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Provided by: Friends of Casco Bay |Published on: February 26, 2025
Articles/Websites
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Synopsis
This blog post from Friends of Casco Bay describes a research project where volunteers went out during low tide to document sightings of eelgrass, water conditions, and other factors to better understand the declining eelgrass population in the bay in Maine.
The resource also includes an interactive map of the data collected and photographs taken by volunteers.
The article is fairly brief and easy to follow and includes text features to help students stay engaged and focused.
Students will enjoy seeing the images of eelgrass that were taken by the study's Water Reporters.
Prerequisites
Students should know what eelgrass is and how it is identified. Teachers may want to show some images of eelgrass before students read the article.
It may also benefit students to have a general idea of why eelgrass is important and why scientists would care about its population.
Students should be familiar with map skills like using a key.
Differentiation & Implementation
Students can discuss some of the implications of climate change and speculate which of these may be at play in the reduced eelgrass population. Students can discuss invasive species, rising temperatures, and ocean acidification.
Students can use the map, data, or photographs as inspiration for climate change data art. Students can look to Jill Pelto for examples of this kind of artwork.
After reading about this data collection process, teachers can get their students involved in a citizen science project. Teachers can find Maine-specific projects in the Maine Classroom Citizen Science Projects collection.
Students can highlight the importance of eelgrass by researching and brainstorming a list of ecosystem services it provides.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
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Resource Type and Format
Related Teaching Resources
All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.
