Student Activity

Overview
This is an inquiry-based lesson using coral reef bleaching data from the NOAA/NESDIS website. The lesson will help you understand the causes of coral reef bleaching using current satellite data from the NOAA/NESDIS website.

Goals
You will:

• Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific investigations.
• Design and conduct scientific investigation.
• Use technology to improve investigations and communications.
• Understand the interdependence of organisms.
• Understand the diversity and adaptations of organisms.
  

Explanation of Questions
This lesson is designed to help you create a hypothesis, research it, and make a conclusion about coral reef bleaching. You can do this by using the NOAA/NESDIS website to help you find data for research. Your teacher will help to guide you in the appropriate direction by helping your group create a valid hypothesis, discover the best methods to research your hypothesis, and show you ways to find appropriate data to support your hypothesis. This lesson will give you a few examples of questions and supporting data so that you can come up with questions and supporting data of your own.

Questions
All external links open in a new window.

1. Where do you think most coral reefs are located?
   Why do you think they are located there?
   What do you think causes coral reef bleaching? Why?
   Are there any other factors that could contribute to this problem? If so, what are they?
   
   The Coral Reef Bleaching information page on the NOAA/NESDIS web page.
   http://www.coris.noaa.gov/
   
   
2. Are there any regions of the US where you think you might find coral reef bleaching? Why or why not?
   
   The links below are to Sea Surface Temperature Maps.
   Visit the link "How to Read A Sea Surface Temperature Map" before trying to answer the questions.
   
   World SST http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/FS_km5000.gif
   
   U.S. East Coast SST http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/FS_km50f100.gif
   
   U.S. West Coast SST http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/FS_km50f200.gif
   
   Alaska & Hawaii SST http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/data/FS_km50f300.gif
   
   
3. Do you think that the time of year has anything to do with coral reef bleaching events?
   If so, what months do you think would have the greater likelihood of coral reef bleaching? Why?
   
   This link is a list of Monthly Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly Charts. Use different months of data to compare the seasons. http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/climo.html
   
   
4. Do you think El Niño/La Niña have an effect on coral reef bleaching?
   If you are unsure about what El Niño/La Niña are use this link to help you find out more.
   
   El Niño Theme Page.http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/toga-tao/el-nino/nino-home.html
   
   
5. You are a scientist who is interested in monitoring the health of Indian Ocean coral reefs. You are planning two, 30-day expeditions with other scientists to collect the necessary data. Based on the 1998 Sea Surface Temperature data and significant coral reef bleaching events, during which months of the year would plan your research expeditions?
   
   1998 Indian Ocean Data - http://www.osdpd.noaa.gov/PSB/EPS/SST/retro.html

Now that you have looked at several examples of questions and data, you should be able to develop your own questions for research from the given web links.

Use the following links Guidelines For a Good Research Question and Researching a Hypothesis to assist you in developing three good questions and researching one of them.