Part 1 –

Learn more about the seasonal cycle of phytoplankton development and the factors that trigger a phytoplankton "bloom."

Part 2 –

Learn about the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal and Ocean Observing System (NERACOOS) buoys and data.

Part 3 –

Obtain temperature, salinity, and density data for 2004 and generate X-Y graphs.

Part 4 –

Use the buoy plots to develop a prediction about when the phytoplankton will bloom.

Part 5 –

Compare predictions to the actual date of the bloom.

Part 6 –

Obtain MODIS satellite images of the region and learn how a satellite "sees" a phytoplankton bloom.