts, sediments, and pollutants from watersheds to coastal estuaries and to the ocean.

6. The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.

6.d. Humans affect the ocean in a variety of ways. Laws, regulations, and resource management affect what is taken out and put into the ocean. Human development and activity leads to pollution (point source, non-point source, and noise pollution), changes to ocean chemistry (ocean acidification), and physical modifications (changes to beaches, shores, and rivers). In addition, humans have removed most of the large vertebrates from the ocean.

6.g. Everyone is responsible for caring for the ocean. The ocean sustains life on Earth and humans must live in ways that sustain the ocean. Individual and collective actions are needed to effectively manage ocean resources for all.

Guiding Questions

Use the article, as well as the resources below, to respond to the following guiding questions.

  1. Draw or describe three different pathways that plastic might travel from land to ocean.
  2. What are two ways that microplastics are formed?
  3. Why are scientists and others concerned about microplastics in the environment?
  4. Why is it important to document the amount of macro- and microplastics entering the Neuse River?
  5. Design a system to do one of the following tasks. Things to consider: power source, water depth, specific targets, disposal of plastics, etc.
    a) Stop plastics from entering rivers and streams; b) stop plastics from entering the ocean directly; c) collect plastics from the ocean’s surface and water column.
  6. Explain the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle.” Then, add at least two more “r” solutions to the list, describing each addition.
  7. Why are oysters among the wildlife most susceptible to microplastic ingestion?
  8. Imagine that you are writing a marine debris action plan. Describe three approaches to preventing and/or removing marine debris that you would include in your plan.

Lesson Links and Resources

North Carolina Marine Debris Action Plan – Released in January 2020, this document represents a collaboration of many agencies and organizations and provides a framework for the prevention and removal of marine debris along the North Carolina coast.

NOAA’s Marine Debris Program – The Marine Debris Program was created in 2006 by the signing of the Marine Debris Act. This federal government office is the go-to group when it comes to any type of marine debris data and information. Discover details about all forms of marine pollution, learn about resources for educators, locate scientific papers about marine debris research, and subscribe to their blog.

My NASA Data – Ocean Circulation Patterns: Garbage Patches Story Map – Using various visualizations (e.g., images, charts, and graphs) and NASA data, students can explore the connection between ocean circulation patterns and ocean garbage patches. Students will also analyze regional plastic production and waste management data to describe how humans have contributed to ocean plastic pollution.

How Natural Disasters Contribute to Marine Debris – Explore the role that natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods, play in the marine debris problem around the world.

The Plastic Ocean Project – a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate through field research, implement outreach initiatives, and incubate solutions to address the global program of plastic pollution. Learn about their “Ocean Friendly Establishment” designation and their traveling art exhibition created from plastic trash collected from local beaches.

Common Seas – Learn about this London-based organization that brings together researchers, policy experts, and behavior-change professionals to reduce the production of plastic waste and to keep that waste out of the ocean. The group coordinates four projects: Ocean Plastics Academy for educators (see below); Plastic Drawdown for governments; Clean Blue Alliance for plastic waste-free islands; and Healthy Me, Healthy Sea, about plastic and human health.

Debris Tracker Phone App – This community science app (for both iPhone and Android platforms) allows anyone to participate in a wide-ranging research project by taking and uploading photos of plastic debris found on beaches around the world. The app can be downloaded from the App Store or from Google Play.

Duke University Marine Laboratory Community Science Initiative – This DUML group connects 4th and 5th graders with marine debris research and local researchers by using community science and environmental literacy. The interdisciplinary activities fit into existing classroom studies.

5 Gyres Institute – Since 2009, this nonprofit organization has called attention to plastic trash in the ocean and in lakes and rivers around the world. Conducting research in all five ocean gyres, this group includes corporate executives, celebrities, and community scientists in their expeditions.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Trash Free Waters – Most of the trash found in our waters was mismanaged on land. EPA’s Trash Free Waters program focuses on reducing packaging and single-use plastics and preventing plastic trash from entering our waterways.

NOAA’s Resource Collection on Ocean Pollution – NOAA offers background information, as well as lessons and activities, focusing on marine debris and other aquatic pollutants.

Mitigating Microplastics: Teacher Lesson Plans – Oregon Sea Grant offers three lessons aimed at grades 6 to 8. Students will analyze both problems and solutions focusing on microplastics in the ocean. Although this series was designed as a one-week unit, the topic can be extended by adding a student project at the end of the lessons.

Marine Debris STEAMSS – This curriculum for grades 4-12 features more than STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). The addition of art and social studies makes these activities more versatile. The teacher-created and pilot-tested lessons feature project-based learning (PBL) units and both classroom and field experiences.

Microplastics Awareness Project – Florida Sea Grant runs a citizen-science project with volunteers collecting coastal water samples, filtering them, and looking for microplastics — tiny bits of plastic that never biodegrade and are accidentally consumed by marine life, threatening their health, and possibly ours. The website contains a visual representation of the data collected through this project, as well as educational resources and a fact sheet about microplastics.

Plastic Free Milwaukee – This nonprofit organization based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is working to eliminate single-use plastics and keep the Great Lakes clean. Their compilation of original and borrowed activities and lessons targets all ages and grades.

Ocean Plastics Academy – an educational project of Common Seas, the Ocean Plastics Academy offers teaching guides, photo galleries, and infographics for educators, as well as home learning STEAM activities for ages 5-16. Their educational components are correlated with behavioral, cognitive, and socio-emotional learning objectives.

Science Friday: Engineering a Fix for the Great Pacific Garbage Patch — an activity for grades 6-8 in which students use the engineering design process to design a device that will capture suspended marine plastics in the marine environment while using natural forces to move through the water.

Turning the Tide on Trash – Originally produced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and updated by NOAA’s Marine Debris Program, this interdisciplinary guide can be used with grades K-12. Individual lessons can supplement learning in other subjects.

Educators Guide to Marine Debris: Southeast and Gulf of Mexico – The teacher’s guide introduces the three main categories of marine debris — litter, lost fishing gear (commercial and recreational), and abandoned boats — and includes activities on stewardship and responsibility. This collection of lessons works well with grades 5-8.

Bridge Ocean Science Education Data Archive – a collection of activities developed by marine education specialists with Virginia Sea Grant based on research data. The data activities below correlate with this Coastwatch article and are appropriate for grades 8-12.

Print Resources

Abbing, Michiel Roscam. 2019. Plastic Soup: An Atlas of Ocean Pollution. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Burns, Loree Griffin. 2007. Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Ebbesmeyer, Curtis and Eric Scigliano. 2009. Flotsametrics and the Floating World: How One Man’s Obsession with Runaway Sneakers and Rubber Ducks Revolutionized Ocean Science. New York: HarperCollinsPublishers.

Freinkel, Susan. 2011. Plastic: A Toxic Love Story. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Hohn, Donovan. 2011. Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists, and Fools, Including the Author, Who Went in Search of Them. New York: Viking Penguin.

Moore, Charles and Cassandra Phillips. 2011. Plastic Ocean: How a Sea Captain’s Chance Discovery Launched a Determined Quest to Save the Oceans. New York: Avery.

Siegle, Lucy. 2018. Turning the Tide on Plastic: How Humanity (and You) Can Make Our Globe Clean Again. London: Trapeze.

 

Lessons in Mariculture: Zoom in on Aquaculture (Spring 2020)

North Carolina Sea Grant has published a collection of free lesson plans on marine aquaculture, or “mariculture.” Designed for high schoolers, the activities cover a wide range of topics, such as aquaculture’s origins and the benefits of shellfish to the ecosystem.

“This curriculum is here to hopefully help teachers — earth and environmental science and marine science teachers, in particular — integrate aquaculture resources into their classroom,” says Amy Sauls, a science teacher at Swansboro High School and lead writer on the lesson plans. “Aquaculture, especially of North Carolina oysters and clams, is a quickly growing industry that our students need to know about.”

Lesson 4, republished here, offers a flavor of what you can expect from these resources. Through a creative slideshow focusing on the blue crab, this lesson encourages students to think about the biology and ecology of various aquaculture species.

“Teach a kid to fish,” quips Sauls. “How about how to grow clams, oysters, or blue crabs?”

Find more lesson plans here.

— Julie Leibach

Lesson Four

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  1. Describe the life stages of an aquaculture species and recognize its habitat needs and other ecological requirements at each stage.
  2. Compare and contrast the ecological needs of species produced through aquaculture.
  3. Explain the role of zooplankton and phytoplankton in the food web.
  4. Explain the ways that different organisms reproduce can help or hinder their suitability as aquaculture species.

Overview

This activity exposes students to North Carolina aquaculture species at multiple scales. First, students will take a big-picture look, exploring a species’ habitat needs and the effects of human activity on its environment. Then they will examine the organism at smaller and smaller scales to better understand the organism’s life cycle and adaptations.

The blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) will serve as a model species, given its important role in marine aquaculture in the state. Indeed, soft-shell blue crabs, along with Eastern oysters (Crassostrea virginica), are the top N.C. marine aquaculture species by volume and by economic value.

Students also will have the opportunity to research other organisms to compare similarities and differences in life stages, habitats, biological needs, and aquaculture potential.

Science Standards

Bio.1.2.2

Bio.2.1.2

Bio.2.2.2

EEn.2.2.1

Spawning female blue crabs are recognizable by yellow-orange, brown, or black egg masses. Photo by David Saddler/CC BY 2.0

Spawning female blue crabs are recognizable by yellow-orange, brown, or black egg masses. Photo by David Saddler/CC BY 2.0


Vocabulary

Background

Blue crabs are crustaceans, meaning that adult crabs have hard shells and jointed legs. It takes 12 to 18 months for crabs to fully mature. They develop through several stages until they reach the adult shape many of us recognize.

The blue crab starts its life as a microscopic larva called a zoea that drifts through the water eating zooplankton and plant materials. This period lasts 30 to 45 days.

Eventually the blue crab reaches the megalops stage, when it grows a soft exoskeleton and starts to look more crab-like. It sheds that skin after six to 20 days. At that point it is a juvenile crab that looks like a miniature version of an adult crab.

In order for a mature crab to grow, it periodically sheds its hard shell through a process called molting. A soft, pliable crab emerges and expands its soft, new shell. A crab that has just shed its hard shell is known as a soft-shell crab and is a common aquaculture product in North Carolina. Soft-shell crab producers must monitor blue crabs closely in order to harvest them directly after molting. Within only a few hours of shedding its shell, the crab will again return to its hardened state.

Soft-shell crab production is a type of short-term farming, because it consists of removing crabs from the wild and holding them until they molt. Soft-shell crabs can be produced in indoor or outdoor recirculating aquaculture systems, such as the shallow tanks depicted in the illustration. These shedding tanks are simple troughs or shallow tables that hold running water that is pumped from a brackish water supply. Water filtration maintains proper water quality. Molting crabs are separated by mesh enclosures to protect them during this vulnerable life stage.

To grow, a blue crab periodically sheds its hard shell through a process called molting.

To grow, a blue crab periodically sheds its hard shell through a process called molting. Photo courtesy of Kathy Dixon/Virginia Farm Bureau Federation.

Blue crabs are part of a complex food web and have evolved numerous adaptations to find food and avoid being eaten. They are omnivores and opportunists in their eating habits. They eat both plants and animals, including bivalves like soft-shell clams; other crustaceans, such as shrimp; fish and marine worms; and anything else they can find, including dead plants and animals. They even eat younger blue crabs!

In turn, many organisms eat blue crabs. Eel, drum, spot, striped bass (rockfish), Atlantic croaker, and catfish all eat crabs when they are in the zoea and megalops stages. Some sharks and cownose rays eat the larger adult crabs, as do Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. Humans also eat blue crabs. In fact, blue crabs are the number-one seafood harvested in North Carolina by volume and monetary value. Fishers deploy crab pots, typically from a boat, to catch crabs.

Blue crabs have a number of other adaptations that make them successful in the marine environment. For example, females produce a large number of eggs — as many as 750,000 to 8 million at a time. This reproductive strategy ensures that at least some eggs will survive, even if others are eaten.

Blue crabs are habitat generalists, meaning that they can exploit different habitats. For instance, they can thrive in high salinity ocean water as well as in inland waters with low salinity. Blue crabs are known as osmoconformers, meaning that they can adapt to the salinity of their environment by adjusting the salt content of their cells through a process called osmosis.

Like many other arthropods — a phylum that also includes insects and spiders — blue crabs can regenerate a lost appendage through molting. They can grow a new full-sized leg or claw after two to three molts.

Activity

  1. The teacher will show students, without much explanation, the Zoom In PowerPoint presentation. At each slide, the teacher will ask the students what they see. As the slides progress to show smaller scales, the teacher can discuss food webs, as well as adaptations that the crabs have evolved in order to eat and avoid being eaten.

The teacher will then facilitate a discussion on:

  1. Students will create a Zoom In PowerPoint or booklet of another N.C. aquaculture species (e.g. Eastern oyster, hard clam, sunray Venus clam, freshwater prawn, rainbow trout, black sea bass), similar to the blue crab PowerPoint.

Students will present their PowerPoint or booklet to another student and explain what they learned about the species, including its taxonomy, biotic and abiotic requirements, life cycle, and suitability for aquaculture. The student pairs should create a list of similarities and differences between one of their chosen species and the blue crab.

Next, the teacher will facilitate a group discussion about the similarity and difference lists. Are any of the similarities or differences related to species taxonomy, for example? Which species are of the same phylum, class, order, or family? The teacher also will ask students to describe which characteristics of their organism could hinder its use in aquaculture, and which characteristics are conducive to aquaculture.

Extension

Each student will explain the findings about their aquaculture species to an adult — for example, another teacher, parent, or adult friend — and have the adult sign off that the student completed the assignment.

References

  1. Blue Crab Aquaculture in Ponds. 2001. North Carolina Sea Grant. UNC-SG-BP-12-01.
  2. Blue Crab Unit. Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Partnership. (Blue crab fact sheet starts on page 21.)
  3. Maryland Public Television. 2005. Blue Crabs — The Bay’s Beautiful Swimmers.
  4. Oesterling, M.J. Soft crabs in closed systems: A Virginia success story. Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences.

Direct links to the references are available with the online version of Lesson 4.

 

 

 

lead photo courtesy of VisitNC.com