Ocean Formation Climate Life in the Ocean INDEX CREDITS Sort By: 1-17 of 17 Earth Viz: Sea-Surface Temperature 2004 Article for grades 6 through 12 Water temperatures at the ocean surface are constantly changing. See how tracking these changes with satellites is helping scientists predict recurring weather patterns, such as El Niño. Webpage More about this Resource Earth Viz: Sea-Surface Temperature 2005 Article for grades 6 through 12 Every day, satellites orbiting the Earth collect detailed measurements of global sea-surface temperatures. Discover how this data is helping them predict weather and understand climate change. Webpage More about this Resource Find a Plume, Find a Vent Activity for grades 6 through 12 How do scientists zero in on deep sea vents within the world's vast oceans—especially when they are located a mile or more below the surface? Think like a scientist, and you'll find out! PDF [plugins: Adobe Acrobat; filesize: 420kb] [pages: 6] More about this Resource Find the Deep Sea Vent Activity for grades 6 through 12 Climb aboard this virtual expedition, and take charge of the ship's controls. You'll travel a 40-kilometer (24.8-mile) stretch of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, looking for a deep sea vent. Webpage More about this Resource Image Gallery: Coral Article for grades 6 through 12 Coral reefs cover only 0.2 percent of the ocean's area, yet they are home to one-third of all known marine fish species and tens of thousands of other species. View images of these thriving communities. Webpage More about this Resource Image Gallery: Giant Tube Worms Article for grades 6 through 12 Take a deep sea tour that profiles hydrothermal vents and the species that not only are able to live without sunlight but actually thrive in these extreme underwater environments. Webpage More about this Resource Image Gallery: Mangroves Article for grades 6 through 12 Mangroves once covered three-quarters of the world's tropical and subtropical shores, rivers, and estuaries. Explore images of these remarkable plants and the ecosystem they support. Webpage More about this Resource Searching the Ocean for Deep Sea Vents Article for grades 6 through 12 Scientists don't have to scour every inch of ocean floor to locate deep sea vents, but that doesn't mean the process is fast or easy. Learn more about these researchers' painstaking work. Webpage [plugins: Flash, QuickTime, QTVR] More about this Resource The Ocean's Role in the Climate System Article for grades 6 through 12 The ocean has a huge capacity to absorb carbon dioxide. To combat global warming, should we modify the ocean's chemistry to increase its uptake rates? Webpage More about this Resource Video Gallery: Atmospheric Circulation Article for grades 6 through 12 The atmosphere is a very complicated place with many variables. Not surprisingly, modeling it requires complex programming and sophisticated computers. Take a behind-the-scenes look at this work. Webpage More about this Resource Video Gallery: Global Ocean Circulation Article for grades 6 through 12 What drives ocean circulation? How does the ocean's movement influence global climate? See firsthand how computer models are helping scientists answer these questions. Webpage More about this Resource Video Gallery: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Article for grades 6 through 12 What's it like to climb into a deep submergence vehicle and descend to the ocean floor? See for yourself with this video look, narrated by a scientist who has made more than 30 trips. Webpage More about this Resource How Did the Oceans Form? Article for grades 9 through 12 Seventy percent of the Earth’s surface is covered with water. Where did it come from? Why has it persisted? For answers to these questions, you need to go back to the planet's beginnings. Webpage More about this Resource How Do Animals Live in Water? Article for grades 9 through 12 It's nearly impossible to imagine living in the ocean given how much paraphernalia we need to venture beneath its surface. So how do marine organisms cope? Webpage More about this Resource How Does the Ocean Floor Get Its Shape? Article for grades 9 through 12 What powers the floating layers of rock that form the "solid" ground underneath our feet and under the ocean? Examine the process of convection and the sculpting of Earth's surface. Webpage More about this Resource Mangroves: The Ocean’s Most Productive Ecosystem Article for grades 9 through 12 Seawater contains enough salt to kill almost all flowering plants. Yet the ingenious mangrove "wades right into the ocean" and thrives in the niche between the land and the sea. Webpage More about this Resource What Is Water? Article for grades 9 through 12 A fundamental connection exists between life and liquid water. But what exactly is water? And what properties does water have that we couldn't possibly live without? Webpage More about this Resource 1-17 of 17