Exploring Ocean Mysteries is a curriculum that makes it easy to teach the seven Ocean Literacy Principles while meeting NGSS, Common Core and Climate Literacy standards. Lessons are targeted to middle grades and adaptable for grades 4-12. They use the National Marine Sanctuary System as an engaging backdrop that helps students understand their importance for exploration, research, Indigenous cultures and more.
Ocean Literacy Essential Principle 5: The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.
This Sanctuaries of Deep-Sea Coral Communities lesson focuses on species found in deep-sea coral communities and environmental factors that influence their presence and abundance. Students will view videos of real scientific transects taken with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and record data on the presence of specified species.
Lesson Plan
Students will:
- Describe physical and biological components of the deep sea.
- Analyze data to draw conclusions about species diversity and abundance in different habitats.
- Explain how scientists analyze data by using recorded video.
- Explain the importance of characterizing habitats and being able to describe the various habitat types found in deep-sea coral communities.
- Argue from evidence about how a change in deep-sea communities could impact deep-sea ecosystems.
Discover deep-sea coral communities and the species that call them home.
Follow a Remotely Operated Vehicle or ROV transect, identify the species seen, and complete the data sheet.
Learn how to identify deep-sea corals, such as soft corals like sea fans and bubblegum coral, as well as deep-sea sponges and invertebrates.
