Be at the top of the food chain when it comes to understanding marine ecosystems. The 21st installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program investigates marine ecosystems, ocean zones, and food webs. In the activity, learners use data on blue crab in the Chesapeake Bay to determine the health of the ecosystem.

Concepts

oceans, oceanography, marine ecosystems, marine life, ocean zones, the chesapeake bay

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Have pupils create flash cards to help distinguish between the different ocean zones

 

Classroom Considerations

• Introductory activity requires a ball of yarn
• Activity handout includes a blank graph, so you do not need to provide graph paper

Pros

• Having pupils model food webs with yarn helps visualize relationships
• Activity provides a file on blue crabs for classes that do not have Internet access

Cons

• None