This lesson will provide students with an opportunity to design and carry out an experiment that mimics the conditions causing accelerated ice melt along the face of the Thwaites Glacier off the southwest coast of Antarctica. Created by Sarah Slack during her expedition to Thwaites aboard the icebreaker Nathaniel B. Palmer, this activity aligns with the Science and Engineering
This lesson about the factors affecting water density in the Amundsen Sea was developed by educator Sarah Slack during her PolarTREC expedition aboard the Nathaniel B. Palmer icebreaker. Part of the science mission was to create a detailed map of the seafloor at the face of the Thwaites Glacier, which revealed a series of channels that were conducting a
This lesson was written for a Photography I course, to be taught in a lab with access to either a darkroom or computers/printers. The class has already spent ample time getting used to the basics of photography, learning to use their cameras as a creative tool, just as a painter might use a brush. This lesson could easily
The Center for Microbial Oceanography offers resources on education and outreach for K-12 teachers, undergraduates, grads & post-docs and related links. This is a great tool for lesson planning. In addition to outreach ideas, C-MORE offers kits for review and request.
Since most plankton is smaller than we can see, they must be looked at using a microscope. They are usually strained from the water using fine mesh nets or sieves with tiny holes. Typical plankton nets have a round opening and look like a funnel that leads into a collection bucket at the end of the net. The nets are
One of the simplest biological samplers, zooplankton nets are made in a wide variety of styles and sizes. The two nets in the MARMAP Bongo vertical-haul net system explained here each have a mouth diameter of about 25 cm.
Learn about how scientists measure salinity, temperature, and depth (CTD). Information can be found in Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels, as well as in English or Spanish language.
What is it and why do we use it?
A CTD — an acronym for Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth — is the primary tool for determining essential physical properties of sea water. It gives scientists a precise and comprehensive charting of the distribution and variation of water temperature, salinity, and density that helps to understand how the oceans affect life
What is it and why do we use it?
An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, or Acoustic Doppler Profiler, is often referred to with the acronym ADCP. Scientists use the instrument to measure how fast water is moving across an entire water column. An ADCP anchored to the seafloor can measure current speed not just at the bottom, but also at