Preface

This Resource Guide was developed and funded by the U.S. Navy (Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Naval Oceanographic Office, Office of Naval Research/Naval Research Laboratory, and the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Sea Grant College Program; National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information System; and Ocean and Coastal Resources Management), the Department of Interior (Office of Territorial and International Affairs), and the National Marine Educators Association. This national educational study has been implemented in cooperation with the Institute of Marine Sciences administered by The University of Southern Mississippi and the Sea Grant College Programs of Mississippi-Alabama, New Jersey, New York, Maine-New Hampshire, Oregon, Connecticut, Washington, California, North Carolina, Hawaii, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Delaware and universities associated with these Sea Grant College Programs. This partnership of federal agencies and academia recognizes the importance of “bridging-the-gap” between education and scientific research. This cooperative effort resulted in the development of an intellectually rigorous and physically demanding graduate course in Oceanographic and Coastal Processes Education which was implemented and offered to elementary and middle school teachers representing all coastal and Great Lakes states in this country—to include Puerto Rico and the Pacific Island Network during the summers of 1993 through 1997. This program has been expanded for the summers of 1998 and 1999 to include high school teachers, as well as a continuation of participation by elementary and middle school educators. This precollege audience in 1998 and 1999 will also include 30 teachers per region (180 teachers per year), four of whom will be preservice teachers.

Teachers, researchers, and Sea Grant educators converge each summer at a regional, host university for 14-days in June or July. Through lectures, sessions with scientists, field experiences and hands-on activities, precollege teachers will continue to explore issues concerning oceanography and coastal processes. As “homework” for the course, the 1993, 1994, and 1995 teachers developed individual lesson plans for six oceanographic and coastal processes topics. By the conclusion of each institute—over these three summers—the project and associate directors of this teacher enhancement effort recognized the lesson plans of fellow teachers were a valuable resource which should be shared.

During the summers of 1996 and 1997, Operation Pathfinder participants field-tested and evaluated the previously developed elementary and middle school teachers’ 1,175 lesson plans and selected the “best-of-the-best” for editing, refining, and compiling into a Resource Guide to be used by formal and informal educators from throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Pacific Island Network who may have need for this curricular material. During the winter of 1997 and spring of 1998, the National Sea Grant College Program, the Office of Naval Research, the National Ocean Partnership Program, the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education, and Mississippi’s Department of Marine Resources (Tidelands Trust Funds) provided funds for taking the seventy-nine “best-of-the-best” activities—selected by the 1996 and 1997 teachers a step further. The “best-of-the-best” activities were further reviewed and evaluated by the seven-Regional Project Directors for 1996 and 1997. Review criteria in determining the “best-of-the-best” activities included scientific accuracy and timeliness, consistency with National Science Education Goals and Standards, clarity, grade-level of potential students, and content appropriateness. The activities being presented in this Resource Guide include the following topics:

Marine and Aquatic Habitats Deep Sea Technologies Marine and Aquatic Resources	Marine and Aquatic Pollution Physical Parameters Plate Tectonics
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Acknowledgements

Rear Admiral Winford G. Ellis, Oceanographer of the Navy; Rear Admiral Paul E. Tobin, Jr., Oceanographer of the Navy (Retired); Rear Admiral George W. Davis, VI, Oceanographer of the Navy (Retired); Rear Admiral Geoffrey L. Chesbrough, Oceanographer of the Navy (Retired); Rear Admiral Kenneth E. Barbor, Commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command; Rear Admiral Paul G. Gaffney, II, Chief of Naval Research; Rear Admiral John E. Chubb, Commander (Retired), Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command; Captain Richard M. Cassidy, Commanding Officer, Naval Research Laboratory (Retired); Captain Bruce Buckley, Commanding Officer, Naval Research Laboratory; Dr. Richard W. Spinrad, Director, Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education; Dr. Donald L. Durham, Technical Director, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command; Ms. Gail Cleere, Public Affairs Officer, Staff of the Oceanographer of the Navy; Mr. Stephen B. Wilson, Public Affairs Officer, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command; Mr. Thomas V. Fredian, Public Affairs Officer, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (Retired); Mr. Robert S. Winokur, Assistant Administrator for the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Services (NOAA-U.S. Department of Commerce); Mr. Robert H. Feden, Special Assistant to the Assistant Administrator for the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Services (NOAA-U.S. Department of Commerce); Dr. Ned A. Ostenso, Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (Deceased) [NOAA-U.S. Department of Commerce]; Ms. Stephanie Thornton, Chief, Marine Sanctuaries Division, Office of Coastal Resources Management (NOAA-U.S. Department of Commerce); Ms. Maureen Wilmont, Program Planner, Marine Sanctuaries Division, Office of Coastal Resource Management (NOAA-U.S. Department of Commerce); Mr. Philip D. Delongchamps, Technical Assistance Advisor, Office of Territorial and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Interior (Retired); Mr. Allen P. Stayman, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Territorial and International Affairs, U.S. Department of Interior; Ms. Darla Knoblock, Office of Insular Affairs, U.S. Department of Interior; Dr. Ronald C. Baird, Director for the National Sea Grant College Program (NOAA-U.S. Department of Commerce); Dr. Chandrakant Bhumralkar, Acting Director (1994-1996) for the National Sea Grant College Program (NOAA-U.S. Department of Commerce); Dr. David B. Duane (Retired), Director for the National Sea Grant College Program (NOAA-U.S. Department of Commerce); Dr. Shirley J. Fiske, Team Leader for Outreach, National Sea Grant College Program (NOAA-U.S. Department of Commerce); Dr. Linda Kupfer, Program Officer for Biotechnology National Sea Grant College Program (NOAA-U.S. Department of Commerce); Ms. DeShon Carter, Program Assistant, National Sea Grant College Program (NOAA-U.S. Department of Commerce); Sea Grant Directors as Listed: Drs. Anders Andren-Wisconsin; Jesús B. Tupaz-Mississippi-Alabama; Michael P. Weinstein-New Jersey; Jack Mattice-New York; Doug Sherman-California; Carolyn Thoroughgood-Delaware; Anne Bucklin-New Hampshire; Louie Echols-Washington; Michael McDonald-Minnesota; Edward Monahan-Connecticut; Robert Malouf-Oregon; Charles Helsley-Hawaii; Ronald Hodson-North Carolina; and James Sullivan-California; Dr. Horace W. Fleming, President, The University of Southern Mississippi; Dr. Aubrey K, Lucas, President (Retired), The University of Southern Mississippi; Dr. Karen M. Yarbrough, Vice President for Research, The University of Southern Mississippi; Dr. D. Jay Grimes, Director, Institute of Marine Sciences, Administered by The University of Southern Mississippi; Dr. Robert T. van Aller, Interim Director, Institute of Marine Sciences, Administered by The University of Southern Mississippi; Dr. Thomas D. McIlwain, Director (Retired), Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, Administered by The University of Southern Mississippi; Dr. Martha A. Sager, Coordinator of Educational Programs, Institute of Marine Sciences, Administered by The University of Southern Mississippi; Ms. Linda C. Skupien, Public Information Officer, Institute of Marine Sciences, Administered by The University of Southern Mississippi; Ms. Johnette D. Bosarge, Administrative Assistant, J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium, Institute of Marine Sciences, Administered by The University of Southern Mississippi; Catherine L. Seymour, Layout and Design Editor, J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium, Institute of Marine Sciences, Administered by The University of Southern Mississippi; Ms. Rosemary Finley, Artist and Science Teacher, Harrison County Schools, Gulfport, Mississippi; Dr. Shelia A. Brown, Science Department Chair, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Jefferson Davis Campus; Mr. Howard D. Walters, Instructor-Developmental Studies, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Jefferson Davis Campus; and Ms. Anne C. Switzer, High School Physics Teacher and Graduate Student, North Carolina State University.

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Credits

Published for the Institute of Marine Sciences—J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium Administered by The University of Southern Mississippi Printed by Calagaz Digital Imaging and Printing This publication has been funded by the National Sea Grant College Program, the Office of Naval Research/Naval Research Laboratory, the National Ocean Partnership Program, the Consortium for Oceanographic Research and Education, The Institute of Marine Sciences-The University of Southern Mississippi, and Mississippi’s Department of Marine Resources (Tidelands Trust Funds). Project Director Sharon H. Walker, Ph.D., Institute of Marine Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi Senior Editors Sharon H. Walker, Institute of Marine Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi Kimberly Damon-Randall, Institute of Marine Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi Associate Editor Howard D. Walters, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, Jefferson Davis Campus Typists Johnette D. Bosarge, Institute of Marine Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi Catherine L. Seymour, Institute of Marine Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi Layout and Design Editor Catherine L. Seymour, Institute of Marine Sciences, The University of Southern Mississippi Original Artwork Rosemary Finley, Harrison County Schools, Gulfport, Mississippi Consulting Editors, Second Evaluation Team, and 1996 and 1997 Regional Project Directors Diane Baxter, Scripps Institute of Oceanography/Birch Aquarium at Scripps Amy Haddow, Connecticut Sea Grant College Program, University of Connecticut Liz Kumabe, Hawaii Sea Grant College Program, University of Hawaii Bruce Munson, Minnesota Sea Grant College Program, University of Minnesota Vicki Osis, OR Sea Grant College Program, Hatfield Marine Science Ctr./OR State University Sharon Roth-Franks, California Sea Grant College Program, Scripps Institute of Oceanography Lundie Spence, North Carolina Sea Grant College Program, North Carolina State University Sharon H. Walker, MS-AL Sea Grant Consortium, the Institute of Marine Sciences/J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium, and The University of Southern Mississippi This Oceanography and Coastal Processes Resource Guide was developed and funded by the U.S. Navy (Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, Office of Naval Research/Naval Research Laboratory, Naval Oceanographic Office, and the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Sea Grant College Program; National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information System; and Ocean and Coastal Resources Management), the Department of Interior (Office of Territorial and International Affairs), and the National Marine Educators Association—in cooperation with the Institute of Marine Sciences administered by The University of Southern Mississippi and various, regional Sea Grant College Programs and their respective universities and/or colleges. Copyright permission on all materials in this Oceanography and Coastal Processes Resource Guide is granted as long as the materials are used for educational purposes and not sold for a profit or presented without proper credit to the original source. This Resource Guide should be cited as follows: Walker, Sharon H. and Kimberly Damon-Randall (Senior Editors) and Howard D. Walters (Associate Editor). 1998. Oceanography and Coastal Processes Resource Guide. Institute of Marine Sciences—J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium, administered by The University of Southern Mississippi. Biloxi, Mississippi. Printed by Calagaz Digital Imaging and Printing, Mobile, Alabama. While available, copies of this publication may be obtained by writing to: Oceanography and Coastal Processes Resource Guide J.L. Scott Marine Education Center and Aquarium P.O. Box 7000 Ocean Springs, MS 39566-7000 Phone: (228) 374-5550 Fax: (228) 374-5559 E-mail: shwalker@seahorse.ims.usm.edu A Resource Guide for Oceanography and Coastal Processes for Elementary, Middle, and High School Teachers The Earth, for all we know, is a unique planet where a thin blanket of air, a thinner film of water and the thinnest veneer of soil combine to support a web of life of wondrous diversity and continual change. The daily needs of more than five billion people now stress the limits of this naturally regulated system. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Global Change Research Program 1991 What science education will be for any one child for any one year, is most dependent on what that child’s teacher believes, knows, and does or doesn’t believe, doesn’t know, and doesn’t do. For essentially all of the science learned in the school, the teacher is the enabler, the inspiration and the constraint. National Science Foundation, 1978