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.