Archived Webinars

The National Marine Sanctuary Webinar Series provides educators with educational and scientific expertise, resources and training to support ocean and climate literacy in the classroom. This series targets formal and informal educators that are engaging students (elementary through college) in formal classroom settings, as well as members of the community in informal educational venues (e.g. after school programs, science centers, aquariums, etc.).

marine debris

NOAA Marine Debris Toolkit for Educators: Incorporating Citizen Science and Community Action into an Educational Setting

October 18, 2017

Alyssa Nally, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

The Marine Debris Toolkit serves as a unique collaborative effort between NOAA's Marine Debris Program and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to reduce our impact on the ocean through hands-on scientific monitoring, targeted education, and community outreach. Composed of teacher resources, data collection and analysis guidelines, and community engagement and outreach activities, this toolkit empowers students to become ocean stewards by taking action against marine debris on campus, in their local community, and at home. During this presentation, participants will receive an in-depth look into this free education tool.

Webinar Recording

photo of manta ray

Manta Rays: Studying an Ocean Icon

September 20, 2017

Joshua Stewart, Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Manta rays are one of the most iconic marine megafauna in the ocean, reaching wingspans of over 20 feet and delighting divers and snorkelers with their gregarious behavior. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Joshua Stewart will give a presentation on the biology and ecology of manta rays, current threats and conservation action, including his latest research on mantas, and how new technology is providing insights into these mysterious creatures' lives.

Webinar Recording

photo of monk seal

Forty Years of Conserving Hawai`i's Native Seal

Charles Littnan, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service

May 23, 2017

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.

Audience: Formal and informal educators

Webinar Recording

photo of World War II, graduates of the Tuskegee pilot

Lake Huron Red Tails! The Tuskegee Airmen Project

Stephanie Gandulla and Wayne Lusardi, NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

April 12, 2017

During World War II, Michigan was home to several African American air combat units including many graduates of the Tuskegee pilot training program. As with many similar training programs during the war, dozens of accidents occurred that resulted in the loss of both aircraft and crewmen. Two Tuskegee airplanes have been discovered in Michigan waters near Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Learn about these submerged aircraft and a project where members of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers and Diving with a Purpose participated to document one of the aircraft wrecks in Lake Huron.

Presenters: Stephanie Gandulla and Wayne Lusardi, NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Audience: Formal and informal educators

Education Materials

Presentation Slides

Webinar Recording

photo of a student building an rov

Explore Your Own Watershed with Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)

Sarah Waters, NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

March 22, 2017

Building your own ROV is not as complicated as you think! Find out how students near Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary are designing and building their own ROVs to explore the Thunder Bay River and Lake Huron, as well as participate in environmental stewardship projects. This webinar will showcase how ROVs are used to explore our national marine sanctuaries and provide a basic overview of designing and building ROVs with students for your own explorations!

Webinar Recording

photo of a northern elephant seal

Males vs. Females: Feeding Behavior of Northern Elephant Seals

Sarah Kienle, Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar, University of California, Santa Cruz, Long Marine Lab

February 23, 2017

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.

Education Materials

Presentation Slides

Webinar Recording

photo of a various marine life

Deep Sea Science in the Classroom: Exploring Coral Communities of the West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries

Rietta Hohman, Greater Farallones Association

January 18, 2017

Take your students on an incredible journey hundreds of feet beneath the surface of the ocean, without ever leaving the classroom! Using research footage from Remotely Operated Vehicles, your students will be able to utilize real scientific methods to explore the unique deep sea coral communities found in our West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries. They will investigate threats, such as ocean acidification, that these precious ecosystems face and learn the importance of long-term scientific monitoring and protection. This program is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and all materials are available for teachers to download from the web free of cost.

Education Materials

Deep Coral Communities Curriculum

Presentation Slides

Webinar Recording

photo of a lionfish

Lionfish: Alien Invaders from the Indo-Pacific

Kelly Drinnen, NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and Marlies Tumulo, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Audience: Formal and informal educators

December 1, 2016

Education Materials

Flower Garden Banks Invasive Lionfish Lesson Plan

Lionfish Tag Classroom Activity

Lionfish Reporting Mock Scuba Dive Activity

Lionfish Reporting Worksheet

Lionfish Classroom Slides and Videos

Presentation Slides

Webinar Recording

photo of children and teachers in a marsh

Rivers to Reefs: Understanding the Vital Connections Between Rivers and the Ocean

Cathy Sakas, Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Audience: Formal and informal educators

October 11, 2016

Education Materials

Presentation Slides

Webinar Recording

photo of children in classroom

Bring the Ocean into Your Classroom with National Marine Sanctuaries

Claire Fackler, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Audience: Formal and informal educators

September 21, 2016

Education Materials

Presentation Slides

Webinar Recording

Sharks of the Channel Islands

Ryan Freedman, NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary

Audience: Formal and informal educators

August 23, 2016

Education Materials

Presentation Slides

Webinar Recording

Communicating Climate Change: Resources for Making it Stick

Marlies Tumolo, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Bruce Moravchik, National Ocean Service

Audience: Formal and informal educators

May 25, 2016

Education Materials

Know Your Swamp Booklet

Climate's Heart Metaphor

Heat Trapping Blanket Metaphor

Osteoporosis of the Sea Metaphor

Regular and Rampant CO2 Metaphor

Protection Value

Responsible Management Value

NNOCCI Framing Summary

National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI) Presentation

Climate Stewards Presentation

Webinar Recording

photo of diver and shipwreck

Great Ships on the Great Lakes

Sarah Waters, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Audience: Formal and informal educators

April 13, 2016

Education Materials

Preservation through Education: Activities & Programs

Piecing it Together: Photo Mosaic Activity Lesson Plan

Shipwreck Detectives Lesson Plan

Other Thunder Bay Lesson Plans

Presentation Slides

Webinar Recording

Winged Ambassadors: Ocean Literacy Through the Eyes of Albatross

Jennifer Stock, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Audience: Formal and informal educators

March 24, 2016

Education Materials

Winged Ambassador Curriculum

Voyage of Wisdom - a video from the Polynesian Voyaging Society about Wisdom the Albatross

Wisdom the Albatross' Facebook Page

Webinar Recording

photo of coral

Underwater Exploration in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

Daniel Wagner, Ph.D., Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument

Audience: Formal and informal educators

February 17, 2016

Educational Materials:

2016 Hohonu Moana: Exploring Deep Waters off Hawaiʻi Expedition

Expedition Education Module

Presentation Slides

Webinar Recording

Maritime Archaeology: Exploring and Discovering Shipwrecks

Shannon Ricles, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary

Discover how to integrate STEM and social studies as you explore the underwater world of shipwrecks and the tools of maritime archaeologists.

Audience: Formal and informal educators

January 13, 2016

Educational Materials:

Maritime Archaeology: Discovering and Exploring Shipwrecks Curriculum

Shipwreck of the Deep Educator Guide

Presentation Slides

Webinar Recording