Curated OER
Coral Bleaching: Making Our Oceans Whiter
Students study coral reefs and the controversy over coral bleaching. They role-play a debate over the issue and come up with a compromise to protect the reefs and the economies that depend on them.
Curated OER
Sea Scape
Pupils learn about and make models of coral reefs. In this reef ecosystem lesson, the class locates a number of coral reefs on a map. They learn how a coral reef is a balanced ecosystem that depends upon all of it's plant and animal...
Curated OER
Lesson #6: Sea Surface Temperature and Coral Bleaching
Fifth graders examine the concept of coral bleaching and sea surface temperature. They view a teacher demonstration, interpret sea surface temperature data, explore a website, and complete worksheets.
Curated OER
Coral Bleaching in the Caribbean
Students use authentic satellite data on the NASA website to determine when the sea surface temperature meets the criteria to induce coral bleaching.
American Institute of Biological Sciences
Action Bioscience: Coral Reefs Under Stress
Coral reefs, home to many vibrant plants and animals, are suffering from the affects of climate change and the increase of acid in ocean waters. Delve into the benefits and concerns of these beautiful ecosystems.
Encyclopedia of Earth
Encyclopedia of Earth: Global Warming Takes a Toll on Coral Reefs
Article describing damage caused to coral reefs in the Caribbean after an extended period of extreme heat in 2005 that raised the ocean temperature in that area. The potential, devastating consequences to humans of coral reef destruction...
NOAA
Noaa: Ocean Service Education: Corals
This Coral Tutorial is an excellent resource with diagrams, pictures, animations and short videos. All aspects of coral biology are discussed. As an added benefit, pdf versions of the site are available along with a subject review...
Science Daily
Science Daily: Algal Heat Damage and Coral Bleaching
Article identifies elevated water temperature as a cause of coral bleaching due to loss of photosynthetic ability in symbiotic algae.
Read Works
Read Works: Reef Rescue
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text efforts being made to preserve Australia's Great Barrier Reef. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.