NSW Marine Estate
This webpage includes activity books, lesson plans, teacher guides, marine estate fact sheets and information on marine-related career options to support primary school teaching about the NSW marine environment.
Oceans at Risk
This HASS lesson asks students to consider how the ocean is essential for life on earth. Learners discover how the oceans are at risk from overfishing, and discuss what they can do about it.
Corals are Cool and Crucial
Students will explore the importance of the Great Barrier Reef and local reefs, investigating the coral lifecycle and the ways ocean life depends on interconnected relationships for survival. They will examine the threats posed by climate change and other human impacts, and discover how citizen scientists contribute valuable data on coral health. Through hands-on practice with virtual tools, students will monitor, collect, and analyse coral data. Finally, they will identify sustainable actions they can take in their daily lives and
Reef Guardian School
Reef Guardians curriculum aligned education resources cover a range of topics to teach and learn about the Great Barrier Reef including climate change, World Heritage and Cultural values, sustainability, wetlands, threats and biodiversity. Follow the link to find resources, including our Reef Beat poster series, unit plans, activity sheets, videos and much more!
Investigating Ocean Acidification: Student Investigations
This investigation allows students to explore the impact of carbon dioxide on marine life, focusing on how acidification affects organisms with calcium carbonate shells and guiding students through experiments to test the effects of acid on these shells.
Catalyst: Seals help climate research
This video highlights how researchers are using seals to gather data on ocean temperatures, currents, and ice thickness, which are crucial for understanding climate change. The seals help collect valuable information from remote regions that are difficult for humans to access, providing new insights into the state of marine ecosystems and the impacts of climate change.
Acidic Oceans Experiment
The "Acidic Oceans" activity demonstrates how ocean acidification, caused by increased carbon dioxide, affects sea creatures like crabs and clams, using a simple home experiment to simulate the impact of acidic conditions on shells.
Science Talk
Science Talk is a video series featuring scientists from around the world and their fascinating research on our blue backyard. Topics include nightmarish deep-sea discoveries, coral larvae ecology, reef restoration, and whether magnets can repel sharks from fishing nets—plus much more.
Scallops: Witness to Climate change
Students learn about a saucer scallop fishery around the Abrolhos Islands of Western Australia, where climate change and marine heatwaves are having a serious impact on fishing activities.