Crossing the Shoreline: Gulf of Mexico

Time required to complete this unit:

This page is under development and may be edited at any time. Some resources have not been cataloged, pending project approval.
3 weeks, or 12.5 hours, or 750 minutes (estimated)

Earth Science Content:

Key Terms: bathymetry, coral bleaching, coral reef, currents, tides, thermal stress, climate change, dead zone, hypoxia, HAB, barrier island, cold seep, chemosynthesis, delta, submersible

Unit Storyline

The Gulf of Mexico is a marginal sea bounded by Mexico to the west and south, the United States to the north and northeast, and Cuba to the southeast. The Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba connects the Gulf of Mexico to the Caribbean Sea. The Gulf of Mexico is connected to the Atlantic via the Florida Straits between Cuba and Florida. The eleventh largest surface body of water on Earth, the Gulf of Mexico is economically important for its commercial and recreational fisheries, hydrocarbon resources, and port facilities. It is also a tourist destination, vulnerable to rising sea level and damage from hurricanes, and subject to pollution from the thirty-three river systems, including the Mississippi, that flow into it. The Gulf of Mexico serves as an excellent setting for students to examine land-sea interactions, and learn about bays, currents, tides, the effects of thermal stress on bay systems and coral reefs, marine pollution, and human impacts.

Developed by theDIG Texas BlueprintsRio Grande Valley Development Team

Students will be able to (do)

  • Practice map reading skills.
  • Analyze how global ocean circulation is the result of wind, tides, the Coriolis effect, water density differences, and the shape of the ocean basins.
  • Analyze recent global ocean temperature data to predict the consequences of changing ocean temperature on evaporation, sea level, algal growth, coral bleaching, hurricane intensity, and biodiversity.
  • Evaluate and discuss the human impact on the Gulf of Mexico and its bays, estuaries, barrier islands and ecosystems.

Students will know

  • The fluid Earth is composed of the hydrosphere, cryosphere, and atmosphere subsystems that interact on various time scales with the biosphere and geosphere.
  • Interactions among Earth's five subsystems influence climate and resource availability, which affect Earth's habitability.
  • Human interactions and interventions contribute to changes in the Earth's subsystems.

Activities

The activities we have selected are congruent with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and are arranged to build upon one another. Therefore, to follow the storyline we recommend that teachers complete the activities in the order provided. To open an activity in a new tab or window, right click the activity link and select the preferred option.

International Bathymetric Chart of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico

View Activity
http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/ibcca/html/images.htm

These illustrations present three views of the bathymetry of the Gulf of Mexico. The first shows depth in colored relief, the second provides a more detailed view of coastal and sea floor topography, and the third shows precise undersea features and provides the names of each. Images may be zoomed in and out for better viewing.

Instructional Strategies: Reading

Resource Type: Visualization (static visualization, animation, simulation)

Time Required: 10 minutes

NOAA Ocean Service Education: Currents

View Activity
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_currents/welcome.html

Students read content information about ocean currents and how they are formed. A reading guide review is provided on the right side of the page. The reading selection can be read online or printed for students along with reading review guide.

Instructional Strategies: Lecture , Reading

Resource Type: Classroom learning activity

Time Required: 30 minutes

Gulf Stream Heat Budget and Europe's Mild Climate: A Problem-based Learning Activity

View Activity
https://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/visualization/examples/gulfstream.html

In this role-playing activity, learners are presented with a scenario in which they determine whether the Gulf Stream is responsible for keeping northern Europe warm. They must also address the potential future of the Gulf Stream if polar ice were to continue melting. The students work in small groups to identify the issue, discuss the problem, and develop a problem statement. They are then asked what they need to know to solve the problem.

Instructional Strategies: Challenge or problem-solving

Resource Type: Classroom learning activity

Time Required: 100 minutes

Tides and Currents, Diving Deeper, Episode 57

View Activity
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcast/mar14/dd57-tides-currents.html

This NOAA National Ocean Service podcast provides an overview of tides and currents, describes data acquisition and how it is used for research, commerce, search and rescue, and recreation.

Instructional Strategies: Reading, Role Playing

Resource Type: Interview with an expert

Time Required: 12 minutes

Exploring Deep Water Oil in the Gulf of Mexico

View Activity
http://earthsky.org/earth/lesli-wood-exploring-deep-water-oil-in-the-gulf-of-mexico

In this 2012 EarthSky interview geoscientist Dr. Lesli Wood explains the current challenges and future innovations required to reach oil reserves in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Instructional Strategies: Reading

Resource Type: Interview with an expert

Time Required: 30 minutes

Dive and Discover: Expedition 13 - Gulf of Mexico

View Activity
http://www.divediscover.whoi.edu/expedition13/index.html

Dive and Discover's Expedition 13 investigates life on the bottom of the ocean in the Gulf of Mexico and looks for signs of impact by oil from the Deepwater Horizon, which exploded and sank in April 2010, on deep-sea ecosystems.

Instructional Strategies: Reading

Resource Type: Visualization (static visualization, animation, simulation)

Time Required: 150 minutes

Human Impacts on Marine Ecosystems

View Activity
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/activity/human-impacts-on-marine-ecosystems/?ar_a=1&ar_r=999

Students will use a variety of media to discuss and analyze human-related pressures placed upon marine ecosystems and resources. They will describe the relationship humans have with marine resources and habitats and explain how human-related impacts affect the abiotic and biotic components of various marine ecosystems. Lastly, they will identify and discuss the major threats and management priorities for the world ocean.

Instructional Strategies: Lecture , Reading, Inquiry, Challenge or problem-solving

Resource Type: Classroom learning activity

Time Required: 50 minutes

NOTE USE OF THIS RESOURCE REQUIRES SPECIAL PERMISSION FROM NG

Water Quality Degradation in the Ocean

View Activity
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/activity/water-quality-degradation-in-the-ocean/

Students investigate causes of water quality degradation and analyze the relationship between harmful algal blooms, toxic algae, and dead zones. They explore water quality "success stories" and actions to improve water quality.

Instructional Strategies: Inquiry

Resource Type: Classroom learning activity

Time Required: 100 minutes

NOTE USE OF THIS RESOURCE REQUIRES SPECIAL PERMISSION FROM NG

State of the Gulf: What's in the Water?

View Activity
http://www.texasthestateofwater.org/video.php

From "The State of the Gulf" documentary, this segment looks at water quality problems such as dead zones and red tide.

Instructional Strategies: Lecture

Resource Type: Video

Time Required: 11 minutes

NOAA Ocean Service Education: Keeping Watch on Coral Reefs

View Activity
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/lessons/keep_watch.html

Students investigate the effects of climate change on oceans. The lesson introduces students to coral reefs and improves their understanding of why these systems are important, how they are threatened, and what can be done to protect and restore these unique and valuable ecosystems. It also introduces students to data available from remote-sensing tools that can be used by anyone to study the Earth's ocean.

Instructional Strategies: Reading, Inquiry

Resource Type: Classroom learning activity

Time Required: 120 minutes

State of the Gulf: Climate of Changes

View Activity
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/newsmedia/videos/index.phtml?playlist=C658C0843EC1F36F

This video, produced by Texas Parks and Wildlife, examines the effect of climate change on the Texas coast.

Instructional Strategies: Lecture

Resource Type: Video

Time Required: 8 minutes

Retreating Shorelines: Texas Gulf Coast

View Activity
http://earthsky.org/earth/jeffrey-paine-retreating-shoreline-along-texas-gulf-coast

The Texas Gulf coast is among the most dynamic environments on Earth. Research scientist Jeffrey Paine of the Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas talked to EarthSky about how scientists study one of the most important coastlines on the planet, and about the risks and value of human activity there.

Instructional Strategies: Reading

Resource Type: Interview with an expert

Time Required: 30 minutes

Virtual Barrier Island and Sea Level Rise

View Activity
http://www.beg.utexas.edu/coastal/thscmp/vbi.htm

In this two-part activity, students (1) use a 3-D model of a barrier island and (2) carry out an inquiry activity to consider the impacts of increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere on climate change, sea level, and coastal environments.

Instructional Strategies: Inquiry

Resource Type: Classroom learning activity

Time Required: 150 minutes

The Rise and Disappearance of Southeast Louisiana

View Activity
http://www.nola.com/speced/lastchance/multimedia/flashlandloss1.swf

The Times Picayune produced this interactive narrated graphic to explain the formation of the Mississippi delta over 7,000 years and the current land loss due to human intervention, rising sea level, and hurricanes.

Instructional Strategies: Lecture

Resource Type: Visualization (static visualization, animation, simulation)

Time Required: 7 minutes

State of Flowing Water: Lifeline of the Bays

View Activity
https://www.youtube.com/embed/BhiTb-5i97g

This Texas Parks and Wildlife video discusses legislative issues involving how much water should be reserved for the Texas river and bay systems. This website provides links to pages describing Great Places to experience Texas geology, key maps and sections, and other statewide information.

Instructional Strategies: Lecture

Resource Type: Video

Time Required: 9 minutes

Field Trips

Studies that examine how geologists think and learn about the Earth point to the value of field experiences in helping students develop practices that constitute geologic reasoning. We encourage teachers to take students into the field as much as possible. To this end, we include ideas for virtual and actual field trips. The former recognizes the limitations of the K-12 classroom setting. Field learning provides a chance to encourage the ability to see features that are important to professional practice. Indeed, many geoscientists report that fieldwork was a key factor influencing their choice of geoscience as a career.

Virtual Field Trips

Texas Through Time

The Bureau of Economic Geology at the University of Texas at Austin has developed a book and companion Internet materials to help the general public learn about and appreciate the geology, resources and physical environment of Texas.

Also from The Bureau of Economic Geology with the Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas Austin is Geologic Wonders of Texas. This is an interactive site with downloadable files developed for elementary and middle school students, but may be modified for high school students.

Galveston and Mustang Island

The Texas High School Coastal Monitoring program is creating virtual field trips and guide books for different coastal environments along the Texas coast. This website includes aerial photographs, field guides, and hyperlinks through which one can learn about Galveston Island and Mustang Island.

Actual Field Trips

Beach Profiling

During this activity, students gather data that measures the surface of the beach using a method that simulates the way marine scientists and coastal geologists study our dynamic beaches.

Beach Zonation

During this activity, students investigate beach zonation by gathering and comparing sand samples gathered from different areas of the beach. Although this activity is a field trip, a teacher can provide a map of a beach and samples of sand that have been collected previously so that the students may examine them and compare the different areas of the beach. Students may even be asked to determine where a sample was collected on a beach.

Scaffolding Notes

Teachers must develop their own individual plan for how they will teach the unit. The learning activities and educational resources in this unit are intended to complement other instructional activities led by the teacher. Many of the selected learning experiences provide links to excellent background preparatory materials, additional hands-on resources, teaching tips, and cross-curricular connections.

Teachers will need to create their own multimedia presentations, deliver lectures and assign ancillary work to their students in order to set the stage for effective use of the learning activities contained herein. Therefore, it is imperative to allocate time to review the activities and background material prior to using the learning experiences in this unit and to probe students for their prior knowledge before starting an activity.

In addition, although some activities may incorporate assessments, teachers may need to create their own assessments to ensure that are appropriate for the students they teach.

Asterisks (*) indicate teacher resource and background information recommendations for activity support.

_________________________________________________________

*Teachers should begin this unit with an overview of marginal seas and the Gulf of Mexico that includes general information about the geology, currents, resources, population, economy and vulnerability to pollution. The 2013 Encyclopedia of Earth (EoE) article, Gulf of Mexico, is a good starting place.

*Another excellent resource is the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Atlas, which provides information about physical environment, marine resources, and economic activity in the Gulf of Mexico. Information is presented in the form of map plates with descriptions, written by recognized subject matter experts, explaining how the data were gathered and how they are relevant. The Gulf of Mexico Data Atlas has data from federal, state, non-governmental agencies, and academia.

We have included a visualization resource, the International Bathymetry Chart of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, which presents four views of the bathymetry of the Gulf of Mexico. These maps will help students "see" that the Gulf of Mexico is a basin-shaped feature. All views are accessed by clicking on image. The first image only has a single zoom setting, while the other three images are PDF files, allowing for greater ease of zooming in and out, as well as for downloading of the resource. Teachers will need to define bathymetry and explain the color-coding used to show relief and underwater features. It may be necessary to also review contour lines. The resource should be used as part of a teacher presentation.

*The Gulf of Mexico is connected with the Caribbean Sea to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The warm ocean water from the Caribbean Sea enters the Gulf where it becomes organized and forms the Gulf Loop Current. The Gulf Loop Current flows east and south along Florida's coast and into the Atlantic through the Florida Straits. As more warm water joins the flow, the current becomes a powerful, swift river of ocean water known as the Gulf Stream which parallels the east coast of the United States before it crosses the Atlantic and flows toward Europe. The currents formed by ocean winds and the tides are indicative of shared ocean circulation.

The NOAA Ocean Service Education: Currents tutorial is an overview of the types of currents, what causes them, how they are measured, and how they affect people's lives. Teachers should prepare a set of guiding questions for students. A subject review worksheet is provided.

Warren C. Tomkiewicz' activity entitled, Gulf Stream Heat Budget and Europe's Mild Climate, is a problem-based learning activity from the On The Cutting Edge teaching collection. It was developed for undergraduate non-oceanography majors, but is also appropriate for 11th and 12th grade students. Students are presented with a scenario (problem) to consider whether the Gulf Stream is responsible for keeping Europe warm and examine the potential effects if polar ice continues melting. The students work in small groups to discuss the problem and identify the issues. They list everything they know about the issue and develop a problem statement. They then ask what they need to know to solve the problem, conduct web-based research and analyze the information gathered. They complete the activity by preparing an individual report and PowerPoint presentation in which they make a recommendation or present another appropriate resolution of the problem based on the data, visualizations, and background information.

The activity helps to reinforce students' understanding of a global ocean, the process of heat transport via ocean circulation from the Gulf of Mexico to as far away as Europe, and the connection between the cryosphere, ocean and climate. The activity is part of the reviewed CLEAN collection, which provides additional information about the resource, including teaching tips.

Exploring Deep Water Oil in the Gulf of Mexico addresses the economic importance of oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico and the technological requirements of oil exploration as it becomes necessary to drill in deeper water. Teachers should generate a set of questions for students to consider while reading the interview and lead the class in a discussion after they have read the interview.

As part of NOAA's National Ocean Service Diving Deeper podcast series, Pat Burke, an oceanographer with NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products explains the differences between tides and currents. Additional dialog describes how data are collected and how these data support safe and efficient navigation, fish location, preparation for oncoming coastal hazards (e.g. storm surge), and as support for emergency response events such as oil spills and rescue operations. Teachers should prepare a set of guiding questions for students to consider as they listen to the podcast. The podcast also provides the impetus for a discussion on oceanography as an important career. Teachers may direct students to NOAA's tide predictions for Texas. Tides are complicated, for example the The Gulf of Mexico experiences mixed tides. Teachers should review the causes and types of tidal cycles before teaching about tides to students. NOAA Ocean Service Education site has a tutorial series, Tides and Water Levels, that provides brief, concise information.

Dive and Discover's Expedition 13 investigates life on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico looking for the impact on deep-sea ecosystems resulting from the April 2010 explosion on the drilling platform, Deepwater Horizon, and the subsequent 3+ months-long massive oil leak. The website provides (1) an overview of the Gulf of Mexico; (2) interviews with scientists and crew; (3) videos on topics such as the importance of studying the deep sea, the biology of the deep sea, repercussions of oil spills, and the technology used to study the deep sea; (4) slideshows; and (5) "Hot Topics." A set of guiding questions for students to answer as they work through the website is essential to ensure knowledge gains.

Teachers should select topics for students to explore that support the learning goals of their course. Teachers may assign groups different topics to investigate and share their findings with the rest of the class. Three suggested "Hot Topics" reference chemosynthesis, life at cold seeps, and what it is like to dive in a submersible. Light Snacks and Food Chemistry: Photosynthesis and Chemosynthesis, has interactive diagrams that explain the difference between the two processes. The Gulf of Mexico contains the slide show, "A State of Flux: Ecological Succession at Cold Seeps," describing the life cycle at sites where hydrocarbons rise to the surface of the ocean floor. Alvin Upgrade provides information on the technology of the submersible and a link to a PDF describing the evolution and milestones of Alvin, its expeditions, pilots, and the future.

Additionally, the website has a teacher's link, "For Teachers" which includes additional resources and ideas for classroom use.

*Moving along within the Blueprint, over 45 river systems flow into the Gulf. These freshwater inputs originate from the United States, Mexico, and Cuba and account for more than 1.06 x 10 12 m3/yr (280 trillion gallons/yr). The U.S. contribution is made by thirty-three major freshwater inputs and innumerable smaller rivers, creeks, and streams of which 64 percent comes from the Mississippi River system. Rivers also transport sediment and nutrients into the Gulf. Large scale agriculture is a major source of fertilizer runoff providing nutrients that enter the Gulf which becomes problematic. This is evidenced every summer when a huge band of nearly lifeless ocean develops offshore from Louisiana to East Texas. This oxygen depleted area is called a "dead zone" because crustaceans and other bottom dwellers cannot survive or escape and the fish leave the area due to the hypoxic conditions.

Water Quality Degradation in the Ocean, an activity from National Geographic's teaching collection, sets the stage for students to understand water quality degradation in the marine environment and learn about harmful algal blooms, toxic algae, and dead zones. The students explore water quality "success stories" and actions to improve water quality. Teachers should be aware that algal blooms and dead zones can also be naturally occurring. Refer to the EPA's Mississippi River Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force's website chapter on Hypoxia 101 for background information on hypoxia and dead zones.

Once students have done the Water Quality Degradation in the Ocean activity, they should view Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's State of the Gulf: What's in the Water? video, which will allow them to develop an appreciation of the impact of water quality degradation in the Gulf of Mexico. Teachers could prepare a worksheet to accompany this video segment or prepare discussion questions. The video can also be found at YouTube.

In the NOAA Ocean Service Education: Keeping Watch on Coral Reefs, students explore the nature of reef-building corals, their benefits and threats, and are introduced to the Coral Reef Early Warning System. They also obtain and analyze oceanographic data sets generated from remote-sensing satellites. In this inquiry, students are asked to evaluate why reefs are at risk, and what positive measures can be taken to reduce or remove negative impacts of humans on reef systems. The website provides information for teachers to help them prepare to teach the lesson. Students will need Internet access.

*We recommend that teachers demonstrate or point students to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary website. Located in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, the coral reef communities of Flower Garden Banks began developing on top of the salt domes 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. This location provided a hard surface for corals to attach, clear sunlit water, warm water temperatures (between 68 and 84 degrees Fahrenheit), and a steady food supply. The website has a lot of excellent information for educators, including a listing of professional development opportunities. Educational materials are designed for elementary or middle school students, but can be used as fun "engage" activities for older students. Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is one of 14 federally designated underwater areas protected by NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

State of the Gulf: Climate of Changes can also be found at the following YouTube site.

In Retreating Shorelines along the Texas Gulf Coast, an article in EarthSky online magazine, J. Paine discusses the dynamic nature of the Texas Gulf coast. There is a 90-second podcast that gives a synopsis. In the article, Mr. Paine gives a number of causes of the overall negative change in coastline in terms of natural sources, such as the melting of glaciers from the last ice age, subsidence, and storms, as well as anthropogenic sources such as the the use of groundwater, oil and gas drilling, urbanization, and climate change. He also discusses the use of mapmaking technologies, with maps included in the article.

*Teachers should review coastal geomorphology, and the development of barrier islands, bays and estuaries with their students before starting the Virtual Barrier Island and Sea Level Rise activity. In addition, they should review the link between carbon and climate change and global sea level-rise.

In the first part of the Virtual Barrier Island and Sea Level Rise two-part activity, students take a virtual tour of the Texas coast to explore the impact of changing sea level caused by changes in climate. Developed by the Bureau of Economic Geology and the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, the 3-D virtual model of the Gulf of Mexico and Texas coastal environments is designed to run from the user's local computer. Teachers must download the installer application to their desktop computers in advance and practice running the application before teaching the topic. Help may be needed from the school's IT specialists. An interactive user guide pops up with the first screen when you start the application. There is also a guide button on the left menu. We suggest that teachers demo the activity and user guide before letting students explore on their own computers. The large amount of data in the 3-D model may be challenging in some classroom settings. In this case, the activity is best done as a classroom demonstration, rather than by individual students. Detailed instructions are provided on the website.

In the second part of the activity, students carry out an inquiry activity entitled, Sea Level Changes and the Texas Coastal Environment, using authentic data. In this activity, students (1) compare changes in coastal environments, water resources, and air quality with changes in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, temperature and sea level; (2) predict the possible environmental response of reduced emissions through energy efficiency, conservation, and the use of alternative energy resources; and (3) develop a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Texas over the next ten years. The activity involves inquiry, modeling, and challenge-based learning. The website provides a lesson plan, background information for teachers, a PowerPoint presentation, and a video that explains how to navigate and manipulate the data within the model.

The development and the erosion of the Mississippi Delta is discussed using Dan Swenson's graphical interactive lecture, The Rise and Disappearance of Southeast Louisiana. This interactive video chronicles the creation of the delta by the mighty Mississippi River over 7000 years of geologic time. It chronicles the arrival of Europeans and the founding of New Orleans. The lecture ends with illustrations of current land and wetland loss due to human activities, rising sea level, climate change and devastation from hurricanes such as Katrina. Teachers should prepare a set of guiding questions for students to consider as they work through the animations.

The unit ends with the State of Flowing Water: Lifeline of the Bays produced by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This video documents the legislative and environmental issues that highlight how much freshwater should be reserved for usage and how much should be allowed to discharge into Texas' bays. Teachers should prepare a set of guiding questions for students to consider as they watch the video. A transcript of the video can be found at Texas Parks and Wildlife Media Room.

Next Generation Science Standards

We anticipate that students should be able to achieve the NGSS Performance Expectation(s) listed after completing the activities in this unit. However, we have not carried out educational research to verify this.

HS-ESS2-2. Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth's surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.

HS-ESS2-4. Use a model to describe how variations in the flow of energy into and out of Earth's systems result in changes in climate.

HS-ESS2-6. Develop a quantitative model to describe the cycling of carbon among the hydrosphere, atmosphere, geosphere, and biosphere.

HS-ESS3-4. Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.

HS-ESS3-5. Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.

HS-ESS3-6. Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.

These Performance Expectations integrate the Disciplinary Core Ideas, Cross Cutting Concepts and Science and Engineering Practices of the NGSS as shown in the unit table NGSS Congruence: Crossing the Shoreline (Acrobat (PDF) 186kB Jul17 15).

Additional Resources

The recommended additional resources may be used to extend or augment the storyline.

Nautilus Live links to the Exploration Vessel Nautilus' live feed, in which learners can explore the ocean LIVE with Dr. Robert Ballard and the Corps of Exploration.

The Encyclopedia of Earth contains expert-reviewed information about Earth for everyone. The article linked is about the Gulf of Mexico.

NOAA Fisheries Education Program works with their own experts and partner organizations to develop and distribute high quality, science-based materials and activities for students and teacher interested in exploring the science behind marine resource management and conservation.

Live units may have permissions pending and are subject to revision.