Marine Life
Andrew David, NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC Panama City; Lance Horn, UNCW/NURC - Phantom II ROV operator.
Living organisms fill our ocean, estuaries, and coastal areas. These organisms take many forms from the tiniest single-cell plankton, to the largest mammal on Earth, the blue whale, and the largest colonial organism, the coral reef. Expanding our knowledge of the life cycle, habits, habitats, and inter-relationships of marine life is important to our understanding of the planet. Human interactions, influences, and reliance on these species as well as changing environmental conditions will determine the future health of these marine inhabitants. Toxic spills, oxygen depleted dead zones, marine debris, increasing ocean temperatures, overfishing, and shoreline development are daily threats to the existence of marine life. Part of NOAA's mission is to help protect these organisms and their habitats to ensure a sustainable balance of life.
The collections in this thematic area provide educational resources to increase the understanding of marine life, the pressures that threaten their existence, and the role each of us play in the stewardship of marine ecosystems.
Sources: NOAA Fisheries Service, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Life in an Estuary
Estuaries are areas of water and shoreline typically found where rivers meet the ocean. Many different types of plant and animal communities call estuaries home because their waters are brackish - a mixture of fresh water draining from the land and salty seawater. This unique combination of salt and fresh water creates a variety of habitats for plants and animals.
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Researcher Profile
Coral Ecosystems
Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world. Thousands of species and millions of people depend on reefs for food and protection. Coral polyps, the animals primarily responsible for reef building, can take many forms: large reef building colonies, graceful flowing fans, and even small, solitary organisms. More than 6,000 species of coral are known, some live in warm, shallow, tropical seas and others in the cold, dark depths of the ocean.
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Sea Turtles
Sea turtles are air-breathing reptiles with streamlined bodies and large flippers. They are well adapted to life in the ocean and inhabit tropical and subtropical ocean waters around the world. Of the seven species of sea turtles, six are found in U.S. waters. These include the green, hawksbill, Kemp's ridley, leatherback, loggerhead, and olive ridley...
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Aquatic Food Webs
Education plays an important role in the health of our aquatic food webs. Whether students live inland or on the coasts, their actions affect the health of one of our major food sources. This collection contains a variety of multimedia, lesson plans, data, activities, and information to help students better understand the interconnectedness of food webs and the role of humans in those webs.
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Interactive Chesapeake Bay Food Web
Tiny Krill: Giants in a Marine Food Chain
Marine Mammals
The education resources in this collection provide educators and students opportunities to explore the adaptations, population dynamics, ecology, threats, behaviors, and anatomy of marine mammals. This collection includes several videos, lessons, activities, games, data resources, and career profiles to help students better understand the biology of marine mammals as well as their role in protecting these species.