Going Further

Satellite Images of Phytoplankton Blooms from Around the World

20 spectacular images from NASA's Visible Earth

Graph a Thermocline

As described in the primer, thermoclines are often viewed as temperature versus depth in vertical form. However, when many different depths are combined, the graph can look cluttered and confusing and can be difficult for students to understand. To give students a better understanding of the temperature/depth relationship in the ocean, have students draw a thermocline by using pencil and graph paper for a specific buoy at a specific depth either before or after they have created a GoMOOS graph. This may help orient them to the relationship of how temperature in the ocean can change as depth increases, depending on the season.

Phytopia: Discovery of the Marine Ecosystem

Phytopia is an educational CD-ROM produced by the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. The CD-ROM is free; shipping and handling for U.S. orders is $3.95. Learn more about Phytopia.

Ship Mates: Explore the Gulf of Maine As Oceanographers Do

Ship Mates, also from Bigelow Labs, is a suite of educational activities that interactively guide users through working with on-line oceanographic data.

"Seasons in the Sea"

Dr. Ann Michelle Morrison has written a terrific overview (Rich Text File 23kB Aug6 05) of seasonal change in the Gulf of Maine.

Educational Resources from the Coastal Observing Center

The Coastal Observing Center at the University of New Hampshire has a wide array of data products, visualizations, and curriculum materials available from their website. Check it out!

Background Resources:

Miller, Charles. 2004. Biological Oceanography. Oxford,UK. Blackwell Science Ltd.
Garrison, Tom. 2005 Oceanography: An Invitation to Marine Science USA. Thomson Learning, Inc.