NOAA Sea to Sky: Education resource database

Entanglement or by-catch is a global issue that affects many marine animals, including large whales. Trained responders under NOAA’s Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program can sometimes attempt the dangerous task of freeing whales from life-threatening entanglements, though the ultimate goal is to gain information to reduce the threat for both whales and humans. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary working closely with its partners and the community, coordinates response efforts for Hawaii, an important breeding and calving ground for humpback whales. Learn more about whale entanglements and response efforts in this webinar.

Dolphin species often play key roles in ecosystems and also use habitats that overlap with areas of human activity. Learn more about when and where dolphin species occur so that the research can inform ecosystem management and mitigate human impacts. This presentation will focus on the biology and ecology of dolphins, current threats, and how technology is helping us learn about their occurrence and distribution.

This is a 2D demonstration of how a photon — a small bundle of light energy — might move in its journey from the interior to the surface of the sun. Creative educators might modify this into a game for several players that includes questions about the sun as levels are reached, etc. Be imaginative!

In honor of 2017 Year of the Monk Seal, join Dr. Charles Littnan on a four decade journey that tracks the history and challenges of monk seal conservation in Hawai`i. This presentation will highlight a number of threats to the species and the evolution of a rag tag research program into the most proactive marine mammal recovery program on the planet.

Male and female northern elephant seals exhibit dramatic differences in size, shape and behavior. My research compares the feeding behavior of male and female seals to understand how the sexes use marine resources throughout the North Pacific Ocean.

In this activity, we will let solar radiation raise the temperature of a measured quantity of water. From the observation of how much time is required for the temperature change, we can calculate the amount of energy absorbed by the water and then relate this to the energy output of the sun.

California's nutrient-rich coastal waters are home to several species of large whales, including several endangered species. The state is also home to major shipping ports that bring thousands of large container and tanker ships through California national marine sanctuary waters. Ship and whale collisions have led to whale fatalities, and recent research suggests that many more of these ship strikes are going undetected each year. To address this global issue, national marine sanctuaries along the West Coast have been working with a number of partners to better understand the issue of ship strikes and slow vessels down to reduce harmful air emissions and protected endangered whales.

One of the keys to learning about the Sun is to view it in different wavelengths of light. The views can be quite different, and so are views of objects on Earth in different wavelengths. This activity examines objects through a filter set of colored and specialized filters and illustrates how science uses different wavelengths to selectively study features of the Sun.

Solar Physics and Terrestrial Effects is a resource consisting of three main parts: a short textbook, a hands-on activity guide, and resource listings. The textbook should provide the necessary background in solar physics for teachers. The activity section offers ideas for hands-on experiences that can be done in the classroom, using materials that are cheap and easily available. Background information is available in the text for the activities. Any materials that are needed for activities can be obtained from a variety of sources.

Long-term small-boat based studies in the main Hawaiian Islands have revealed amazing information on 11 resident species of whales and dolphins, as well as migratory and open-ocean species that visit the islands. Studies in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands have been more limited due to logistics of vessel surveys. Comparisons of sightings and tagging data from the two areas suggest that there are resident populations of many species of dolphins and whales in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument that have yet to be recognized. Join research biologist Robin Baird of Cascadia Research Collective who will compare what is, and isn't, known about whales and dolphins throughout the Hawaiian archipelago.