NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

"What is Marine Debris?" is a foldable poster created by the NOAA Marine Debris Program that provides an overview of general marine debris, plastic debris, garbage patches, the NOAA Marine Debris Program, the impacts of debris, general debris facts, and how you can help. It is designed to be folded, displaying information as it is unfolded to reveal a larger poster for display.

Descriptive poster all about the formation and truth about garbage patches.

NOAA’s work to understand our dynamic planet often involves sending people into the atmosphere and out to sea to conduct important research. From “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft that pilots fly directly into hurricanes to fisheries survey vessels that run quietly to avoid disturbing marine life, the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations maintains and operates a fleet of specialized research vessels and aircraft. Get to know NOAA’s ships and planes with these virtual (and printable) trading cards! 

Indiana campaign focusing on the critical importance of protecting coastal resources has captivated thousands of state residents with vibrant, information-dense illustrations that are unveiled roughly every two years. The Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Program helms the poster campaign, with funding assistance from NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, and from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency via the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. You can request free copies of these posters from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Learn about one of the ocean’s top predators — sharks — and their critical role in maintaining the marine ecosystem. This collection features NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries resources for everyone to explore NOAA’s efforts to research and conserve shark populations, how sharks support the sanctuary system, and more.

Sea turtles are a key part of marine ecosystems worldwide, but they face many threats today. Explore a collection of NOAA webinars, a virtual reality dive, lesson plans, videos, posters, web stories, and more to gain a deeper understanding of sea turtle species and NOAA's efforts within the sanctuary system to protect them and limit the threats they face.

Kelp forests are an important ecosystem that support a variety of species and grow predominantly along the Eastern Pacific Coast, from Alaska and Canada to the waters of Baja, California. Kelp forests can be found in four of our national marine sanctuaries along the West Coast of the United States. This collection has compiled wide-ranging resources from lesson plans, webinars, web stories, virtual reality videos, and more. You are invited to learn more about the importance of Kelp Forest Ecosystems, NOAA’s efforts to manage and conserve them, the species that call these forests home, and the threats kelp face.

The ocean absorbs the extra carbon dioxide we emit into the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels, like coal, oil, and natural gas, and that changes the chemistry of the ocean. We call this “ocean acidification.” The change in chemistry is reducing the amount of calcium carbonate in the ocean. Just as humans need calcium to build their bones, sea creatures need calcium carbonate to build strong skeletons and shells. Ocean acidification changes the chemistry of the ocean and causes “osteoporosis of the sea,” which prevents animals at the bottom of the food chain from building and maintaining the protective shells they need to survive.

COSMIC-2—short for Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate—is a team of six small satellites that will collect information about Earth’s weather and climate.

The "Did You Know?" marine debris bookmark series is full of vibrant and colorful images with fun facts about marine debris. Set each bookmark side by side and you'll see that the images connect-- a reminder that our land, ocean, and our actions are all connected. The bookmarks touch on marine debris issues like entanglement, derelict fishing gear, ingestion of debris by wildlife, and garbage patches. Finally, they remind us that trash doesn't belong in our ocean and that we can all contribute to the solution!