NOAA Live! Webinars
March 2020 - April 2022
Features
• Different NOAA expert and topic with each webinar
• Moderated Q&A webinars with the scientists
• Geared toward Grades 2-8
• Archive of past webinars with English captions and Spanish subtitles
• Why do we make an Indigenous Land Acknowledgment?
• FREE NOAA Live! iron-on patch. E-mail gsimpkins@whoi.edu (Grace)
• Lesson activities based on NOAA Live!
Sponsors
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• National Sea Grant College Program
• NOAA Office of Education
• Woods Hole Sea Grant
• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Find out about other Woods Hole Sea Grant programs on our social media channels!
Upcoming webinars
We do not currently have any upcoming webinars scheduled.
About NOAA Live! webinars
NOAA Live! Webinars were created in response to COVID-19-related school closures. Conducted from March 2020 to present, the webinars are the result of a partnership between NOAA’s Regional Collaboration Network, Woods Hole Sea Grant, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. These webinars provided students access to scientists, real-life examples of possible career paths, and the opportunity to have fun interacting with others outside their home in a safe way.
Archive
You can search the archive using a keyword or topic filters to the left. NOTE: The NGSS and MA STE standards search function is currently under construction.
Refine by:
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Picture Climate Change: A glimpse at climate change in the west through the lens of American youth
NOAA West Regional Team
The NOAA West Regional Team will showcase the winners of NOAA’s “Picture Climate Change” Student Photo Contest during this NOAA Live! 4 Kids Event!
NOAA challenged students in fifth through twelfth grade from all U.S. states and territories to help NOAA understand how climate change has impacted them, their family, their school, and their community. The goal? To show this impact of climate change through a photo. NOAA asked students, “In what ways has your landscape, wildlife, or way of life changed due to climate shifts?” And students delivered.
The photos NOAA received from students tell tales of drought, flood, fire, pollution, extreme heat or cold, and smoke. The student summaries shared stories of evacuating during a wildfire, of worry for species and their habitats, and how hard it is to breathe when fires degrade air. The photo contest left NOAA in awe of the student images that were submitted, each one radiating the students’ fear, concern, and outrage of climate change impacts — and also, the students’ hope and desire to combat climate change.
Join this NOAA Live! 4 Kids event to experience what students shared with NOAA about their climate change perspectives. You’ll hear from NOAA experts about the cutting-edge science, research, and projects happening now that relate to the climate impacts students shared with NOAA through their photos.
Resources to access at home:
» Talking to Children about Climate Change article on the NOAA National Ocean Service Planet Stewards page
» NOAA Planet Stewards archive: This includes webinar presentations by scientists, educators, and communicators to the NOAA Planet Stewards’ community. There is valuable content about climate change, becoming a citizen scientist, teaching climate change, and much more!
» Discover Your Changing World with NOAA: Full activity book that you can download or individual activities
» NASA climate kids -the climate time machine: See into the past and look ahead to the future of amounts of sea ice, the sea level, carbon dioxide, and global temperature
» NASA climate kids: a kids guide to climate change including how the changing climate affects the ocean
» The Incredible Carbon Journey: Play the Carbon Journey Game with your class or a group at home (Use the blue “Jump to this Activity” button on the website linked to here).
» NASA Climate Kids Offset Game: As you play this online game you earn money so you can buy “upgrades” to your carbon sources and sinks. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide molecules are escaping into the atmosphere.
¡Hola!, aqui NOAA
Juan Pablo Hurtado Padilla, NOAA’s Science on a Sphere in Falls Church, VA and Rafael de Ameller, NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Services in Bethesda, MD
Español: Acompáñanos en nuestro primer programa en español donde junto al experto Rafael de Ameller aprenderemos más sobre NOAA. Juntos exploraremos todos los lugares donde podemos encontrar a los empleados de NOAA y como esta agencia federal nos permite observar y entender desde la superficie del Sol hasta las profundidades del Océano. Finalmente crearemos un cuaderno de campo con papel y lápiz para recordar este viaje con NOAA.
English: Join us in our first program in Spanish where, along with the expert Rafael de Ameller, we will learn more about NOAA. Together we will explore all the places where we can find NOAA employees and how this federal agency allows us to observe and understand from the surface of the Sun to the depths of the Ocean. Finally, we will make a NOAA field notebook with paper and a pencil to record our journey.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Data in the Classroom: Find fun activities designed for teachers and their students! – English only. Encuentra entretenidas actividades diseñadas para maestr@s y sus alumnos. – Solo en Inglés.
» NOAA SciJinks: NOAA webpage for kids with activities, videos and games – English only. Página web para niños de NOAA con actividades, videos y juegos. – Solo en Inglés.
» NOAA SciJinks Youtube page: Youtube channel explaining NOAA science for kids. – English only. Canal de Youtube para niños que explica la ciencia de NOAA. – Solo en Inglés.
» Aprendiendo con Mamá: Hands-on activities to better understand weather phenomena – Spanish Only. Actividades manuales para entender mejor fenómenos del clima – Solo en Español.
Born is the Coral Polyp, A Creation Story from Hawai’i
Malia K. Evans, NOAA’s Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Wai’anae, Hawai’i
Emerging from the deep darkness was the tiny coral polyp, the first life form born in the Kumulipo, a Hawaiian creation story. The 2,100 line chant establishes and reaffirms the family relationships Native Hawaiians maintain to the natural environment, to each other and to our oldest ancestor the coral polyp. This presentation and hands-on activity will explore this sacred origin story as we deepen our understanding of Native Hawaiian oral traditions, basic coral polyp anatomy and the practice of mālama ‘āina, to care for and respect the natural world around us. ACTIVITY DURING THE WEBINAR: We made our own coral polyp art during the webinar. Click here for instructions and a full materials list! Submit your artwork here for us to post on our website!
Resources to access at home:
» Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument main page: This site has a map of the Monument, links to education resources, virtual visits, voices of Papahānaumokuākea, and more.
» Native Hawaiian Cultural Heritage: Native Hawaiians still remain deeply connected to Papahānaumokuākea on genealogical, cultural, and spiritual levels. This website dives into the cultural research and significance.
» Mai Ka Pō-Return to the Source: Read about Maliaʻs journey into the sacred space of Papahānaumokuākea in July 2019.
» Layne Luna mural: Identify some of the spectacular wildlife in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument that depend on healthy coral reefs.
» Hawaiian Place Names map: Learn the ancestral Hawaiian names of these islands & coral atolls and their locations within Papahānaumokuākea.
» Poster map of the Hawaiian Archipelago – The eldest island in the Hawaiian archipelago; Hōlanikū is over 28 million years old while the youngest is an active underwater volcano named Kamaʻehuakanaloa.
» Beyond Science Into Pō – Learn how Native Hawaiians reconnect and build relationships with ancestral islands in Papahānaumokuākea (story map)
» Hidden picture activity – Find some of the unique creatures that live in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument on the first page, then learn about them on the second page!
» Journeybook-print.pdf – Learn a few traditional Hawaiian proverbs paired with organisms that make their home in Papahānaumokuākea in this activity book.
» 15 min video of a coral reef – Join aquarist and educator Michael Caban on an underwater search to explore a shallow coral reef ecosystem, and learn about various organisms, coral bleaching and steps you can take to be a good reef steward.
» Maze activity – Discover what makes Papahānaumokuākea special. The correct answers will guide you through the islands and coral atolls of the Hawaiian archipelago.
» Recent Nautilus live expeditions into Papahānaumokuākea:
Luʻuaeaahikiikalipolipo – Mapping Liliʻuokalani Seamounts in Papahānaumokuākea MNM October 24-November 13, 2021
Luʻuaeaahikiikapapakū – Ancient Volcanoes in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument November 15-December 6, 2021
Luʻuaeaahikiikekualonokai – Chautauqua Seamounts December 8-20, 2021
Turning Up the Heat: Fish and sea turtles in a warming world
Vincent Saba, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, MA and NOAA’s Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory at Princeton University in Princeton, NJ
From microscopic plants to large whales, climate change is affecting all ocean life. There are many ways in which climate change can affect ocean ecosystems but during this webinar, we will investigate the effects of warming temperatures on marine fish and sea turtles. Marine fish spend all of their life in the water but did you know that sea turtles must lay their eggs on beaches? We’ll explore how our warming planet affects fish and sea turtles in very different ways.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Fisheries article: Climate Change in the Northeast U.S. Shelf Ecosystem
» Overview of how climate change affects sea turtles
» Project marine species range shifts by selecting the species, time frame, and variable such as temperature, salinity, etc. (This is for more advanced students and adults)
» NASA climate kids -the climate time machine: See into the past and look ahead to the future of amounts of sea ice, the sea level, carbon dioxide, and global temperature
» NASA climate kids – a kids guide to climate change including how the changing climate affects the ocean
Drought in the West: It’s a Very Dry Topic
Andrea Bair and Megan Syner, NOAA’s National Weather Service in Salt Lake City, UT
Have you heard about the severe drought conditions currently in the western United States? How about the record breaking heat and wildfire the west experienced this summer? Drought is a slow occurring natural disaster, usually lasting for long periods of time, and impacts large areas or regions. Join us to learn more about drought, its impacts, the water cycle, and just how precious of a resource water is to every living thing on our planet.
Resources to access at home:
» National Integrated Drought Information System: Put in your city or zip code to see how drought is affecting your neighborhood
» NOAA Climate.gov: This site has articles and information about climate
» Drought for Kids : Kid-friendly articles at the National Drought Mitigation Center
» The Water Cycle: Scroll or watch this NOAA Ocean Explorer slideshow on the water cycle
» Droughts 101: This is ~3 minute National Geographic video
» How a Drought Starts: This PBS Dinosaur Train video is ~2 minutes long
» The Worst Drought in 1200 Years: What Does it Mean for Your Food?: This PBS video is ~10 minutes long
» Water Use It Wisely – 100 Ways to Conserve Water
» Drought in America: Slow-moving, far-reaching: NOAA article
» WaterSense for Kids: This EPA site has kids activities, tips on how to save water, the test your WaterSense game, and educator resources.
» NOAA’s “Picture Climate Change” Student Photo Contest: Show NOAA how climate change is affecting your community in the Western US; for 5th-12th graders.
» NWS Take Action: Things you can do to conserve water at home and tips for considering drought when you travel
» Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS): Help meteorologists collect accurate rain, snow, and hail data right from home using a rain gauge
» Condition Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR) – Drought: Report drought conditions in your area; must have the help of an adult to fill out the report!
Monitoring Weather Around the World ** Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum NOAA Family Day”
NOAA Live! All Stars:
Tim Walsh, NOAA Satellite Service in Suitland, MD
Ellen Ramirez, NOAA Satellite Service in College Park, MD
CDR Jason Mansour, NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland, FL
Greg Heavener, NOAA’s National Weather Forecast Office in Pueblo, CO
Part of the Soar Together @ Air and Space NOAA Family Day. This webinar features NOAA experts discussing the ways NOAA’s satellites and aircraft help monitor weather around the world. You will learn the role NOAA’s satellites play in understanding the weather, meet a physical scientist who focuses on volcanic ash forecasting, get to know a pilot who flies aerial missions into extreme weather, and finally, hear from a meteorologist about how NOAA analyzes and predicts the weather to help keep you safe.
Resources to access at home:
» Soar Together @ Air and Space NOAA Family Day event page: This has links to other live events and fun activities to do with your family
» National Weather Service Website – You can look for your local weather or click on their education tab to learn weather safety with Owlie Skywarn.
» NOAA’s Weather–Ready Nation is about readying your community for extreme weather, water, and climate events.
» GOES-R Education Resources: We work with our agency and academic partners to create materials for students, parents, teachers and the general public about meteorology, space science, weather phenomena, the environment, and Earth-observing satellites like the GOES-R Series.
» Meet JPSS Comic: Meet JPSS, a pair of Earth-orbiting satellites that give scientists data to predict the weather and climate! JPSS Coloring Page
» Activities with Weather Wiz Kids: Educational website for teachers and parents to give them the right tools to explain the different types of weather to children.
» National Hurricane Preparedness – This website has information on developing an evacuation plan, assembling disaster supplies, forecast information, and much more!
» Telepresence technology uses a high-bandwidth satellite connection to allow anyone with an Internet connection to virtually participate in ocean research and exploration expeditions. Join one here and learn more about telepresence here.
Videos
- Meet GOES-R: Learn what the GOES-R satellite does
- 5 Things that Changed Weather Forecasting Forever: A 15 min video about decades of improvements in weather satellite technology.
- Our Eyes in the Sky: Watch how satellites have improved hurricane forecasting
- Tour of NOAA Gulfstream IV-SP Hurricane Hunter: Approx. 12 min video tour of NOAA’s Gulfstream IV-SP Hurricane Hunter jet, also known as “Gonzo” and NOAA49
- NOAA Ocean Today Hurricane Safe Videos: There are 8 short videos- Fuel for the storm, the making of a superstorm, hurricane survival guide, getting ready for hurricanes, and more
- “This is NOAA” video (~3 min): This video describes NOAA’s role as a global leader in environmental science and technology, working to address our Nation’s most pressing challenges and advance our mission of science, service, and stewardship
Previous NOAA Live! Webinars by these experts
- Hunting Hurricanes with a NOAA Pilot with CDR Jason Mansour
- Bringing Weather Forecasting Down to Earth with Tim Walsh
- From Eyes in the Sky to Action on the Ground with NOAA’s Satellite Operations Facility
Help from above – using planes, drones, and satellites to study and protect plants and animals **Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum NOAA Family Day**
NOAA Live! All Stars:
Katie Sweeney, NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA
Allison Henry, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, MA
Brandon Krumwiede, NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management in Duluth, MN
Jennifer Stock, NOAA’s Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary in Point Reyes, CA
In partnership with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. This webinar features NOAA experts discussing the ways NOAA aircraft, satellite tracking, and drone technology help us understand marine species and support conservation efforts along our ocean and coasts. How do we use drones to observe northern fur seals, airplanes to identify and count endangered North Atlantic right whales, aerial imagery to manage manoomin (wild rice), and satellite tags to follow seabirds? Learn about the unique tools we use to collect high-quality environmental data to better understand these important species and aid in conservation efforts.
Resources to access at home:
» Soar Together @ Air and Space NOAA Family Day event page: This has links to other live events and fun activities to do with your family
» Arctic UAV’s Game App: Up for a hands-on game challenge? Navigate a flying quadcopter during stormy Alaska weather, catch the perfect aerial shot of rare wildlife, and uncover trails through rough sea ice, all in this mobile app game, Arctic UAVs
» NOAA right whale id matching game- Can you identify the right whales by their callosity? Try it out with these: match the animal cards and answer key
» Seabird and Shorebird Activity Book– The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary put together this fun book. Seabirds secret code, shorebirds word find, seabirds mobile, and more!
» Do a virtual Albatross Bolus dissection– Albatross throw up what they can’t digest. Measure and count natural and non-natural items in this virtual bolus dissection activity.
» Fur seals on Bogoslof Island: Post 4- Evolving Science on an Evolving Island – Katie’s team tested two camera systems on drones on Bogoslof Island in Alaska in September 2019
» New Drone Technology Could Revolutionize Marine Mammal Monitoring
» Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International – Student Unmanned Aerial Systems Competition
» Examples of using Unmanned Aerial Systems in NOAA research – NOAA Unmanned Aerial Systems Program
» North Atlantic right whale catalog: The catalog contains all the photographed sightings of right whales from the North Atlantic.
» Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Shearwater Tagging Project
» Efforts to Restore Native Wild Rice in the St. Louis River Estuary
» Makani: The albatross that cares for the land: An interactive activity/story book about a Laysan Albatross (pdf download)
» Telepresence technology uses a high-bandwidth satellite connection to allow anyone with an Internet connection to virtually participate in ocean research and exploration expeditions. Join one here and learn more about telepresence here.
Videos
- PBS Wisconsin Education video: This ~4-minute video follows Fred Ackley Jr. from the Sokaogon Chippewa Community of Mole Lake as he harvests and processes manoomin, or wild rice.
- Mapping the Invisible: Introduction to Spectral Remote Sensing: NEON Science video overview of spectral imagery and its use to identify differences between different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum
- Investigating Steller Sea Lion Populations: Join scientists on a research vessel to western Aleutian Islands—closer to Russia than mainland Alaska. Here, they investigate what’s going on with endangered Steller sea lions, some populations of which are declining, while others are thriving
- Henry Wood Elliott: Defender of the Fur Seal: In the twenty years following the United States’ acquisition of the Alaska territory (1867), revenues from the Pribilof Island fur seal harvest paid off the 7.2 million dollar purchase price. This documentary uncovers this little-known piece of American history told through the story of Henry Wood Elliot
- Northern Fur Seal Migrations: Every year, northern fur seals migrate 6,000 miles round-trip from their summer breeding grounds on the Pribilof Islands in the Bering Sea. Learn about the scientists at NOAA who are tracking these seals on their incredible migrations, and where the seals go during the winter
- B-Roll: Northern Fur Seal Research on Bogoslof Island: Select footage of northern fur seal research on Bogoslof Island, an active volcano that erupted from December 2016 – August 2017. This footage was taken August 12-16, 2019, along with some reference match frames that were filmed on July 12, 2005
- NOAA Ocean Today Endangered Ocean: There are several short videos on topics ranging from the endangered species act, manatees, North Atlantic right whales, and more.
- Watch A Perfect Day for an Albatross and Other Seabird Tales, a book reading of Caren Loebel-Fried’s childrens book with special highlights shared from her trip to the Albatross breeding colony on Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge and seabird highlights from the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
- “This is NOAA” video (~3 min): This video describes NOAA’s role as a global leader in environmental science and technology, working to address our Nation’s most pressing challenges and advance our mission of science, service, and stewardship
Previous NOAA Live! Webinars by these experts
- A Bird’s Eye View of Whales with Allison Henry
- Flying Beneath the Clouds at the Edge of the World with Katie Sweeney
- Winged Ambassadors: Ocean Travelers with Jennifer Stock
- Drones, Scat, and the Joys of Marine Mammal Fieldwork in Alaska with Katie Sweeney
- Fresh Coast: Where Food Grows on the Water with Brandon Krumwiede
The Crab-tivating Life of Crustaceans: Where do they go? How do they grow? What do we know?
Erin Fedewa and Leah Zacher, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Kodiak Laboratory in Kodiak, AK
How much do you know about Alaskan crab? Join us as we learn to identify crustaceans found in Alaskan waters and talk about crab biology with live appearances from some “crabby” guests. We’ll even find out how to tag a red king crab and explore how researchers use these tags to study where crab live and how they move!
Resources to access at home:
» A Sneak Peek inside the Kodiak Lab Aquarium
» NOAA Live! Alaska Webinar 80: A Dive into Daily Life at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Kodiak Lab
» NOAA Live! Alaska Webinar 43: The Crab-tivating Life of Crustaceans: diving into Alaskan snow crab and red king crab biology
» Red king crab life stages – a short course
» Crab education pages
» New Studies Raise Questions About Crabs’ Adaptability
» Dutch Harbor Snow and Tanner Crab Growth Study – a science blog
» NOAA Fisheries Species Pages:
Keeping Rain from the Drain
Jessica T. R. Brown, NOAA’s Georgia Sea Grant in Brunswick, GA
Have you ever wondered where the rain goes once it hits the ground? Rainwater that falls on a surface that can’t absorb it is called stormwater. Scientists and engineers try to mimic nature to catch rainwater where it falls by using plants, soil, and surfaces that can absorb water. This is called green infrastructure. Join us to learn more about stormwater and the ways that communities and people, like you, can use green infrastructure to manage it.
Resources to access at home:
» EPA article for kids on how to build a rain garden
» EPA “How’s My Waterway” website: Find your local waters and explore the water quality
» University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s Stormwater webpage: You can find background material here
» NOAA Live! extra Q&A for this webinar
» Videos
Introduction to Green Infrastructure
Maintenance of Stormwater Practices
Rain Gardens in Coastal Georgia
» Stormwater Green Infrastructure Fact Sheets
Bioretention Fact Sheet
Bioswale Fact Sheet
Permeable Interlocking Pavers Fact Sheet
Permeable Pavement (Pervious Concrete and Porous Asphalt) Fact Sheet
Hurricane Observations: On the ground and in the eye
Sean Waugh, NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, OK
Hurricanes impact people all over the world, and not just along the coastlines! The NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory takes you inside the research behind a landfalling hurricane to better understand these complex storms and all of the hazards it causes. NOAA NSSL’s mission is to help improve our understanding of these hazards and help the NOAA National Weather Service better predict them. Go in-depth with a severe storm scientist and learn about the instruments used to safely observe hurricanes and what it’s like to be inside one. Get your questions answered on what it takes to study hurricanes!
Resources to access at home:
» NWS site for hurricane safety
» National Hurricane Center
» Weather Wizkids has lots of information and fun activities
» More safety resources
» NSSL website on the observational tools we have
» NOAA Live! extra Q&A for this webinar
Killer Whale Tales: Environmental Science through Storytelling
Lynne Barre, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Regional Office and Jeff Hogan, Killer Whale Tales in Seattle, WA
How can you help recover endangered orcas? Join Lynne Barre, NOAA’s Recovery Coordinator for endangered killer whales, and Jeff Hogan, Executive Director of Killer Whale Tales, to learn about the Southern Resident population of killer whales, the challenges they face, and what you can do to be a steward for the whales and help conserve their habitat.
» Download the datasheet used during the webinar
Resources to access at home:
» Saving the Southern Resident Killer Whales NOAA website: This includes an introduction to southern resident orcas, threats they face such as contaminants, vessel noise, and prey availability, and the work being done on recovery of the species
» Killer Whale Tales Activity Guide and Orca Research Sheets: This has a word search, turn your family tree into a pod, fun facts, behavioral datasheets, and more.
» NOAA Fisheries Orca Outreach and Education Materials: This website includes a fin matching activity, be whale wise poster, and how to take action.
Northern Exposure: a NOAA Corps Officer’s Work in Alaska
Commander Sarah Duncan, NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, WA
What is a NOAA Corps officer and what do they do for NOAA? Come find out by following CDR Sarah Duncan from the training academy to her work in Alaska on the NOAA ship Oscar Dyson!
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
» Meet the Crew: Commander Sarah Duncan, NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson
» NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps – Virtual NOAA Day at the Aquarium of the Pacific – meet LTJG Chelsea Parrish, Cetacean Photogrammetry Specialist
» Women of the NOAA Corps: Reflections from the Sea and Sky – 30 minute video
» NOA Ocean Today Video – Life at Sea – meet Allison Stone, hydrographic senior survey technician on the NOAA ship Thomas Jefferson
» Meet the Crew: Chief Boatswain Leslie Allen, NOAA Ship Fairweather
» NOAA Corps overview
» NOAA Corps History
Charting a Career with the NOAA Corps
NOAA’s Commissioned Corps Officers in multiple locations across the U.S.
With currently over 300 officers, the NOAA Corps provides a cadre of professionals trained in engineering, earth sciences, oceanography, meteorology, fisheries science, and other related disciplines. Corps officers operate NOAA’s ships, fly aircraft, manage research projects, and conduct diving operations. When not at sea or in the air, NOAA Corps officers advance new technologies, lead program and project teams, and respond to severe weather events, oil spills, and other emergencies. In this webinar you will meet several members of the NOAA Corps, and learn about how you too can chart a course to work in this exciting environment!
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Commissioned Officer video (approx 20 min)
» Women of the NOAA Corps (approx 30 min)
» Bac
» Stories from the Blue: Lt. Dustin Picard: This 4-minute video features one of the NOAA Corps officers from the webinar
Forecasting the Weather in Southcentral Alaska
Kaitlyn O’Brien, NOAA’s National Weather Service in Anchorage, AK
Are you interested in how to observe and predict the weather? Are you considering a career path in meteorology? Come learn about how meteorologists track and forecast the weather in Southcentral Alaska! We’ll also explore the many different services provided by the Alaska Region National Weather Service and share information about possible career paths for future meteorologists.
» Alaska Weather – NOAA National Weather Service Alaska Region
» Southcentral Alaska Weather – NWS Anchorage Forecast Office
» NWS River Forecast Center
» NWS Aviation Weather Unit
» NWS National Tsunami Warning Center
» NWS – Educational resources
» Jetstream – NWS Online School for Weather»
» NOAA Education – Weather and Atmosphere resource collection
» NOAA Education – Weather Observations
» Citizen Science: Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network
» Citizen Science: CoCoRaHS – Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network
Fresh Coasts: Where Food Grows Wild on the Water
Jennifer Ballinger, Brandon Krumwiede and Heather Stirratt, NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management in Chanhassen, MN
Wild rice or manoomin is a Great Lakes aquatic plant that makes our coasts special. Wild rice is a keystone species, both for the ecosystems of the Great Lakes and the people who call this place home. Join NOAA’s Office of Coastal Management as we talk about how we help restore and protect the coastal wetlands where wild rice grows, the importance of wild rice to Great Lakes tribal nations, airborne data collection, and career paths to working with wild rice and Great Lakes.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA article: Spotlight on People and Pollution: Wild rice, pollution, and space for traditions to grow
» NOAA article: Sea Grant and partners work together to restore culturally important wild rice
» NOAA article: Restoring and Monitoring Lake Superior Coastal Wetland Manoomin
» NOAA 1-minute video on coastal management (it was used in the webinar)
» PBS Wisconsin Education video: This ~4-minute video follows Fred Ackley Jr. from the Sokaogon Chippewa Community of Mole Lake as he harvests and processes manoomin, or wild rice.
North to the Future: Alaskan sharks in a changing ocean
Cindy Tribuzio, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Juneau, AK, and Sabrina Garcia, Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Anchorage, AK
Scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center conduct research and assess the stocks of many species of sharks in Alaskan waters. Join us for a discussion of the different sharks found in Alaskan waters, some fantastic research partnerships and how we use research to conserve and manage the species into the future.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Fisheries – Fish and Sharks webpage
» Fun Facts about Shocking Sharks
» Shark Research in Alaska: NOAA Fisheries
» Alaska Department of Fish and Game – The Undersea World of Salmon and Sharks (@ADFGUnderseaWorldOfSalmonAndSharks): Facebook page with exciting scientific research on Alaskan salmon, sharks, and their ecosystems and ecology!
» Salmon Shark Tagging in the Bering Sea: Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
» Gills Club: STEM-based education initiative dedicated to connecting girls with female scientists around the world to inspire shark and ocean conservation
Forecasting for the Navajo Nation: Learning the Landscape, Culture, and Language
Tony Merriman, NOAA’s National Weather Service in Flagstaff, AZ and Doug Watchman, Navajo Nation Department of Emergency Management in Window Rock, AZ
Did you know that the Navajo Nation is the size of West Virginia, and encompasses 27,000 square miles, extending into the States of Arizona, New Mexico, & Utah? More than 250,000 people live within the Navajo Nation’s borders, and it is the job of NOAA’s National Weather Service to help protect their lives and property through accurate forecasts and warnings. Tony Merriman, a Warning Coordination Meteorologist with NOAA, and Doug Watchman, an emergency services liaison for the Navajo Nation, will join us to share information about this beautiful and complex landscape, where language, culture and infrastructure all influence the way NOAA fulfills its mission.
Resources to access at home:
» NWS Navajo storm pattern rug weather poster: This poster includes both cultural and linguistic information
» Guide to the Navajo Nation Seal (YÁ ’ ÁT ’ ÉÉH): This lesson is courtesy of the Central Consolidated School District, Shiprock, NM
» Ní’tsíí Níłtsą́ Yaahaalne’ – Hair Tells the Weather (Bilingual Navajo & English): Science isn’t all about numbers. In 2017 the National Weather Service learned of the importance of the Navajo Tsiiyéeł and the relationship with weather. This video is about 3 1/2 minutes long.
» NWS experimental weather dashboards for tribal lands (these are referenced in the webinar)
Fishy Business: NOAA Office of Law Enforcement and Healthy Resource Management
Alex Perry, Wynn Carney, and Amy Anderson, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement in Anchorage, AK
Have you ever wondered what would happen to our animal populations without managing their harvest? How do we keep our fisheries and marine mammal populations healthy, and make sure that we manage our marine resources so that we have enough to eat? NOAA Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement – Alaska Team is ready to answer your questions and help you understand how our work helps safeguard the future of sustainable resources.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Enforcement Deploys Remotely Operated Vehicles to Patrol the Seas
» Introduction to NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement – video
» NOAA Law Enforcement Investigative Work – video
» Cracking the Research Set-Aside Case – video
Lessons from Lake Trout in Lake Champlain
Ashley Eaton and Caroline Blake, NOAA’s Lake Champlain Sea Grant in Burlington, VT
Lake Champlain, known as Bitawbakw by the Abenaki people, is home to lake trout. As one of the top predators in Lake Champlain, they play an important role in maintaining balance within the lake ecosystem. When lake trout populations struggled, it took coordinated efforts to contain sea lamprey to help them recover. Management of sea lamprey has greatly reduced stress of lake trout and since 2015 lake trout populations have been slowly recovering. Join us to learn the heroic tale of the Lake Champlain lake trout, and the efforts that inform conservation of this important freshwater species!
Resources to access at home:
» Nebi: Abenaki Ways of Knowing Water | Lake Champlain Sea Grant: This video is mentioned in the webinar (~10 minute long)
» Zoom a Scientist: A fish’s story: following lake trout movement around Lake Champlain (~50 minute long webinar)
» Fish Files – Lake Trout (~3 minute long video)
» Fish Files – Lake Trout Dissection (video)
» Fashion a Fish: This activity is aimed at students K-5
Algal Blooms: Signs of Spring and Signs of Trouble
Rose Masui, NOAA’s Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Kachemak Bay, AK
Join us to learn about how estuaries wake up in the spring, with warming waters and nutrients fueling blooms of phytoplankton in Alaskan coastal waters. We will talk about how marine plants are the primary producers in our coastal food webs, and how sometimes the culprits (harmful algal blooms) that produce biotoxins can affect people and animals.
Resources to access at home:
» Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
» KBNERR Community Monitoring Program
» What is a harmful algal bloom?
» Harmful Algal Blooms: Tiny Organisms with a Toxic Punch
» What is a red tide? (it’s a common term used for a harmful algal bloom) – video
» Hitting us where it hurts: the untold story of harmful algal blooms – storymap
» Harmful Algae – Resources for educators (grades 6-12), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
» Video from the webinar: Phytoplankton bloom
» Video from the webinar: KNBERR Phytoplankton tow tutorial
» Video from the webinar: A decade of phytoplankton blooms in the North Pacific – NOAA Climate.gov
Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.
Get Your Feet Muddy at the Waquoit Bay Reserve!
Tonna-Marie Rogers, NOAA’s Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Falmouth, MA
Come along as we explore the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR) on Cape Cod, MA. Walk (virtually) with us into the shallow bay to visit experiment sites, explore the salt marsh, observe osprey and bay creatures, and wade into water sampling to collect data. Take an exciting field trip to discover and enjoy different parts of the Reserve located in the land of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. All this and more happens on this NOAA reserve study site, one of 29 in the US. We study coastal ecosystems, how humans impact them, and how we can all work to preserve these special places for all.
Resources to access at home:
» WBNERR’s STEM curriculum for teachers: This includes the “Bringing wetlands to market: a STEM curriculum linking wetlands and climate change”, the “Sentinel site lesson plan booklet”, and more.
» Find a National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) near you
» NOAA’s NERR Estuary Education Website: This has activities for students, teacher workshops, videos, and more!
» Virtual Estuary Education for students and families: This includes virtual field trips, science crafts, nature journaling in your backyard, and more!
» WBNERR water quality data: WQBMHWQ station and WQBMHWQ station (scroll to the bottom of the page to find these stations)
» Wampanoag “Preserving our Homelands” video
One Fish, Two Fish, This Fish, Not That Fish
Noelle Yochum, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA, and Michelle Dyroy, Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage, AK
Do you want to be an honorary Conservation Engineer? Don’t know what that is? Come find out! Learn about exciting research on how fish behave inside fishing gear and how we can improve our fisheries.
Resources to access at home:
» Loggerhead Escape: This National Geographic activity is for grades 4-11.
» Fishing Gear: Turtle Excluder Devices
» History of Turtle Excluder Devices
» Turtle Excluder Devices – video
» Tackling Bycatch in U.S. Fisheries – video
» What is a Barbless Circle Hook?
» NOAA’s National Bycatch Reduction Strategy
Fin-tastic Fun with Coral Reef Fish Surveys in South Florida and the Caribbean
Erin Cain and Jay Grove, NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Key Biscayne, FL
Take a dive with us into coral reef fish communities and learn all about how we identify, survey, and help inform managers about reef fish populations through NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP). Using engaging, interactive photos and videos, we will help hone your investigative skills to identify fish parts and learn that appearances aren’t just skin deep. If all goes swimmingly, you should learn about the importance of counting fish, the coral reef ecosystem, and your role in their future.
Resources to access at home:
» The Coral Reef Conservation Program’s efforts to increase fisheries sustainability
» NOAA’s Interactive Reef: As you run your mouse over this image, species will light up and you can click on them to open a feature page with an image and information.
» NOAA’s Activity Book on coral reefs: This activity booklet is aimed at grades 3-5.
» NOAA’s Fishwatch.gov: Get the most up-to-date info on popular seafood harvested or farmed in the US to help you made educated seafood choices.
» NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program Status Reports: Referenced in the webinar, you can find the most recent status report on the coral reefs at Flower Garden Banks, Florida, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Pacific locations.
» What you can do to help coral reefs?
Needle in a haystack: Studying the world’s rarest large whale
Dana Wright, University of Washington, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) and Duke University Marine Laboratory, working with NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA
How does one study the rarest whale on earth in one of the most remote places in the ocean? Come learn how scientists use a variety of tools, including sound recordings, to research the rarest population of whales today – the North Pacific right whale.
Resources to access at home:
» Understanding Why North Pacific Right Whales Are Endangered
» Interesting Facts About North Pacific Right Whale
» North Pacific Right Whale Research in Alaska
» North Pacific Right Whale – fact sheet
» First Recording of North Pacific Right Whale Song
» Spotlight on the North Pacific Right Whale – An Interview with NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal Scientist Jessica Crance – video
» ‘Song’ of Rare Whale Recorded for the First Time – CNN
» New Study Sheds Light on Mysterious Movements of Rarest Great Whale
NOAA Buoys Around the World
Lieutenant Lauren Jarlenski and Dawn Petraitis, NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center at the Stennis Space Center in Kiln, MS
Join us for a whirlwind adventure across the globe as we explore how NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center builds and deploys buoys to monitor ocean and weather events. Learn about our tropical atmosphere ocean buoys, tsunami buoys, and weather buoys and how they are constructed and deployed. We’ll even spend a few days in the life of a buoy off the South Carolina coast during Hurricane Dorian. You will get to see what our buoys see and learn how those observations inform weather forecasts.
Resources to access at home:
» Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS): While CBIBS is not managed by the National Data Buoy Center, this network of NOAA buoys collects similar data. You can learn about buoys, graph data from this buoy system, connect with the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail (if kayaking near the buoys), or investigate data in your classroom.
» Build a Buoy: This classroom or home project allows you to build your own functional buoy – a junior cousin to NOAA’s data buoys- using materials from a hardware store. More detailed instructions can be found here.
» NOAA Live! connections: You heard about hurricanes and tsunami in this webinar. Learn more by watching our “Getting Prepared for Hurricane Season“, “Not Your Friendly Neighborhood Wave“, or “Minutes Matter: Nature’s Warning Signs for Tsunami“.
Breaking Up is Hard To Do: River Ice Breakup in Alaska
Crane Johnson, NOAA’s National Weather Service Alaska Pacific River Forecast Center in Anchorage, AK
Each spring, rivers in Alaska go from ice covered to open water during a time of year we call ‘Breakup’. It is a time to be prepared. Ice jams can form during breakup and cause flooding. Join us to look at river ice and how ice jams form, and learn how we monitor breakup around Alaska. We will also find out what to expect for breakup this Spring.
Resources to access at home:
» Citizen Science: Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network
» NOAA’s National Weather Service – Educational Resources
» NOAA’s National Weather Service – River Watch Program
Texas Corals, and Mantas, and Sharks, Oh My!
Kelly Drinnen, NOAA’s Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in Galveston, TX
Did you know that there are coral reefs off the coast of Texas? These amazing reefs are part of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico. Join us to learn more about these reefs and the wonderful sea creatures that live there. From tiny corals and shrimp, to sponges, fish, sea turtles, manta rays, and whale sharks, you’ll discover why coral reefs are home to 25 percent of all ocean life.
Resources to access at home:
» Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary: For Teachers – Curriculum, lessons, activities, and posters
» Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary: For Kids – Did You Know?, word puzzles, activities, holiday fun
» Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary: Coral Basics
» Dive in and find the National Marine Sanctuary closest to you
» Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Coral Reef Word Search used in the webinar.
» Relevant NOAA Live! Webinars: “Dive In and Explore Coral Reef Ecosystems”
» Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary species list
» Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary videos of reef creatures
» Stories from the Blue: Lt. Dustin Picard: This 4-minute video features diving in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
What do you know about Alaska salmon? Exploring the job of a salmon biologist
Joshua Russell, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Juneau, AK
What do you know about Alaska salmon? Join us to learn about salmon lifecycles, what daily research looks like at a fish weir, Alaska salmon management, and the importance of stewardship.
Resources to access at home:
» Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP)
» Annual Study of Salmon in Southeast Alaska – science blog» Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!
» Alaska Salmon Travels – science blog
» Yukon River Salmon Survey – science blog
» Salmon Research in Alaska
» Alaska Native Women in Bristol Bay Salmon Fisheries – science blog
» Auke Creek Research Station
» Alaska Fisheries Science Center Auke Bay Laboratories
Kelp Farming in Coastal Waters
Anoushka Concepcion, NOAA’s Connecticut Sea Grant in Groton, CT in partnership with Holly Turner-Moore, Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science and Technology Education Center in Bridgeport, CT
Ribbons of algae are springing up in coastal waters around the world as ocean farmers start to explore seaweed aquaculture. In this webinar, meet Anoushka Concepcion, a biologist from Connecticut Sea Grant who focuses on this emerging industry every day. She will introduce you to the world of kelp farming alongside Holly Turner-Moore, teacher and hatchery manager at Bridgeport Aquaculture High School in Connecticut, where students there have been growing kelp since 2010.
Resources to access at home
» NOAA Fisheries Aquaculture Materials: Fact sheets, FAQs, videos, and more
» NOAA Ocean Today Every Full Moon: The Future of Ocean Farming. This series of short videos give a great introduction to marine aquaculture or ocean farming. Bonus video 2 is focused on Alaska Kelp Farming
» NOAA infographic: Aquaculture grows resilient coastal communities. The infographic is a nice visual showing oyster, mussel, and algae aquaculture methods that generate local seafood, improve water quality, protect against storm surge, and provide essential habitat.
» Bridgeport Regional Aquaculture Science and Technology Education Center in CT
Science in the Sky: How NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center supports research from 500 to 45,000 ft.
NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland, FL
Want to fly with NOAA? NOAA aircraft are used to measure conditions in a hurricane, count marine mammals, map our coastline, and even measure water content in snow. NOAA’s Aircraft Operations Center manages, operates, and maintains 10 specialized aircraft to support NOAA research. Come and learn about our team of NOAA Corps officers and federal employees who fly, instrument, repair, and support our crewed and uncrewed aircraft. Walk along the hangar floor, visit our calibration lab and metal shop, and see our aircraft up-close. This NOAA Live! Webinar is part of our NOAA Open House Series during which we will “travel” (virtually) across the country to showcase some of the amazing places our NOAA scientists, engineers, educators, technicians, and interns work.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations captioned tours of aircraft: P-3, G-IV, Twin Otter, and King Air (each is 10-15 minutes long).
» NOAA Commissioned Corps
» Past NOAA Live! Webinar recording: Hunting Hurricanes with a NOAA Pilot
March 2021 Open House Series
A Dive Into Daily Life at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Kodiak Lab
Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Kodiak Lab in Kodiak, AK
Come along for a virtual tour of the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s lab in Kodiak, Alaska! Visit our touch tank and meet our resident critters. Dive into Alaska waters with our dive operations research team! Take a look at juvenile red king crab as we investigate the impacts of ocean acidification. This NOAA Live! Alaska Webinar is part of our NOAA Open House Series during which we will “travel” (virtually) across the country to showcase some of the amazing places our NOAA scientists, engineers, educators, technicians, and interns work.
Resources to access at home:
» A View From Inside the Kodiak Lab Aquarium – science blog
» NOAA Live! Alaska webinar – The Crab-tivating Life of Crustaceans
» Ocean Science Discovery Program
» Meet Switgard Duesterloh – Alaska Ocean Acidification Network
March 2021 Open House Series
NOAA’s Nose Knows: A day in the life of a Seafood Inspector
NOAA’s Seafood Inspection Facility in Long Beach, CA
What does fresh, high-quality, safe-to-eat fish smell like? How does it make its way from the ocean to your dinner plate? Come with us as we follow some of your favorite seafood off a fishing boat, into a processing facility, and through the hands of a NOAA Seafood Inspector. Help us inspect seafood live from NOAA’s inspection laboratory in Long Beach, California, and learn some tips and tricks for inspecting your dinner, too! This NOAA Live! Webinar is part of our NOAA Open House Series during which we will “travel” (virtually) across the country to showcase some of the amazing places our NOAA scientists, engineers, educators, technicians, and interns work.
Resources to access at home:
» Contact Your Local Seafood Inspection Office
» Fishwatch.gov: Find out what makes U.S. seafood sustainable and get up-to-date information on the status of some of the fish harvested and farmed in the U.S.
» Seafood Commerce & Certification Site: There are several feature stories about seafood testing, the seafood inspection services portal where people sign up for an inspection and more
» NOAA Fisheries: Fun Facts about Luscious Lobsters. This includes “If lobsters mole, why have I never seen a cast-off shell”, “How old is a one-pound lobster”, “What color is a lobster’s blood”, and more!
» Virtually explore the deep sea by scrolling down to discover which animals and plant life live at which depths in the oceans.
March 2021 Open House Series
Hitching a Ride: How to Spot and Stop Marine Invasive Species
Jasmine Maurer from NOAA’s Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Kachemak Bay, AK
How do invasive and exotic marine species arrive and spread in Alaska? We will talk about how to monitor and identify European green crab and tunicates, how they affect ecosystems, and what actions to take before the summer season to prevent marine invasive species from impacting your community.
Resources to access at home:
» Community Monitoring – Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
» Invasive Species – Alaska Department of Fish and Game
» Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!
» Invasive Species – U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
» Kachemak Bay Environmental Education Alliance – Grab & Go Educational Resources
» Invasive and Exotic Marine Species – NOAA Fisheries
» What is an Invasive Species? – NOAA’s National Ocean Service (video)
Dive into NOAA’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
at the Sanctuary Exploration Center in Santa Cruz, CA
Dive into kelp forests, explore the deep sea, come up close with a leatherback sea turtle, and listen to the sounds of animals underwater, all virtually while touring the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center in Santa Cruz, CA. This NOAA Live! Webinar is part of our NOAA Open House Series during which we will “travel” (virtually) across the country to showcase some of the amazing places our NOAA scientists, engineers, educators, technicians, and interns work.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Video: The Pacific Leatherback Sea Turtle (~8 minutes long)
» NOAA Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) Virtual Dive Gallery: Sea lions swim through the kelp, sea of orange cucumbers, and more.
» MBNMSS Virtual Dive Scavenger Hunt: This is a fun activity for kids.
» Learn More About Deep-Sea Habitats on the West Coast
» MBARI Listening Room: Access to a live stream and library of recorded underwater sounds
» Davidson Seamount: Oasis in the Deep: Explore an Octopus garden and whale fall in this story and accompanying videos
» Dive in and find the National Marine Sanctuary closest to you
March 2021 Open House Series
Cold Dark Secrets: Discovering Alaska’s Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges
Pam Goddard, Vanessa Lowe, Rachel Wilborn, Pat Malecha, and Jerry Hoff at NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA
Did you know that corals live in the deep, cold waters of Alaska? Come learn about deep-sea corals and sponges, and their importance for underwater communities in Alaska. We will talk about how we study these cold water creatures, how they have adapted to this environment and how they eat and grow.
Resources to access at home:
» Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges of Alaska (Story Map)
» Deep-Sea Corals and Sponge Research in Alaska
» Coral Forests of the Deep (2 min video)
» Deep-Sea Coral Habitats (National)
» NOAA Deep-Sea Coral Data Portal (Digital Map & Database – Worldwide)
» National Marine Sanctuaries (America’s West Coast)
From Eyes in the Sky to Action on the Ground
at NOAA’s Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, MD
Get a rare chance to come inside “mission control” at NOAA’s state-of-the-art Satellite Operations Facility in Suitland, Maryland, where we command NOAA’s satellites and collect the bulk of the data from earth and space observations. Learn what it takes to receive massive amounts of information in this round-the-clock operation and how it helps save lives – from weather forecasting to search and rescue! This NOAA Live! Webinar is part of our NOAA Open House Series during which we will “travel” (virtually) across the country to showcase some of the amazing places our NOAA scientists, engineers, educators, technicians, and interns work.
Resources to access at home:
» 1 minute NOAA satellites video: This is a great video that explains the difference between polar orbiting satellites, geostationary satellites, and deep space satellite.
» Making a Weather Forecast with GOES-R: This animated, kids video is about 3 1/2 minutes long.
» GOES-R Gets Launched!: This animated, kids video is ~2 minutes long.
» Introduction to Copas-Sarsat: This 1-minute video is about a satellite-based search and rescue distress alert detection system.
» NASA Launches NOAA Weather Satellite to Improve Forecasts (JPSS-1 Launch) (Credit: NASA): 5-minute video of the launch
» NOAA Ocean Today: This 3-minute video is about NOAA’s environmental satellites that provide data from space.
» See actual live data from NOAA satellites:
https://rammb-slider.cira.colostate.edu/
https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/goes/
March 2021 Open House Series
How Old Is That Fish? And What Fish Ear Stones Can Tell Us
Craig Kastelle, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA
What does a fish use its otoliths (ear stones) for and what can we learn from them? Join us to learn how we can tell how old a fish is, and other ways that scientists can use otoliths to study fish.
Resources to access at home:
» National NOAA Fish Age and Growth Page and Alaska Age and Growth Procedures for Otolith Examination
» Fish Age and Growth Research in Alaska
» Microworlds: How Old is a Fish? – video
» Microworlds: What do Marine Mammals Eat? – video
150 Years and Counting: Studying Fish, Fisheries and More
at the NOAA Fisheries Woods Hole Laboratory and Aquarium in Woods Hole, MA
The village of Woods Hole, Massachusetts is home to an amazing collection of marine science institutions. In this webinar, we will introduce you to the NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center Woods Hole Lab. We will “walk” down main street, explore a NOAA research vessel, examine otoliths in our age & growth lab, and go behind the scenes at the Woods Hole Aquarium. This NOAA Live! Webinar is part of our NOAA Open House Series during which we will “travel” (virtually) across the country to showcase some of the amazing places our NOAA scientists, engineers, educators, technicians, and interns work.
Resources to access at home:
» Northeast Fisheries Science Center: Explore the center that the Woods Hole Lab and Aquarium belong to.
» Woods Hole Science Aquarium: Meet the residents, the history of the aquarium, and more. Test your knowledge by taking these quizzes about marine mammals, invertebrates, sea turtles, ocean processes, and fish & sharks.
» “Woods Hole, MA, Birthplace of NOAA Fisheries” and “NOAA Fisheries Birthplace Celebrates 150th Anniversary: NOAA Fisheries Science Shines On in the Northeast” web stories
» Coasts, Oceans, and Stewardship Program (COAST): Lesson plans for teachers based on research at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center.
» Northeast Fisheries Science Center Sounds Page: Listen to the underwater sounds of marine mammals, fish, and humans.
» R/V Gloria Michelle Home Page
» NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow Home Page
» National NOAA Fish Age and Growth Page and NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s (NEFSC) Age and Growth Studies in the Northeast
» Would you like to determine the age of fish using otoliths? (Learn how during the webinar) Visit the NOAA NEFSC otolith reference collection to look at haddock or shad ear bones, make your guess, and then click on the “show annotated” button to see the answer.
March 2021 Open House Series
That’s the Seal-iest Thing I’ve Heard: Studying Ice Seals in Alaska
Erin Moreland, Cynthia Christman, and Heather Ziel, from NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA
What are ice seals and how do we study them? Join researchers from the Polar Ecosystems Program at NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Fisheries Science Center to learn about bearded, ringed, spotted, and ribbon seals in Alaska and the methods we use to learn more about where they live, how many there are, and where they go.
Resources to access at home:
» Ice Seal Research in Alaska
» Protected Threatened Ice Seals – video
» Developing Artificial Intelligence to Find Ice Seals and Polar Bears from the Sky
» Ice-Associated Seal Ecology Research Survey in the Bering Sea – science field blog
» Joint U.S.-Russian Aerial Surveys for Ice-Associated Seals in the Bering Sea
Lose the loop: How did entangled Steller sea lions lead to Alaska’s first Ocean Guardian schools?
Kim Raum-Suryan, NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Region in Juneau, AK
Join us as we learn about how marine debris impacts Steller sea lions, how we disentangle Steller sea lions, and how this helped us bring NOAA’s Ocean Guardian School Program to Alaska. Explore more about the Ocean Guardian School Program, how you can get this program started in your school, and concrete steps you can take right now to reduce marine mammal entanglements and marine debris.
Resources to access at home:
» Marine Mammal Stranding Program (Stranding Hotline: 877-925-7773)
» NOAA article: “Pinniped entanglement in marine debris”. (pinnipeds are seals, sea lions, and fur seals)
» AK Department of Fish and Game article: “Tangled sea lions get help, biologist team up for capture and aid”
» Entanglement in Marine Debris – Alaska Department of Fish and Game
» Keep the Sea Entanglement Free! – brochure
» Learn how to become an Ocean Guardian School
» Juneau Empire article: “Juneau schools launch ocean guardian program to combat marine mess.”
» Juneau Empire article: “Planet or plastic? Students do their part to protect oceans.”
Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow…but How Much?
Dr. Jessica Cherry, NOAA’s National Weather Service’s Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center in Anchorage, AK
Snow is a critical part of the annual water cycle throughout Alaska and provides important ecosystem services to plants and animals (including humans). Join us to look at how snow interacts with the environment in different parts of our state and how we forecast and measure it. We’ll also talk about what parts of the hydrologic (water) and ecological system are impacted with changes in the amount and timing of snow.
Resources to access at home:
» CoCoRaHS – Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network
» Citizen Science: Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network
» The changing planet, a changing Arctic: NOAA news story
» Weather-Ready Nation: This site is about readying your community for extreme weather, water, and climate events
» National Weather Service Education Page
» SciJinks – NOAA and NASA weather education website with lots of activities (precipitation simulator, grow snow crystals)
» NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory – Learning Resources – Severe Weather 101, lesson resources, student activities
» NOAA Education Resource Collection – Weather and Atmosphere data resources
It’s Not Easy Being Shelled: The Ocean Acidification Blues
Meg Chadsey, NOAA’s Washington Sea Grant and the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Lab in Seattle, WA
Excess carbon dioxide (CO2) isn’t just warming the planet; it’s also reacting with seawater and making the oceans more corrosive—a process known as ocean acidification. This slight increase in acidity doesn’t change the way the ocean looks or feels to us—but it’s a big deal for marine species with hard parts made of calcium carbonate, like pteropods, whose delicate shells begin to dissolve when exposed to acidified seawater. Meg Chadsey will demonstrate how ocean acidification is stressing her favorite local shellfish species—oysters—and explain why some shellfish farmers are turning to kelp for help.
Resources to access at home:
» Lego Calcification Challenge Activity
» Red Cabbage Ocean Acidification in a Cup Activity
» Rosemary Mosco’s Ocean Acidification Cartoon: pretty much everything you need to know about OA in 8 panels
» What is Ocean Acidification: A Crash Course – a 2-minute animated video, drawn by Sherman’s Lagoon cartoonist Jim Toomey
» Washington Sea Grant Ocean Acidification webpage
» The Power of Kelp: a 6-minute video about the benefits of kelp farming
» Washington Sea Grant’s Kelp Aquaculture webpage: a deep dive into the many uses for farmed kelp
» Tracking Ocean Acidification in Puerto Rico Video: this 8-minute video is in Spanish with an English subtitle option
» Ocean Acidification and Clownfish: This is a ~5-minute video
Let’s Talk about Fish Food: Zooplankton in the Eastern Bering Sea
Deana Crouser, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, AK
What do you think fish eat in the ocean? A lot of fish eat zooplankton in the Bering Sea. Join us to find out how zooplankton response to climate change can affect what fish are available for us to eat!
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Ecosystems & Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (EcoFOCI) Website. Find out more about the research and data that is collected.
» Plankton Portal. This website gives you an opportunity to do some citizen science and ID plankton!
» Climate Drives Change in an Arctic Food Web
» Lawrence Hall of Science – Ocean Currents Animation – see how ocean circulation changes when air temperature and salinity change
» Aquatic Food Webs – NOAA Education Resource Collection – lesson plans, activities, and more!
Designed to Survive: Prepare Your Home to Withstand Storms
Kanesa Duncan Seraphin, NOAA’s Hawai’i Sea Grant, Honolulu, HI
Large storms can bring destructive winds, rain, flooding, and storm surge. What materials or designs help your house survive a storm? How can homes be built, or modified, to keep people dry and safe during strong storms? Join University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant educator, scientist, and TV producer, Kanesa Duncan Seraphin, in a hands-on activity to build a cardboard house and engineer storm-resistant features. We’ll talk about how to be prepared for a storm, how engineers design buildings to withstand major destructive forces like earthquakes and tsunamis, and weʻll explore some futuristic architectural design ideas for coastal communities.
Resources to access at home:
» Designs that Survive Storms Activity: This activity has kids building a carboard house and engineering storm-resistant features. It includes a cardboard house template, a make-it-yourself playdough recipe, and more.
» Massachusetts Homeowner’s Handbook for Coastal Preparedness – prep your house for a hurricane
» NOAA Ocean Today video on storm surge (~2 1/2 minutes)
» Traditional Ways of Knowing: Hurricanes article.
» Background information on Natural Hazards (geared toward adult activity facilitators and aligned to OLP/NGSS)
» Sea Grant Homeowners Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards: This includes information on how to prepare your house for a storm and create a family emergency and evacuation plan. Find your state: HI, MA, DE, FL, GA, LA, MI/AL, TX, VA
» Other relevant NOAA Live! Webinars: Getting Prepared for Hurricane Season OR Talking Tornadoes with a Storm Researcher OR Minutes Matter: Nature’s Warning Signs for Tsunami
» Related “Voice of the Sea” video episodes hosted by Kanesa Seraphin:
Designing Future Coastal Communities
Engineering Tsunami Resilience
Hazard and Hurricane Preparedness
Salmon in the Winter: Anadromous fish under ice
Coowe Walker and Jacob Argueta, NOAA’s Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Kachemak Bay, AK
What do you know about baby salmon? Join us to learn about where salmon spend their early life stages, and how they survive in watersheds blanketed with snow and ice. We will talk about the importance of groundwater on baby salmon survival, and how watersheds and estuaries are nurseries that prepare salmon to hit the high seas.
Resources to access at home:
» Anchor River on Ice Video
» Overwintering juvenile coho salmon study-Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund
» Kachemak Bay NERR – NOAA Office of Coastal Management
» Kachemak Bay NERR – Education and Outreach
» Salmon: A Student Journal – activity book
» An Incredible Journey – curriculum about issues affecting salmon and how to become a salmon steward
Dambusters at Work: Restoring Habitat for Migratory Fish
Eric Hutchins, NOAA Restoration Center in Gloucester, MA
Soon after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock they began to build dams on Town Brook in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Every dam built impacted the migratory pathway of American eel and river herring which need to reach fresh water streams to complete their lifecycle. This talk will describe efforts by the Town of Plymouth and NOAA to remove or modify dams on Town Brook to restore habitats for migratory fish….and wait until you hear what they found when they tore down those dams!
Resources to access at home:
» Meet Eric Hutchins, Habitat Restoration Biologist Feature Story
» U.S. Fish and Wildlife: Teaching kids about fish migration. There is a fun lesson, “Designing fish-friendly culverts (and bridges)” lesson for grades 5-8.
» U.S. Fish and Wildlife: Environmental education resources for teachers, parents, and kids. Activities range from the “ABCs of fishing” coloring book, word searches, migration station, and more.
» NOAA Fisheries article, “You can help scientists count migrating river herring – virtually”
» U.S. Fish and Wildlife: Teaching kids about fish migration. There is a fun lesson, “Designing fish-friendly culverts (and bridges)” lesson for grades 5-8.
» U.S. Fish and Wildlife: Environmental education resources for teachers, parents, and kids. Activities range from the “ABCs of fishing” coloring book, word searches, migration station, and more.
» Help count the river herring:
–Mystic River, Massachusetts Herring Counter, https://www.mysticherring.org/video#/
–Town Brook, Plymouth Massachusetts Herring Counter https://www.plymouthriverherring.org/
» Watch Live Fish Cameras:
–Herring Creek on Martha’s Vineyard https://wampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/naturalresourcedepartment
–Town Brook, Plymouth Massachusetts Herring Counter https://www.plymouthriverherring.org/
» Other relevant NOAA Live! Webinars: Swimming Upstream with River Herring OR Leaping for Atlantic Salmon: Protecting endangered species
Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage: Cutting-Edge Science Connecting with Education
Elizabeth Siddon, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Juneau, AK, and Mark Van Arsdale, Eagle River High School in Eagle River, AK
Every January in Anchorage, scientists, educators, resource managers, students, and the public come together at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium (AMSS) conference to discuss the latest marine research being conducted in Alaska waters. Join us to talk with Elizabeth Siddon from NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center about her ecosystem research and education work, and Mark Van Arsdale, a high school teacher in Eagle River, Alaska, about his takeaways from the AMSS and how he brings the science back to his classroom.
Resources to access at home:
» Alaska Marine Science Symposium
» North Pacific Research Board
» SouthEast Exchange
» Meet Elizabeth Siddon, one of 2019’s PECASE WInners
» Mark Van Arsdale’s Teacher at Sea Blog from 2018
It Takes a Village to Save the Hawaiian Monk Seal
Stacie Robinson, NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center in Honolulu, HI and Wendy Marks, the Marine Mammal Center in Kona, HI
Did you know that Hawaiʻi is home to the world’s only tropical seal – the Hawaiian monk seal? You’ll learn about these highly endangered marine mammals, where they live, and the conservation efforts to protect them. We’ll follow monk seals on an underwater foraging adventure using cameras worn by the seals! You can see the methods the seals use to explore their environment and search for food. We will also highlight the partnership between NOAA and The Marine Mammal Centerʻs Ke Kai Ola Hospital. Located in Kona, on Hawaiʻiʻs Big Island, Ke Kai Ola is a place where sick and injured Hawaiian monk seals are brought for treatment and rehabilitation. We will be sharing some seal patient stories and how we help seals both in the hospital and out on the beaches.
Resources to access at home:
» Marine animal stranding network: You can find your region and the number to call if you see a marine animal.
» NOAAʻs Hawaiian Monk Seal Coloring Book
» NOAA Fisheries Hawaiian Monk Seal Species Page
» The Marine Mammal Center – Online Learning Resources
» Aloha ʻĀina Activity about littering and marine debris
» Mālama i nā ʻĪlioholoikauaua about sustainability
» Marine Mammal Monday: Saving Species recording and activity
» Some Ocean Optimism Ep. 6: Hawaiian Monk Seals, 6-minute video
Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Cold: Monitoring Fish and Ecosystems With Bottom Trawl Surveys in Alaska
Sean Rohan from NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA
How do bottom trawl surveys help monitor fish populations and ecosystems in Alaska? Learn about the diverse marine life we see, the data we collect, and what it’s like to be a scientist at sea.
Resources to access at home:
» Fishing Gear: Bottom Trawls
» Alaska Fisheries Science Center Fisheries Research Surveys
» Eastern Bering Sea Shelf Survey – 2017 science blog
» Fish Fetch – fish population estimation activity
Bringing Weather Forecasting Down to Earth
Tim Walsh, NOAA’s Satellite Service in Silver Spring, MD
Did you know that 95% of the data used in weather forecasting models comes from satellites? NOAA’s Satellite Service operates the Nation’s weather satellites around the clock, 365 days a year. The next generation of these satellites are being built and prepared for launch by NOAA and NASA. With information from our satellites, airlines can get back to the skies more quickly after foggy conditions, farmers learn when and how to plant crops for better harvests, and ships can navigate a course around dangerous seas or ice. And you know whether to bring an umbrella or sunscreen for your day outside! Join engineer Tim Walsh as he explains what makes the spacecraft orbits for earth-observing satellites special, what it takes to build and launch a spacecraft, and what the future might bring!
Resources to access at home:
Meet JPSS, a pair of Earth-orbiting satellites that give scientists data to predict the weather and climate! JPSS measures water, clouds, wind, temperature and air pressure – which all affect our daily weather. Using JPSS data, scientists can predict and provide warnings for hurricanes, tornadoes and blizzards. JPSS also measures droughts, forest fires, air and water quality, and the health of our ozone layer. There are many ways you can find JPSS in Your Community!
Activities and Resources
» Meet JPSS Comic
» JPSS Coloring Page
» JPSS Detects Greenhouse Gases and Aerosols: Build a Molecule Activity
» JPSS Understanding Infrared Light Activity
» JPSS How to Measure Snow Activity
Videos
» NOAA-20 satellite orbit with Suomi NPP and JPSS-2: See how a polar orbit works.
» JPSS Proving Grounds: Watch and learn about the human impact of weather data.
» 5 Things that Changed Weather Forecasting Forever
» Our Eyes in the Sky: Watch how satellites have improved hurricane forecasting
» Satellite and Weather Videos for Kids: https://goes-r.gov/multimedia/
» Videos used during the webinar:
Polar Orbit Video
NOAA-20 Satellite Launch and Stages Video
Small Satellite Video
Talking Trash: Marine Debris Research in Alaska
Peter Murphy, NOAA’s Marine Debris Program in Seattle, WA
With Alaska’s extensive, rugged and remote coastline, longer than the rest of the United States combined, innovative and creative approaches are required to address marine debris. Join us to learn about types of marine debris of all shapes and sizes, as well as projects that are being undertaken in Alaska by NOAA and community partners to conduct marine debris research, removal, and prevention.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Marine Debris Program games and activities for kids of all ages + posters and fact sheets
» NOAA Trash Talk – short videos on marine debris and what you can do.
» Marine Debris in Alaska
» St. Paul Island, Alaska Marine Debris Cleanup 2019
» Partnering with Native Communities to Take On Marine Debris
» NOAA Marine Debris Program in Your Region – Find your regional coordinator as well as state or region-specific information on current marine debris projects and activities.
» NOAA Ocean Today Trash Talk Videos: There are 11 short videos- What is marine debris, where does marine debris come from, impacts of marine debris, and more.
Whale and Seek: The Underwater Lives of Whales
Dave Wiley, NOAA Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary in Scituate, MA
How do you know what whales do in the wild? They are too big for an aquarium and disappear from view at every dive. New technologies let scientists attach body movement and acoustic (sound) or video recording tags to whales to watch and listen as they go about their underwater lives. The results surprised even the scientists that had spent their whole lives studying the animals!
Resources to access at home:
Activities
» NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS) Humpback Whale Migration Game (online)
» New Bedford Whaling Museum Whale Activities
» Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Activity Book you can print out. This includes a whale identification activity, word search, connect the dots, and more.
Videos and Background
» Dive in and find the National Marine Sanctuary closest to you
» NOAA Oceans Today 4-minute video and short story: Ocean as a Lab: Whale Tagging in Antarctica
» NOAA NMS 45 second video: Tagging Humpback Whales in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
» DE Sea Grant 15 Second Science Videos: All about whales with Bob Rocha, New Bedford Whaling Museum
» NOAA NMS: Dive into Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary with these short videos on topics such as humpback whales, sand lance, Christmas bird count, gray seals, and more!
» NOAA NMS story: High-Tech Whale Tagging featuring Dave Wiley
» NOAA actions taken to reduce ship strikes
Abalone: Gardeners of the Kelp Forest
David Witting, NOAA’s Restoration Center in Long Beach, CA
We will learn more about abalone, a group of large snails that live in kelp forest habitats around the world. These humble snails “garden” the kelp forest and ensure there is space for the other plants and animals living there. For thousands of years, people living on the California Coast have harvested this beautiful animal and we will explore how they were used for food, tools, jewelry, and cultural ceremonies. We will end by looking at the status of abalone today, with 2 species on the endangered species list and the others in such low numbers they can no longer be fished. We will learn how NOAA and its dedicated partners are teaming up to save this important animal.
Resources to access at home:
» Aquarium of the Pacific kids song/video: “I Love Abalone”
» NOAA Fisheries Feature Story: “Divers Release Endangered Abalone into the Wild for First Time, Boosting Odds of Recovery ”
» NOAA Fisheries Feature Story: “White Abalone: Why You Should Care About This Critter”
» NOAA white abalone “Species in the Spotlight” video
Youth Programs on St. Paul Island, Alaska
Lauren Divine and Veronica Padula, Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government on St. Paul Island, AK
In the middle of the Bering Sea, between Russia and North America, is the Alaskan island of St. Paul – an incredible place with an amazing community and some of the coolest wildlife in the world. There is so much to learn from and about this special place. Join us to learn how the Aleut Community of St. Paul Tribal Government involves youth on many local research programs on St. Paul Island, Alaska, including projects on northern fur seals, reindeer, seabirds, and marine debris! Kids are always excited to be involved in research and are some of the best scientists we have! NOAA partners with the St. Paul and St. George tribal governments on both research and education projects.
Seeing the World Through a Sea Turtle’s Eyes
Samir Patel, NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, MA
Sea turtles are considered living dinosaurs in that they have remained relatively unchanged for over 100 million years and yet continue to thrive in our world’s ocean. How are turtles able to do this? We use several camera techniques to film sea turtles as they swim through the ocean diving, foraging, and avoiding predators to understand how they are able to survive and thrive in their preferred habitats.
Resources to access at home:
» Sea turtle stranding network: You can find your region and the number to call if you see a stranded sea turtle.
» NOAA Education sea turtle page: Find information about the six species of sea turtles found in U.S. waters, stories, background material, videos, and classroom lesson plans and activities.
» Sea Turtle identification guide for the Northeast US
» National Marine Life Center in MA: Their virtual discovery zone has a sea turtle puppet craft, live patient updates on their sea turtles currently in rehab, and many videos.
» NOAA’s Activity Book on sea turtles: This activity booklet is aimed at grades 3-5.
Drones, Scat, and the Joys of Marine Mammal Fieldwork in Alaska
Katie Sweeney, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA
How do we study marine mammals and what do we find out? Take a journey through the types of surveys and tools that are used to study Steller sea lions and northern fur seals in Alaska, and the challenges faced by scientists who study them!
Resources to access at home:
» Fur seals on Bogoslof Island – 2019 science blog
» Investigating Steller Sea Lion Declines on Remote Aleutian Islands – 2016 science blog
» Investigating Steller Sea Lion Populations – video
» Steller Sea Lion Aerial Survey – 2017 science blog
» From 2017 and 2018: Thousands of People Help Scientists with Research on Endangered Steller Sea Lion, Stellar Progress on Steller Watch
Saving Corals: A Day in the Life of a Coral Reef Scientist
Derek Manzello, NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, FL
The mission of NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program is to provide information to help improve and sustain coral reef health throughout the world. Meet Derek Manzello, a NOAA coral reef scientist, who dons scuba gear when heading to his office – the world’s most beautiful ecosystem and a place that most people only see when they are on vacation. Look at the world through his eyes (or scuba mask) as he shows us the tools they use, shares his favorite fieldwork experience and helps us understand the challenges coral reefs face today.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Education Page
» NOAA National Ocean Service Corals Tutorial
» Interactive Reef Virtual Dive – Explore this virtual reef and learn more about corals
» Bleached Reef Virtual Dive – In early 2015, coral bleaching started in the Airport Pool on Tutuila. This image shows the staghorn corals in the midst of the severe bleaching event.
» How do corals build their reefs? Visit this California Academy of Sciences Page to learn more. (Dana shows the video from this page during the webinar)
» National Marine Sanctuaries Virtual Dives of different reefs
» NOAA Ocean Today Coral Comeback Videos: There are 9 short videos- Rainforests of the sea, the coral and the algae, corals under threat, what can we do, and more.
Alaska Sea Ice, Ice, Baby
Michael Lawson, NOAA’s National Weather Service in Anchorage, AK
Learn all about Alaska sea ice from a National Weather Service sea ice analyst! Come join us to find out about different types of sea ice, how it forms and is different than freshwater ice, and how NOAA sea ice analysts analyze sea ice from satellite imagery.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA National Snow & Ice Data Center
» Ten Signs of a Warming World – Arctic Sea Ice
» Melting Ice Science Experiment
» Whither Arctic Sea Ice? – grades 7-12
» Sea Ice Index – Sea Ice Animation Tool
» Citizen Science: CoCoRaHS – Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network
Science on the Half Shell: Behind the Scenes at the Milford Fisheries Laboratory
Mark Dixon and Gillian Phillips, NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Milford, CT
Have you ever wondered what kind of science is conducted at a fisheries laboratory? Meet NOAA scientists from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Laboratory in Milford, CT, who study shellfish and investigate questions that help shellfish growers around the world. You will learn about what oysters eat, how they are helping make a cleaner Long Island Sound, and see, through real fish surveillance, how shellfish farms can become habitat for other species.
Resources to access at home:
» Current research at Milford
» Fish printing is usually a popular station: Read this article on the educational uses of gyotaku or fish printing. Try it at home after watching this video (for older kids) or this video (for younger kids). Remember – you can use a rubber fish and even print onto clothing.
What’s in the Kelp Forest? Exploring the Shore and Diving Underwater in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Kris Holderied, NOAA Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, NOAA Ocean Service and Katie Gavenus, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies
Come find out about the unique ecology and research in Kachemak Bay, Alaska! Kachemak Bay is home to a wide variety of animals — sea stars, nudibranchs, anemones, clams and snails, octopus, crabs, all sorts of fish, and even marine mammals like whales and sea otters! Join us to learn more about this special estuary and explore how researchers and community members study the underwater ecosystem.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Ocean Service: What is the intertidal zone?
» Alaska Department of Fish and Game: Tidepooling in Alaska including an overview, tidepool etiquette, etc.
» Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies Educator Resources
» Video: Science and Stewardship: Keys to Restoring Kachemak Bay
» Kasitsna Bay Lab Dive Class “Movie Trailer”
» Activities: Life in the Intertidal Zone
Not Your Friendly Neighborhood Wave: Staying Safe from Tsunamis in Alaska
Dr. Summer Ohlendorf, NOAA’s National Weather Service Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, AK
Earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, oh my! What’s one thing these hazards have in common? They’re all capable of moving a large amount of water very quickly, creating a special set of waves called a tsunami. While the most well known tsunami up here is the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami, tsunamis can come in many sizes and remain an ongoing threat to coastal Alaskans. On the heels of World Tsunami Awareness Day (Nov. 5), we’ll share some of the things that make tsunamis different from regular waves, how scientists monitor and warn for tsunamis, and how you can keep yourselves and your families safe.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Educational Tsunami Resources
» Alaska tsunami evacuation maps and more!
» Interactive tsunami inundation/flooding maps
» Alaska geohazard educational resources – Earthscope Alaska Native Geoscience Learning Experience (ANGLE)
» NOAA Mitigates the Impact of Killer Waves – Storymap
Oysters: Nature’s Vacuum Cleaners
Harriet Booth, NOAA’s Woods Hole Sea Grant and Cape Cod Cooperative Extension in Barnstable, MA
Have you ever seen or eaten an oyster? How is it different from a clam? Did you know they can filter 1.3 gallons of water per hour and are often put in bays and salt water ponds to clean up the water? Do you know how they spawn (reproduce)? Who eats them (hint -we do) and what research do we do to support shellfish farmers or wild harvesters? Learn all this and more during this NOAA Live! webinar.
Resources to access at home:
» Oyster Life Cycle: This is a short 2-minute video that walks you through the oyster life cycle.
» NOAA K-12 Science Module – “Oysters in the Chesapeake Bay”: This has curriculum for elementary, middle school, and high school grade lessons. This is relevant regardless of where you live.
» Oyster Reef Habitat – This NOAA Fisheries website has valuable information about oyster reefs.
» Marine Biological Laboratory Demonstrates How Oysters Filter Water: This is a short 2 minute that shows oysters filtering algae out of the water.
» Cape Cod Cooperative Extension Publications and Resources: Publications include “Tips for fresh and tasty shellfish”, “Easting shellfish as part of a healthy diet”, “Safe shellfish for recreational harvesters”, and more.
» Octonauts – Learn about shellfish: In this video Octonauts are learning all about shellfish! Lobsters, shrimp, crabs, and more.
Deep and Creepy: Things that go Bump in the Deep Sea
Kasey Cantwell, NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research in Silver Spring, MD
A special Halloween edition of NOAA Live! – “Creatures of the Deep” will explore the fascinatingly creepy creatures of the deep ocean. Join us to learn more about the unique animals that exist in the deep sea and the different adaptations that make it possible to live in this extreme environment!
» NOAA Ocean Exploration and Research Education Page: This includes lesson plans, multimedia interactive activities, career information, and more
» NOAA Exploring Deep-Ocean Art: Coloring book and coloring pages.
» Bioluminescence, Deep-sea Corals, and Cold Seeps, : Videos, past expeditions, lesson plans, and more.
» Benthic Deepwater Animal Identification Guide: Explore this amazing collection of images from the Deep Discoverer remotely operated vehicle.
» NOAA Build an Underwater Robot: This is a guide to making a simple version of an underwater remotely operated vehicle.
» NOAA Ocean Today/Creep into the Deep: There are some great videos on how animals in the deep sea have evolved to breed, feed, and survive in one of the harshest realms of the ocean.
» Zooplankton in the Deep Sea: This Hawaii Sea Grant video is a great introduction to zooplankton in the deep ocean.
» Ocean Exploration Facts
» Octonauts Corner: coloring pages, video tour of Okeanos for kids, and deep sea creature chart
» Dive and Discover with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Hydrothermal vents animals
» Whale Times, Inc – Creep into the Deep, Journey into Midnight Cruise: There are some great coloring pages
» Ocean Explorer Make your own Deep Sea Vent activity for grades 5-6.
Ping! – Using sound to map Alaska’s seafloor
Jessica Murphy and LTjg Michelle Levano, NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey in Seattle, WA
Like marine mammals using sound to “see” their underwater environment, scientists also use sound to determine what the seafloor looks like! Mapping the seafloor provides information for many purposes, including safe navigation of fishing vessels and helping pinpoint where marine animals call home. Join us as we discuss the tools of the trade for mapping the seafloor and the many ways that data is used by scientists for everything from charting the ocean to understanding habitat.
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey Educational Activities: Learn more about the seafloor and nautical charting through posters, interactive activities (check out the digital terrain activity!), and hands-on activities you can do at home.
» Alaska Surveys Storymap
» Finding Nautical Charts
» Travel the Seas Video
» Plumbing the Deep: Using Sound Waves to See
Fire Weather at an Incident
Kari Fleegel, NOAA’s National Weather Service in Aberdeen, SD
Fire weather is a combination of conditions that set the stage for the rapid spread of wildfires. Join us to meet one of NOAA’s incident meteorologists who helps keep fire crews safe by enabling responders to plan operations around one of the most variable aspects of any incident — the weather. Kari is a National Weather Service forecaster who has been specially trained and certified to provide weather support at a fire location.
Resources to access at home:
» National Weather Service (NWS) Wildfire safety: This has safety and preparedness information.
» NWS wildfire safety tips video: This is a short, 1 1/2 minute video
» NWS Seasonal Safety Campaign (which includes a few wildfire safety infographics #1 and #2): Information on how to prepare for hazardous weather year-round
» Ready.gov web resource: Find information on preparing, staying safe, and returning home after the fire.
» Midwestern Regional Climate Center with some specialized information for wildfires in the Midwestern US
» Smokey Bear for Kids: Star with Smokey in a story, play a game to learn how to spot fire dangers while camping, and design a coloring page with Smokey.
» Smokey Bear for Educators: There are K-2 and middle school activities and materials.
Exploring the Ocean Seafloor: Underwater Volcanoes and their Habitats
Colleen Hoffman, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies and NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Lab in Seattle, WA
Come learn about the explosive world of underwater volcanoes! Alien looking organisms, robots and submarines, and eruptions are all part of the fun in studying these systems 10,000-13,000 feet below sea level. Narrated by a marine geochemist, we explore an underwater volcano habitat and how we collect samples from the deep.
Resources to access at home:
» Videos used in the talk: Volcanic eruptions on the seafloor, Life at a Hydrothermal Vent, and What it is like to go down in HOV Alvin
Videos:
» Demo for Oreo plate tectonics
» Last 40 years of hydrothermal vent explorations (video showing all the different types of systems)
» C-DEBI deep-sea lesson plans
» NOAA Ocean Today Every Full Moon: Deep Sea Dive Collection
» NOAA Ocean Explorer: Hunting for Alien Life at the Bottom of the Arctic Ocean
» NOAA Ocean Explorer: Hydrothermal Vents: 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas
» NOAA Ocean Explorer: Education Therme: Vents and Volcanoes lesson plans
» HACON – Hot Vents in an Ice-Covered Ocean
Books:
» Exploring the Deep, Dark Sea by Gail Gibbons.
» Alien Deep: Revealing the Mysterious Living World at the Bottom of the Ocean (National Geographic Kids) by Bradley Hague.
» Discovering the Deep by Jeffrey A. Karson, Deborah S. Kelley, Daniel J. Fornari, Michael R, Perfit, and Timothy M. Shank.
Dolphin Tales – Stories and facts about dolphins and marine mammal strandings in the Southeast US
Blair Mase, NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center in Miami, FL
Is it a fish or is it a mammal? Tune into this presentation full of fun facts about dolphins, their biology, and how we study them. Find out about marine mammal strandings (what is that and why does it happen?), what NOAA does in response to one of these events, and how to find out more about the stranding network in your area. This webinar will be recorded and posted here (with English captions and Spanish subtitles) after going live. (Grades 2-8 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program: Learn more about the volunteer stranding and entanglement networks and find your regional program.
» Report a Stranded or Injured Marine Animal
» FAQs about why it is illegal to feed or harass a marine mammal in the wild.
» Video used during the talk: Dolphin Sounds – Sounds of Nature
» NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries Outreach Corner: Marine mammal and sea turtle viewing guidelines, see and id smartphone apps, fact sheets and more.
» NOAA Marine Debris Activities and Curricula: Activity books, bookmarks, magnets, and more.
The crab-tivating life of crustaceans: diving into Alaskan snow crab and red king crab biology
Erin Fedewa and Leah Zacher, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Kodiak Laboratory in Kodiak, AK
Join us as we learn about red king crab and snow crab, two species of crab found in Alaskan waters. Guest appearances from live crab at the Kodiak Fisheries Research Center and a virtual dissection will help us explore crab biology and life stages. This webinar will be recorded and posted here (with English captions) after going live. (Grades 2-8 but all ages will enjoy)
https://seagrant.whoi.edu/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=noaa_live_webinar
Resources to access at home:
» Red king crab life stages – a short course
» Crab education pages
» NOAA Fisheries – Red King Crab
» NOAA Fisheries – Snow Crab
» New Studies Raise Questions About Crabs’ Adaptability
» Dutch Harbor Snow and Tanner Crab Growth Study – a science blog
Up, Up, and Away – Flying High with NWS Weather Balloons
Jeff Orrock, NOAA’s National Weather Service in Wakefield, VA
NOAA launches weather balloons twice a day across the entire country. Weather balloons, also known as sounding balloons, are a special type of high-altitude balloon carrying instruments to near the edge of space. They send back information on atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind speed by means of a small, expendable measuring device called a radiosonde. Meet meteorologist Jeff Orrock and learn how weather balloons collect information to help forecasters predict the weather in your community and what you can do if you find one. This webinar will be recorded and posted here (with English captions and Spanish subtitles) after going live. (Grades 2-8 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» National Weather Service Kids Corner: Weather balloons page including a video of a weather balloon launch.
» National Weather Service Education Page: Weather science, games, weather safety, and careers for kids, parents, and teachers.
» UCAR Center for Science Education: Explore the atmosphere by launching virtual weather balloons.
» UCAR Center for Science Education: Learn more about weather balloons.
» NOAA’s JetStream – An Online School for Weather: This has downloadable posters about clouds and weather, information about the atmosphere, global weather, and many more topics.
» NOAA’s SciJinks – It’s All About Weather: This is for educators and students. You’ll find games, information, classroom activities, videos, and more.
Baby Beluga in the Shallow Gray Sea – looking for newborn whales with drones in Cook Inlet, Alaska
Kim Goetz, NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA
Learn about the endangered population of Cook Inlet beluga whales which regularly swim past local Anchorage landmarks such as the Port, Kincaid Park, the airport, and Bird Point in Turnagain Arm. We will talk about how belugas live, see cool photos of them taken from a drone that we use to recognize newborn baby whales, and listen to them buzz and chomp on a fish! This webinar will be recorded and posted here (with English captions) after going live. (Grades 2-8 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Studying Endangered Cook Inlet Belugas in Alaska
» Beluga Whale Hexacopter Survey – Science Blog
» Belugas Count! video
» Species in the Spotlight: Cook Inlet Beluga Whale
» Plumbing the Deep: Using Sound Waves to See
Carbon’s Journey and Our Warming Planet
Frank Niepold and Tom Di Liberto, NOAA’s Climate Program Office in Silver Spring, MD
The carbon cycle is a process where carbon dioxide travels from the atmosphere into living organisms and the Earth, then back into the atmosphere. Learn how changes in carbon dioxide levels, such as burning fossil fuels (oil, gas, etc.), affect the atmosphere and the ocean. We will flood a “bathroom” and see why it’s a good thing to shut off the water and or make the Earth’s atmosphere “drain” bigger so we don’t mess up our home. This webinar will be recorded and posted here (with English captions and Spanish subtitles) after going live. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Why is Carbon Important: This NASA site is aimed at kids and does a nice job of explaining what carbon is as well as its importance.
» The Incredible Carbon Journey: Play the Carbon Journey Game with your class or a group at home (Use the blue “Jump to this Activity” button on the website linked to here).
» MIT’s Greenhouse Gas Simulator: This simple animated simulation of the global carbon system is great for helping kids explore the relationship between carbon emissions and atmospheric carbon dioxide. (Teacher link)
» NASA Climate Kids Offset Game: As you play this online game you earn money so you can buy “upgrades” to your carbon sources and sinks. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide molecules are escaping into the atmosphere.
» Background articles from climate.gov for parents or teachers:
Which emits more carbon dioxide: volcanoes or human activities?
Carbon dioxide: earth’s hottest topic is just warming up
Climate change: atmospheric carbon dioxide
Demystifying Science through Video
Filmmaker Paul Hillman, NOAA Fisheries Communications Office in Seattle, WA
Science can be a tough nut to crack for a lot of people, and sometimes getting the information straight from a scientist can be full of technical jargon and difficult to understand. But science is the backbone for many of the decisions and policies that we make at NOAA, and we want to effectively communicate this science to you. To do this, we have a team of filmmakers that create videos that illustrate our science in educational and entertaining ways. Tune in to learn more about how to make science films, and to learn about a career in science when you’re actually an artist! The webinar will last about 45-60 minutes with moderated questions and answers throughout. This webinar will be recorded and posted afterward. (Grades 6-8, but all ages will enjoy) » View recorded webinar (subtitles available in Spanish and English)
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Fisheries Video Gallery Watch some of these amazing videos on topics ranging from aquaculture, coral conservation, sustainable fisheries, and more.
» NOAA Fisheries YouTube Channel. View a wide variety of videos on topics ranging from protected species, species in the spotlight, and more.
The Wonderful World of Plankton: The Tiny Animals of the Sea
Colleen Harpold and Alison Deary, NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA
Come learn about the exciting world of plankton! Everything from baby fishes, crab and octopus to animals like copepods and krill that spend their entire lives floating in the ocean. Narrated by two marine scientists with different career tracks, explore the tiny animals that live in our ocean and how they are collected from the seas of Alaska. The webinar will last about 45-60 minutes with moderated questions and answers throughout. This webinar will be recorded and posted afterward. (Grades 6-8, but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Ecosystems & Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (EcoFOCI) Website. Find out more about the research and data that is collected.
» Plankton Portal. This website gives you an opportunity to do some citizen science and ID plankton!
Swimming in Dirty Water – Pollution and Fish Health
Cathy Laetz, NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA
Every day humans produce tons of chemicals that can drain into our rivers, lakes, and oceans. In the Pacific Northwest, these waters are important habitat for fish like salmon. You wouldn’t like to swim at a polluted beach and our science tells us that the fish don’t like it either! Learn about how common pollutants like oil, copper, pesticides, and stormwater harm fish and what you can do to help clean our water. The webinar will last about 45-60 minutes with moderated questions and answers throughout. This webinar will be recorded and posted afterward. (Grades 6-8, but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Kids Health website. Explore this page to find games, activities, songs, coloring pages, and more!
» PBS Learning Media: Pollution and Wast – Find lots of interesting Public Television videos on scientific and environmental topics.
» TED-Ed – View short video lessons aimed at educators and students. Many are collaborations between educators and animators. There are a wide range of science topics.
» Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – educational resources for students, parents, and teachers
Exploring Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary – Virtual Tour and Trivia BINGO
Jacqueline Laverdure, NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Port Angeles, WA
Explore the wonders of America’s Ocean and Great Lakes Treasures – Our national marine sanctuaries! Join us for this fun and interactive virtual tour as we visit our national marine sanctuaries and dive deep into Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. This journey includes a trivia BINGO game as we explore the rich abundance of marine life that thrive in these magnificent waters of the Pacific Northwest from the rocky shores to the deep sea. The webinar will last about 45-60 minutes with moderated questions and answers throughout. This webinar will be recorded and posted afterward. (Grades 6-8, but all ages will enjoy)
NOAA Live! All-Stars Show
Ask the questions you didn’t get answered!
This webinar will be 1 hour long. Each speaker will give a 1-2 minute “speed talk” to remind you of their area of expertise. They will not be giving their webinar again (but you can watch their recorded webinar on our YouTube channel). This is a chance to see your favorite NOAA Live! presenters and ask any questions you might still have. We will alternate asking questions of each of our panelists.
Hunting Hurricanes with Commander Jason R. Mansour, NOAA, Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland, FL
Airplane Surveys of Whales with Allison Henry, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, MA
Archaeology at Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument with Malia Evans, NOAA’s Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawai’i
Marine Mammals and Sound with Genevieve Davis, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, MA
Saildrones with Heather Tabisola, NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, WA
Coral Reefs with Dana Wusinich-Mendez, NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program in West Palm Beach, FL
Tornadoes with Sean Waugh, NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, OK
Sharks with Chris Flight, NOAA’s Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Dauphin Island, AL
Wait! Is that a Real Jellyfish?
Michael Ford, from NOAA Fisheries in Silver Spring, MD
Let’s face it. Jellyfish can be annoying sometimes when we’re on the beach. However, many oceanographers think jellyfish might play an important role in the ocean food web. When we explore the Earth’s oceans from ships and with unmanned Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), we actually see lots and lots of jellyfish. So, when we are not at the beach, we turn on our ROV, dive down into the ocean, and study them. There are so many kinds of jellyfish! Actually, “jellyfish” is a common word used to describe many types of animals that are gelatinous (made of jelly-like tissue.) These animals come in a very wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Join oceanographer Mike Ford from NOAA Fisheries to learn about jellyfish in the deep ocean as seen from recent ROV dives in the ocean. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» The Smithsonian website on jellyfish and comb jellies. This includes their role in the food web, reproduction and life cycle, human connections, and more. Click here.
» Interesting web articles with photo and video content that Mike wrote with colleagues and folks from Ocean Exploration:
» Explorations Far Above the Musician Seamounts: A Crescendo for Midwater Explorers
» The Gelata of Océano Profundo 2015 (available in English and Spanish)
» Cyclocanna welshi
» Dive 05: Twirling Jelly
» Trawling for Plankton (and Plastic) on the Way Home from Indonesia
From Training to Underwater Exploration: Take a Deep Dive the NOAA Diving Center
Jessica Keller and Zachary Hileman, both from the NOAA Diving Center in Seattle, WA and Stephanie Gandulla, NOAA’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Alpena, MI
Follow the pathway to become a NOAA diver and beyond! Scientific diving is one of the main types of diving conducted throughout NOAA, and the NOAA Diving Center trains scientists in how to work safely underwater. Join us as we discuss how we conduct science in the underwater environment. After training, NOAA divers go into the field and collect data in cool locations like Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary! Thunder Bay will highlight the projects and science conducted by NOAA divers in the Great Lakes. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Learn more about the NOAA Diving Program (NDP). View NOAA diving forms, regulations, training, and more. Click here.
» The NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations website. There is a lot of information as well as featured stories and videos.
» A map of the NOAA diving program units and sub-units (where are our trained divers).
» Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary education website. There are links to NOAA’s online games, an encyclopedia of the sanctuaries, and more.
» NOAA National Ocean Service “Dive in: underwater adventure” website. This shows you the diving opportunities in NOAA’s national marine sanctuaries and estuarine research reserves.
» Map of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
» Immerse yourself in the ocean and your national marine sanctuaries without getting wet! These virtual reality voyages use 360-degree images to highlight each national marine sanctuary.
» National Park Service Junior Ranger Underwater Explorer Program.
USS Monitor: Heavy Metal on the High Seas
Tane Casserley, NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary in Newport News, VA
Situated 16 miles off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary protects the shipwreck of the famed Civil War ironclad, USS Monitor. Over the last 45 years, NOAA has been honoring the men of USS Monitor, its legacy with the United States Navy, and its impact on world events. This presentation will discuss NOAA’s use of cutting edge science to preserve this iconic piece of Civil War history and will highlight NOAA’s efforts to protect this fragile national treasure and its history above and below the waves. Art Courtesy Tom Freeman. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» This Monitor National Marine Sanctuary website has information about the science of exploration and monitoring the shipwrecks at the sanctuary.
» Explore shipwrecks from the Civil War through World War II
» Map of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
» Fun activities for students and all ages. Monitor bingo, a civil war crossword puzzle, test your knowledge, and much more.
» Education resources for teachers. You will find curriculum, activities, and videos here.
» Proposed sanctuary expansion Why expand? Find out more here.
» Living Shipwrecks 3D – This website gives you a 3D view (created from multibeam sonars) of various shipwrecks and the marine life that uses the sites as habitat. This was created by NOAA’s Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (MNMS) and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Beaufort Lab.
» NOAA Ocean Today Maritime Archaeology Videos: There are 8 short videos- What is maritime archaeology, explore with us, sanctuaries, and more.
Fishing for Food and Facts
Anna Mercer, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Narragansett, RI
Did you know that U.S. fisheries produce over 9 billion pounds of seafood every year? Join this webinar to learn how NOAA Fisheries works with fishermen to produce sustainable seafood that feeds people all over the world. In this webinar, you will learn about the species that are harvested in the northeast U.S., how they are caught, and how NOAA Fisheries helps fishermen develop tools to fish more effectively and collect data for science. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» U.S. Seafood Facts at Fish Watch
» Fisheries of the United States
» NOAA Fisheries Cooperative Research
» National Marie Sanctuaries Fish and Fishery Facts in California. This has some great information on where fishing occurs, the different fisheries, fishing vessel types, fishing gear, seafood markets, and more.
» Seafood Nutrition Partnership Website. NOAA Fisheries is a partner and you can find seafood 101, the science of seafood, and more.
Giant Seabass, Kings of the Kelp Forest
Ryan Freedman, NOAA’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary in Santa Barbara, CA
Giant Seabass are a species of large fish that live in the cool waters off the coast of California. Thanks to government protections in California, this top predator of the kelp forest is beginning to return to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and NOAA is working with other groups to study them. Giant Seabass are unique because scientists believe they use sounds to communicate. NOAA is working to record these sounds in the wild and study how these fish move around Santa Barbara Island, a small offshore island in the sanctuary. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» “Return of the King” – An article on how researchers track giant sea bass populations in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
» Channel Island National Marine Sanctuary education page. This includes an encyclopedia of sanctuaries, marine reserves interactive map, and more.
» Map of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
Blue Blood, Green Eggs, and Red Knots: The amazing story of the horseshoe crab
Chris Petrone, NOAA’s Delaware Sea Grant in Lewes, DE
About 20 million years ago, the horseshoe crab, as we know it today, evolved. Members of Family Limulidae, which include four extant species of horseshoe crabs, have relatives—the trilobites—that existed on Earth over 500 million years ago! In North America, just one species of horseshoe crabs crawls upon the seafloor eating small clams, crustaceans, worms, and algae. Horseshoe crabs, which are more closely related to scorpions and spiders than true crabs, are incredibly important to the environment and humans. Join us to learn more about this incredible animal and develop your own “Limulus Love.” (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Delaware Sea Grant’s Horseshoe Crab 15 Second Science YouTube playlist. These short videos are fun, quick, and informative.
» Delaware Sea Grant article: Scientists develop an artificial bait that reduces the need to harvest horseshoe crabs
» The Horseshoe Crab – information about the horseshoe crab.
» The Delaware Bay Horseshoe Crab Survey
» NOAA’s Ocean Today video on horseshoe crabs – “Blue Blood Battles Bacteria”
» Estuaries 101 “Hooray for Horseshoe Crabs” lesson plan
» Horseshoe Crab Origami
» Migrating Shorebirds and Horseshoe Crabs video (~36 seconds long)
» Just flip ’em music video
» Videos Chris shows during his webinar, “egg video” and “feeding video”
» NOAA Ocean Today the Remarkable Horseshoe Crab Videos: There are 5 short videos- The remarkable horseshoe crab, blue blood battles bacteria, and more.
Coastal Marshland in My Texas Backyard
Nikki Fitzgerald, NOAA’s Texas Sea Grant in Anahuac, TX
Let’s explore Nikki’s backyard coastal marsh together in the ‘Alligator Capital of Texas’! She will take us on a journey while kayaking or riding on the back of a marsh buggy. Have you ever heard a baby alligator chirp before? No worries, Nikki will let you hear one chirp! Watch as she shows us how to catch a blue crab or go seining in the bay. You will get to learn the many purposes of a Marsh with live demonstrations and hands-on activities. Learn about the importance of our coastal marshes and discover the many different animals that call it home. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Texas Parks and Wildlife page on Coastal Wetlands. You can see pictures of some of the animals that live in Texas’ coastal wetlands.
» Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
» Texas Parks and Wildlife video: Gulf Coast Prairies Eco-Region (6 minutes long)
» Texas Parks and Wildlife video: Crabbing the Coast at Sea Rim State Park (3 minutes long)
» Beaumont Texas Cattail Marsh Scenic Wetlands and Boardwalk 2017 video (3 minutes long)
» Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge Travel Video (4 minutes long)
» Pond Management with Jefferson/Chambers County Agent Nikii Fitzgerald (7 minutes)
» What are watersheds? video with Nikki (5 minutes long)
» Types of weathering video with Nikki (3 minutes)
Minutes Matter: Nature’s Warning Signs for Tsunami
Cindi Preller, NOAA’s National Weather Service Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu, Hawai’i
May 22, 2020, marks the 60th year since the 1960 Great Chilean earthquake, the largest ever measured at magnitude 9.5, which wreaked havoc across the entire Pacific Basin. Earthquakes and tsunamis have been happening globally since our planet was born. One of the earliest recorded devastating tsunami disasters happened in the Atlantic basin, in 1755, near Lisbon, Portugal. Tsunamis have no season and cannot be predicted. Nature, however, does provide us with clues. It is critical that children learn these life-saving facts since they are the best teachers and will pass these tools onto others. This presentation will provide students with tsunami, earthquake, and volcano education through a variety of games and activities. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Tsunami Hazard Maps: States and territories produce maps for their coastlines that identify tsunami inundation and evacuation areas.
» Tsunami Education and Outreach Material: Resources available about tsunami safety, including a 2-minute fast draw animation.
» Pacific Tsunami Warning Center Video Playlist: Collection of videos and animations from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
» Tsunami FAQs
» Homeowners Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards
» National Ocean Service animation – Know what to do if a tsunami hits—and the risks you face. (~2 minutes long) Shown during the webinar.
» UN video, “Lessons save lives: the story of Tilly Smith”. A clip of this is shown during her webinar.
» University of Alaska Earthquake Center animations. Generation of a tsunami, propagation, etc. (These are used in the webinar)
» NOAA Ocean Today Tsunami Survival Guide Videos: There are 7 short videos- Tsunami awareness, tracking tsunamis, tsunami science, and more.
Following ‘Ō‘io: The Life of Hawaiian Bonefishes
Keith Kamikawa, NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Regional Office in Honolulu, Hawai’i
It’s easy to follow friends and family who are important to us through social media. But there is no Facebook for fish. So how do we keep track of fish species that are important to our fisheries? Hawai‘i is home to two species of bonefish, including one found nowhere else in the world. Let’s take a look at ‘ō‘io (bonefishes) in Hawai‘i, a favorite catch for local anglers, and follow them throughout their lives. By building their life history “profile,” we can learn how to protect their habitat and fish sustainably so that the next generation can enjoy a future where fishing traditions―and fish―thrive. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Habitat Mapping Activity – Color your way through ‘ō’io habitat by hand or on a computer or tablet.
» Pre-spawning aggregation video. (Keith shows a clip in the webinar)
» Bonefish Reproduction Research Project video – You can view a female releasing her eggs.
Fish with Care
» Be a FAST (Fishing Around Seals and Turtles) responder! It’s OK to call for help! If you’re not in Hawai‘i, learn about protected animals in your area and what to do if you see a stranded marine mammal or sea turtle.
» Measure your catch! Check out the Hawai‘i Nearshore Fishes Measuring Guide to figure out which fish to keep or release, or find out about fishing in your area. Download the Fish Rules App for saltwater fishing regulations in Federal and State waters from Maine to Texas.
Get to Know NOAA Habitat Restoration in Your Area
» Fish depend on healthy habitat! Check out the NOAA Habitat Restoration Atlas to find out about restoration projects in your area. The searchable map highlights projects across the nation, including community-based restoration projects.
Stories in the Stone: Archaeology in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Malia Evans, NOAA’s Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawai’i
Take a journey to the most isolated archipelago in the world to learn how ancestral Hawaiians shared ecological and cultural observations and knowledge across time and space. This presentation and hands-on activity will explore the stones of this storied landscape, and the oral traditions and relationships contemporary Hawaiians maintain to Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Weʻll conclude by designing kiʻi pōhaku (petroglyphs) that represent you, your family, or your community. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Native Hawaiian Cultural Heritage in the Monument
» Learn about the special name given to this unique place – You can even listen to an audio file of the pronunciation and practice at home.
» Read about Maliaʻs journey to Papahānaumokuākea in July 2019
» Kids activities and marine archaeology info – Find activity books and a shipwreck gameshow on this website.
» Downloadable Map of Papahānaumokuākea
» Learn more about Polynesian Navigation
» Visit this page for directions on how to submit a photo of your kiʻi pōhaku (petroglyphs) as well as see all the photos we received.
» Videos Malia showed during her webinar: History of Hokulea (~10 minutes), USGS Kilauea Volcano Helicopter Overflight July 21, 2018 (~1 minute), and Nihoa Island (~8 seconds)
» Papahānaumokuākea song and coloring book by Patrick Ching
» NOAA Ocean Today Adventures of a Maritime Archaeologist Videos: There are 7 short videos- What is maritime archaeology, explore with us, sanctuaries, and more.
Talking Tornadoes with a Storm Researcher
Sean Waugh, NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, OK
Tornadoes occur all over the world and can be among some of the most damaging and destructive natural disasters. Our mission at the NOAA National Severe Storms Laboratory is to improve our understanding of tornadoes and all aspects of severe weather. This helps forecasters at the NOAA National Weather Service better predict hazardous weather and issue forecasts, watches and warnings to save lives and reduce property damage. It takes a special team of dedicated researchers and a variety of instrumented vehicles designed just for the job! Talk with a real-life Tornado Scientist, see first hand some of the tools they use to safely study tornadoes, and get your questions answered about the science behind the storm! (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Sean answers all your webinar questions we didn’t have time for. NOAA Live! Webinar Series Tornado FAQs
» The National Severe Storms Laboratory website on tornadoes
» The National Weather Service website on tornado safety
» NOAA Storm Prediction Center where you can look at current data and predictions
» Weather Wizkids website about tornadoes. At the bottom, you will find experiments such as how to make a tornado in a bottle, a tornado in a jar, a pressure experiment to suck an egg into a bottle, and several more.
» The National Severe Storms Laboratory Severe Weather 101 tornadoes webpage.
» Ready.gov This government website has valuable information about how to make a plan, what to put in your emergency bag, and more. Visit their Ready Kids! website for games, tips, and more!
» YouTube video of the largest tornado in recorded history – May 31st, 2013 Multi-Vortex Tornado near El Reno, OK. Sean shows a portion of this video during his talk.
Winged Ambassadors: Ocean Travelers
Jennifer Stock, NOAA’s Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary in Olema, CA
Seabirds that live their entire lives at sea (except for one very special time of the year!) have tremendous stories to tell about the health and ecology of the global ocean. What makes a seabird a seabird? How do we know where they live and travel on the ocean? What does your wingspan say about you? What can you do to help seabirds? Learn about the amazing travels of Black-footed and Laysan Albatrosses in the Pacific Ocean. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Dive in and find the National Marine Sanctuary closest to you.
» Storymap about Birds throughout National Marine Sanctuaries – This includes migration routes, bird research, a bird tour, an interactive bird map, and more!
» Bird Watching at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary -This includes a guide to sanctuary birds and a chart of seasonal sightings.
» Winged Ambassadors: Ocean Literacy through the Eyes of Albatross (predominantly for teachers, but includes photos, ppts, videos) http://www.
» National Geographic’s Laysan Albatross virtual bolus dissection – Kids can use online videos and photo galleries to conduct s virtual bolus dissection.
» Seabird and Shorebird Activity Book– The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary put together this fun book. Seabirds secret code, shorebirds word find, seabirds mobile, and more!
» Makani Interactive Workbook- Makani: The albatross that cares for the land- interactive story about Laysan Albatross and ocean conservation.
» Ocean Guardian Kids Club – The Kids Club offers children a stimulating opportunity to express their insights, observations, and understanding of their natural environment through the creation of original stories, poetry, and visual art. All K-8 students are eligible and encouraged to join!
» Cornell’s Bird Cams: A virtual window into the natural world of birds.
» Nesting Albatross video that Jennifer shows during her presentation
» A Perfect Day for an Albatross by Caren Loebel-Fried: Download the free teacher’s guide that features activities that target national science, math, writing, and art education standards for grades 1-3.
What’s in that Mouthful of Seawater: Introducing the Ocean’s Microscopic World
Vera Trainer, NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA
The ocean’s microscopic single-celled organisms produce over half the world’s oxygen. These phytoplankton provide clean air, draw down carbon dioxide responsible for climate change, and are a major source of food for marine creatures. However, some phytoplankton can produce chemicals that are poisonous to humans, marine mammals, and birds. These harmful algal blooms are responsible for shutting down shellfish harvest and causing fish kills around the world. This talk will provide an introduction to the beauty and danger of the microscopic marine world. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center’s video, “Science at Sea – The Hunt for Killer Algae.” (20 minutes long)
» Why Do Fish Get Sick? youtube video
» Tabs on Habs Videos– These are an introduction to Harmful Algal Blooms and their Identification. There is a beginner, intermediate, and advanced series of videos.
» The National Ocean Service’s Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) website. There is regional information so you can look up HABs in your area, resources such as how we forecast HABs, frequently asked questions, and more!
» Nature Video’s “Five Reasons to Thank Plankton” that Vera showed during her webinar. Find out how much you owe these little guys.
» WHOI website on harmful algae blooms. This resource has maps, species, impacts, and more.
» Download the “Phyto” app for free on your smartphone. You can access a series of flashcards with both freshwater and marine phytoplankton. Learn to identify phytoplankton and their proper pronunciation.
Helping Big Ships Bring Goods into Port So You Can Have What You Need
Kyle Ward and Louis Licate, NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey in Charleston, SC and Miami, FL
Scientists, engineers, and mariners use NOAA’s products and services to slide underneath bridges, navigate tight turns, and dock alongside ports so that everything from groceries to games are available in stores for you to use. Come learn about how the Office of Coast Survey keeps America’s commerce moving! (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» You can view charts in your area here: https://www.charts.noaa.
» We’re all connected video that Kyle showed during the webinar
» World Map of Ship Routes YouTube Video that Kyle showed during the webinar
» Vessel Traffic Data (AIS) for US coastal waters between 2009-2017
Dive In and Explore Coral Reef Ecosystems
Dana Wusinich-Mendez, NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program in West Palm Beach, FL
Coral reefs are the rainforests of the ocean. They are beautiful, diverse, and extremely important for healthy ocean ecosystems and strong communities. Learn all about coral reef ecosystems, why they matter, and what you can do to help them. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program Education Page (Dana referred to this page and it has the 3D polyp and other activities)
» NOAA National Ocean Service Corals Tutorial
» A glimpse inside the “Valley of the Giants” shows coral heads like “Big Momma” that are protected within the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa on Ta’u. Big Momma is more than 500 years old and over 6 meters high, and has a circumference of 41 meters. This Porites coral may be the largest one in the world!
» Interactive Reef Virtual Dive – Explore this virtual reef and learn more about corals
» Bleached Reef Virtual Dive – In early 2015, coral bleaching started in the Airport Pool on Tutuila. This image shows the staghorn corals in the midst of the severe bleaching event.
» How do corals build their reefs? Visit this California Academy of Sciences Page to learn more. (Dana shows the video from this page during the webinar)
» The coral reef economy. NOAA’s page that explains how coral reefs support jobs, tourism, and fisheries. (Dana shows the video from this page during the webinar)
» The nation’s database on sustainable seafood Fishwatch.gov
» National Marine Sanctuaries Virtual Dives of different reefs
» NOAA Ocean Today Coral Comeback Videos: There are 9 short videos- Rainforests of the sea, the coral and the algae, corals under threat, what can we do, and more.
Getting Prepared for Hurricane Season
John Cangialosi, NOAA’s National Hurricane Center in Miami, FL
Did you know that the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30? Join us to learn everything you need to know about hurricanes: where and why hurricanes form, what NOAA does to make sure you have the most up to date information, how storm surge and coastal erosion can impact coastal communities, and what you can do to prepare for these potentially dangerous storms. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Hurricanes at Home! webinar series by the National Hurricane Center. Check out these great webinars on the NHC YouTube channel. You may find one from your region! (You can find the National Hurrican Center on Facebook and Twitter too)
» National Hurricane Preparedness – This website has information on developing an evacuation plan, assembling disaster supplies, forecast information, and much more!
» NOAA Education Resources on Hurricanes – This website has information on tropical cyclones, hurricane safety, videos, satellite imagery, historical records, and much more!
» Create-A-Cane – Try to create ideal conditions for a hurricane by changing the winds, latitudes, moisture, and sea temperature. Try to get your score up to 80!
» Aim a Hurricane – How many different places can you make the hurricane strike simply by changing a few conditions?
» Find many of the resources above and a few more for teachers on the National Hurricane Center outreach page under “Opportunities for K-12 students”.
» National Weather Service Website – You can look for your local weather or click on their education tab to learn weather safety with Owlie Skywarn.
» Tropical Storm and Hurricane Names – You can see if there has been a storm with your name!
» NOAA Ocean Today Hurricane Safe Videos: There are 8 short videos- Fuel for the storm, the making of a superstorm, hurricane survival guide, getting ready for hurricanes, and more.
The Job of a NOAA Oil Spill Response Scientist
Gary Shigenaka and Charlie Henry, both of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration in Seattle, WA and Mobile, AL
NOAA scientists respond to more than 150 oil spills every year. It is their job to provide the best available science that guides emergency response decision making. April 2020 marked the 10 year anniversary of the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history – the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Meet two of the scientists who worked on that disaster and hundreds of other emergency incidents, and learn about the different ways science is used in oil spill response. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Restoring the Gulf: 10 Years After Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill – This NOAA article has some great information, videos, infographics, top 10 questions you might ask, and more!
» History of oil spill response at NOAA – This NOAA article gives some nice background material.
» Oil Spill Science – Sea Grant in the Gulf of Mexico provides this page with information on oil properties & movement, dispersants & response, wildlife & habitat impacts, and human impacts. There are educational videos, several about the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Sharks Make Sense
Chris Flight, NOAA’s Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab in Dauphin Island, AL
Sharks are some of the most successful predators in the ocean. There are hundreds of different species that come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Have you ever wondered what makes them so good at what they do? We will examine several different species of sharks, talk about the variety of senses that sharks use to find their food, and get up close and personal with the jaws of one of the most common sharks swimming around Mobile Bay Alabama. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» OCEARCH Tracker Page – This map of tagged sharks shows you real-time, up to date locations on a variety of tagged sharks
» Dauphin Island Sea Lab archived Facebook Live Events– These videos cover a variety of topics. Some examples are, stingrays, alligators, crustaceans, lionfish, and many more!
» Atlantic White Shark Conservancy – This site lists all of the AWSC shark enrichment programs during school closures.
» Shark vocabulary that Chris used during his webinar.
» NOAA story: 12 Shark Facts that May Surprise You
Explore the World with NOAA’s Fun, New App
Hilary Peddicord and Beth Russell, NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratories in Boulder, CO
The SOS Explorer™ free mobile app animates the world right on your smartphone. As a pocket-size version of NOAA’s Science On a Sphere®, this free app invites you to zoom in on specific interests, from the squiggly warm and cold lines of the world’s ocean currents to the power of tsunami waves, the effects of climate change, and a view of Saturn’s rings. Learn how to play with an animated globe and some of NOAA’s most fascinating facts. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
**Download the SOS Explorer in advance on your favorite mobile device if you like (just make sure you are watching the webinar on another device!)**
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Science on a Sphere (SOS) Explorer Mobile: Download this free app from the Apple app store or google play to explore earth and space from anywhere.
Swimming Upstream with River Herring
with Abigail Archer, NOAA’s Woods Hole Sea Grant and Cape Cod Cooperative Extension in Barnstable, MA
Most fish live only in freshwater or only in saltwater, but some special fish can swim back and forth between both! How do they do it? Why do they do it? Tune in to learn the answers and meet the awesome Alewife (also known as river herring), one of these special fish that is swimming upstream in rivers right now along the US Mid-Atlantic and New England Coasts. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Fisheries article, “You can help scientists count migrating river herring – virtually”
» U.S. Fish and Wildlife: Teaching kids about fish migration. There is a fun lesson, “Designing fish-friendly culverts (and bridges)” lesson for grades 5-8.
» U.S. Fish and Wildlife: Environmental education resources for teachers, parents, and kids. Activities range from the “ABCs of fishing” coloring book, word searches, migration station, and more.
» Help count the river herring:
–Mystic River, Massachusetts Herring Counter, https://www.mysticherring.org/video#/
–Town Brook, Plymouth Massachusetts Herring Counter https://www.plymouthriverherring.org/
» Watch Live Fish Cameras:
–Herring Creek on Martha’s Vineyard https://wampanoagtribe-nsn.gov/naturalresourcedepartment
–Town Brook, Plymouth Massachusetts Herring Counter https://www.plymouthriverherring.org/
Super Storms From the Sun?! An intro to space weather
Shawn Dahl, NOAA’s National Weather Service at the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, CO
Did you know that giant storms from the Sun can reach all the way to Earth?! These solar storms may affect our way of life by possibly impacting technology and in extreme cases, even the health of astronauts or other high fliers. This is known as space weather and it is of growing interest and importance to the world. If you want to learn about the sun and solar storms, join this webinar to discover more about the science of space weather! (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Space Weather Prediction Center
» NASA’s space weather resource site.
» Space weather impacts page.
» NASA Science Space Place where kids can explore earth and space. There are activities and experiments.
» Fun Kids digital radio and online from the UK. This has some kid friendly information about space weather as well as a podcast to listen to.
» Shawn Dahl gives a brief overview of the Space Weather Prediction Center and its activities.
Leaping for Atlantic salmon: Protecting endangered species
Sarah Bailey, NOAA’s Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office in Orono, ME
Once found as far south as Long Island Sound, today only the state of Maine still has wild runs of endangered Atlantic salmon. In Orono, Maine, NOAA Fisheries has a collection of Researchers, Engineers, and Managers that all work toward saving these fish and the ecosystems that support them. If you have ever wondered about how science helps support how we manage a species-tune in! (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Northeast Fisheries Science Center: Salmon Team: This is the Northeast Salmon Team website and has important information about the work being done by the group.
» NOAA Species in the Spotlight video on Atlantic salmon.
» Sea-Run, Go! Wild Atlantic salmon app for classrooms and home. After watching Sarah’s webinar you are ready to play! This activity comes with Sea-Run, Go! QR cards that you print out and place around your house! Tape the QR codes up around your house or yard and then have your child play through the app. They go through 11 challenges (QR codes) and get points. They can even compete with their friends (that do the challenges at their own houses).
» U.S. Fish and Wildlife: Teaching kids about fish migration. There is a fun lesson, “Designing fish-friendly culverts (and bridges)” lesson for grades 5-8.
» U.S. Fish and Wildlife: Environmental education resources for teachers, parents, and kids. Activities range from the “ABCs of fishing” coloring book, word searches, migration station, and more.
Alaska Week: Uncovering the Seafloor – Charting Alaska’s Waters
Lieutenant (junior grade) Michelle Levano and Pete Holmberg, both from NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey in Seattle, WA
How do we collect information on ocean depths, and how does that information get on paper? It’s important for us to measure water depths and features to keep ships safe and help them navigate and sometimes we even find shipwrecks! Together we will walk through how we measure and map the seafloor. (Grade 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Office of Coast Survey educational activities. Explore the depths of the ocean with animations, interactive games, activities, coloring pages, and more. This includes “seafloor mapping” and “ocean in a bottle” activities.
» How to make a sounding box activity.
» Finding nautical charts.
» Search for a shipwreck game.
» StoryMap on charting in Alaska
Alaska Week: Talking Trash
Peter Murphy, NOAA’s Marine Debris Program Alaska Regional Coordinator in Seattle, WA
When you think of Alaska, you may think of bears, snow-capped peaks, and stunning glaciers (or just “home”). You can find all of that in Alaska, but also a whole lot of marine debris from all over the world. The same things that make Alaska amazing – remote locations, rugged shorelines, and sheer size – also makes debris work different and requires innovative and creative ideas. Come along as we talk about what people are doing to clean up and protect the Last Frontier. (Grade 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Marine Debris Program games and activities for kids of all ages + posters and fact sheets
» NOAA Trash Talk – short videos on marine debris and what you can do.
» Marine Debris in Alaska
» NOAA Marine Debris Program in Your Region – Find your regional coordinator as well as state or region-specific information on current marine debris projects and activities.
» NOAA Ocean Today Trash Talk Videos: There are 11 short videos- What is marine debris, where does marine debris come from, impacts of marine debris, and more.
Alaska Week: Flying Beneath the Clouds at the Edge of the World
Katie Sweeney, NOAA’s Marine Mammal Lab in the Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA
Do you have a toy drone at home? Join in to learn about how the Marine Mammal Lab is using drones for learning more about wildlife. The Alaska Ecosystem Program studies Steller sea lions in Alaska using drones and we’re just figuring out how we can use them to learn more about northern fur seals! (Grade 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Video that shows how the hex drone works (Katie uses this video in her webinar)
» Southern Ocean seal monitoring: Help monitor populations of seals across the world by tagging time-lapse and drone photographs.
» Science blogs on using drones:
Fur seals on Bogoslof Island: Post 4- Evolving Science on an Evolving Island – Katie’s team tested two camera systems on drones on Bogoslof Island in Alaska in September 2019
New Drone Technology Could Revolutionize Marine Mammal Monitoring
Investigating Steller Sea Lion Declines on Remote Aleutian Islands – Science Blog – fieldwork from 2016
Endangered Steller Sea Lions Get a Closer Look from Online Community of Citizen Scientists
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International – Student Unmanned Aerial Systems Competition
Examples of using Unmanned Aerial Systems in NOAA research – NOAA Unmanned Aerial Systems Program
Welcome Aboard!
Commander Colin Little, Acting Commanding Officer aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer currently moored in Norfolk, VA
This webinar will introduce you to another one of NOAA’s commissioned officers and a day in his life aboard the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, one of 16 research vessels in NOAA’s fleet, dedicated to exploration and discovery. Tour the bridge, mess deck, galley, staterooms, engine room, and more. (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Okeanos Explorer Home Page with information about the ship, the team, and expeditions.
» Submersibles Page. Commander Colin mentions remotely operated vehicles in his talk and you can learn all about them here!
» NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research teams up with Octonauts. Check out Octonauts and NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer!
» Tour of the Okeanos Explorer (6 minutes)
Hunting Hurricanes with a NOAA Pilot
Commander Jason R. Mansour, NOAA, Aircraft Operations Center in Lakeland, FL
NOAA Corps officers serve on the sea, on land, and in the air to support NOAA’s science and stewardship mission. While most pilots try to avoid flying an airplane into severe weather, NOAA Hurricane Hunters fly specially equipped aircraft into, above, and around the eye of the storm to collect crucial data that improves forecasts and helps protect lives and property. Meet one of our NOAA commissioned officers and hear about his experiences flying scientists into hurricanes. The webinar will last about 45 minutes and will be streamed via GoToWebinar with moderated questions and answers throughout. This webinar will be recorded and posted afterward. (Grade 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Virtual walkthrough of the NOAA Gulfstream IV
» NOAA Aircraft Operations Center
» NOAA Commissioned Corps
» NOAA National Hurricane Center
» NOAA Ocean Today Hurricane Safe Videos: There are 8 short videos- Fuel for the storm, The making of a superstorm, Hurricane survival guide, Getting ready for hurricanes, and more.
Saildrones – Sailing the Seas for Science
Heather Tabisola, NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle, WA
Have you ever seen a drone? Some people think they look like helicopters. But not all drones fly! Some sail across the water, powered by wind, collecting information on the ocean and atmosphere as they go. In this webinar, you will talk to a NOAA scientist who works with saildrones. This tough robot can spend up to a year at sea, travels through the water at up to 8 knots, and has a range of more than 16,000 nautical miles. (Grade 2-6 but all ages will enjoy.)
Resources to access at home:
»Since 2015, the Innovative Technology for Arctic Exploration program at PMEL has kept a blog during the saildrone Arctic field season, you can find 2019’s here: https://www.pmel.noaa.
» NOAA Saildrone Research 2016 – Live Broadcast Kickoff: https://youtu.be/EholPRD-UJ4
» Experience the Saildrone Antarctic Circumnavigation with your students via a series of classroom lessons developed by Saildrone and the 1851 Trust, an innovative UK education charity committed to inspiring young people to become innovators of the future and stewards of the environment. Each lesson is tailored to fit into any STEM curriculum and supported by Saildrone’s live mission updates and regular blog posts. The lessons are free for use by teachers and educators. https://www.
» Several science blogs on saildrones:
Detecting Fish from Ocean-Going Robots to Complement Ship-Based Surveys, Detecting Fish from Ocean-Going Robots to Complement Ship-Based Surveys, Unmanned Surface Vehicles Track Marine Mammals on Extended Foraging Trips for the First Time, and Saildrones Head to the Arctic for an Arctic cod survey
Can You Hear Me Now? Marine Mammals and Sound
Genevieve Davis, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, MA
Have you ever wondered what a humpback whale sounds like? How dolphins communicate? Learn from a member of our bioacoustics team about how sound travels through the ocean, what makes underwater sounds and how we listen in. Discover why marine mammals make sound and how we use their sounds in marine mammal conservation (and hear some pretty cool sounds). (Grades 2-6 but all ages will enjoy)
Resources to access at home:
» Visit the NFSC sounds page to listen to marine mammals and learn more about them.
» Right Whale Listening Network: Learn about North Atlantic Right Whales and how acoustic buoys can help prevent ship strikes.
» Voice in the Sea Call Matching Game
» Discovery of Sound in the Sea (DOSITS): A plethora of information, videos, and resources about the science and uses of sound in the sea.
» Macaulay Library: Cornell University’s extensive archive of audio and video recordings for all types of animals.
» Noise Tube: You can use your smartphone to monitor noise pollution yourself by participating in this research project started at the Sony Computer Science Laboratory Paris.
When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors
Glenn Field, NOAA’s National Weather Service in Boston/Norton, MA
Glenn, a warning coordination meteorologist, will discuss and share examples of different weather phenomena, including tornadoes, hurricanes, severe thunderstorms flash floods, and especially lightning. Lightning strikes the United States about 25 million times a year and is the #2 weather-related killer nationwide. Glenn will show you how important it is to listen for thunder — because when thunder roars, you should go indoors! (Grades 3-6 but Grades 7-8 will like the topic too)
Resources to access at home:
» Follow up questions can be directed to glenn.field@noaa.gov The lightning strike band concert video he showed can be viewed here.
» National Weather Service: Lightning safety tips and resources.
» National Lightning Safety Council: They promote lightning safety and awareness.
» NOAA’s National Severe Storms Laboratory: Severe weather 101 including lightning types.
Onward and Downward! Exploring the Deep Ocean
Catalina Martinez, NOAA’s Office of Exploration and Research (OER) in Narragansett, RI
The world ocean is essential to all life on earth, covers more than 70 percent of the planet’s surface, drives global weather patterns, regulates temperature, and is a bridge that connects all continents. Throughout history, the ocean has been a vital source of sustenance, transport, commerce, joy, fear, mystery, and inspiration. Yet for all of our reliance on the ocean, more than 90 percent of this vast realm remains unexplored. Join us to learn how and why NOAA explores the deep ocean! (Grades 5-8)
Resources to access at home:
» Nautilus Live: Explore the ocean with Dr. Robert Ballard and the Corps of Exploration. View photos, videos, and more from Nautilus expeditions.
» Inner Space Center: A diverse team of ocean scientists, engineers, educators, and video producers at the University of Rhode Island’s ISC to share underwater exploration in real time. Access live video feeds and a video gallery.
» NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information Story Map: Understanding Our Ocean with Water-Column Sonar Data
» NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research teams up with Octonauts. Check out Octonauts and NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer!
» An article and 13-minute video- Ten years of collection ocean exploration data from the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer.
» NOAA Ocean Today Ocean Exploration and Bioluminescence: There are several short videos here.
The Ocean From Space
Cara Wilson, NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Monterey, CA
Satellites are amazing tools for observing the Earth and the big blue ocean that covers more than 70 percent of our planet. Scientists use data collected by satellites to monitor physical and biological changes in the ocean. Meet one of NOAA’s satellite oceanographers, who will describe some of the things we have learned about our oceans by observing them from space. (Grades 3-6 but Grades 7-8 will like the topic too.)
Resources to access at home:
» NOAA Science on a Sphere (SOS) Explorer Mobile: Download this free app from the Apple app store or google play to explore earth and space from anywhere.
» NOAA and NASA’s Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES): Games, apps, and models to explore! Step by step instructions on how to build your own Lego GOES-R model!
» NOAA and NASA’s SciJinks, It’s All About the Weather: Satellites, atmosphere, tides and oceans, weather and more. There are games, videos, and a lot of information including a tornado simulator.
» NOAA Satellite Data Sets (ERDDAP): For older students who love data!
A Bird’s Eye View of Whales
Allison Henry, NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, MA
Whales are among the largest and oldest animals on earth and belong to a group of marine mammals called cetaceans. Talk to a member of NOAA’s North Atlantic right whale aerial survey team and learn how they do science from the sky. (Grades 2-6)
Resources to access at home:
» Picture Matching- Right Whales: COAST Program activity used in our lesson to match North Atlantic right whale drawings to the real right whale picture. Answer key
» North Atlantic right whale catalog: The catalog contains all the photographed sitings of right whales from the North Atlantic.
» Right Whale Listening Network: Learn about North Atlantic Right Whales and how acoustic buoys can help prevent ship strikes.
» Northeast Regional Office- North Atlantic right whale lesson: Discover the world of the North Atlantic right whale through lessons and activities on the biology, ecology, and conservation of this endangered species (Grades 6-8).
» NOAA Right Whale Sighting Advisory System – Interactive map of North Atlantic right whale sightings.
» National Geographic- Blue Whale Migration Activity: This activity allows you to map blue whale migration and develop stories to explain their behavior.
» NOAA Ocean Today Endangered Ocean: There are several short videos on topics ranging from the endangered species act, manatees, North Atlantic right whales, and more.
Marine Mammals in Our Backyard
Grace Simpkins, Woods Hole Sea Grant and Northeast Fisheries Science Center in Woods Hole, MA
Whales are among the largest and oldest animals on earth and belong to a group of marine mammals called cetaceans. Seals are known to be the clowns of the sea and belong to a group of marine mammals called pinnipeds. Interested in learning more about marine mammals? Tune in to find out what makes a mammal a mammal and fun facts about those found around Cape Cod. (Grades 2-6) » View recorded webinar (subtitles available in English and Spanish)
Resources to access at home:
» Southern Ocean seal monitoring: Help monitor populations of seals across the world by tagging time-lapse and drone photographs.
» NOAA Office of Education: This resource collection on marine mammals includes valuable videos, background, activities, and more.
» Science Kids: Plant & Animal Differences Game – This game allows you to sort plants and animals into different categories such as birds, insects, mammals, etc.
» NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources: Whale species information pages.
» Explore.org: watch orcas, manatees, belugas, gray seals, and more (some cameras may only function during a certain season). Explore with dozens of other live cams!
» NOAA Ocean Today: Learn about some of the many species in your local waters and all over the world. Fun and informative 2-minute videos from learning about the North Atlantic right whales to feeding giant octopuses!
» NOAA Ocean Today Endangered Ocean: There are several short videos on topics ranging from the endangered species act, manatees, North Atlantic right whales, and more.