In this course, we explore the fascinating world of ocean life with a special focus on the marine environments surrounding Long Island, New York. From the brackish waters of the Great South Bay to the productive fishing grounds off Montauk, our local waters provide endless opportunities for discovery.
Through hands-on activities, digital labs, and field studies, students develop a deep understanding of marine ecosystems, species interactions, and the importance of ocean conservation.
Interactive labs and experiments
Long Island marine ecosystems
From plankton to whales
Protecting our oceans
23 interactive labs organized by topic — local environments, ocean systems, coral reefs, marine invertebrates, sea turtles, sharks, and marine mammals
Discover the diverse marine ecosystems around Long Island — estuaries, salt marshes, bays, and the open ocean. Includes interactive species guides and knowledge checks.
Collect water samples from 4 Long Island sites — Reynolds Channel, Hempstead Bay, Atlantic Shoreline, and Point Lookout Inlet. Test salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and nitrates.
Explore diatoms, dinoflagellates, cyanobacteria, ocean bacteria, and seaweeds — the microscopic foundations of marine food webs. Includes real microscopy photos.
Collect ocean samples, prepare microscope slides, and identify 9 plankton species. Learn about the carbon cycle and test your skills in the Plankton Trawl Challenge.
Explore giant kelp anatomy, sea otters, sea urchins, and upwelling in California's kelp forests. Investigate keystone species, urchin barrens, and trophic cascades through interactive activities and Regents-style questions.
Study surface ocean currents, thermohaline circulation, and pollution transport. Analyze ESRT maps and track the famous rubber duck voyage across the Pacific.
Explore world ocean currents, thermohaline circulation, and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Investigate how currents drive climate and pollution transport across ocean basins.
Explore how CO₂ absorption changes ocean chemistry. Investigate impacts on coral and shellfish through pH simulations and real-world case studies.
Explore coral reef ecosystems worldwide. Learn about coral types, reef formation, bleaching events, and human impacts on these vital marine habitats.
Identify Brain, Staghorn, Star, and Pillar corals using illustrated flip cards. Complete a data table, expand vocabulary, and take a 20-question Regents-style quiz.
Explore the external and internal anatomy of the Atlantic Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) with interactive clickable anatomy and detailed organ information.
Explore Long Island's "living fossil" — 450 million years of evolution. Learn anatomy, life cycle, blue blood medicine, and local spawning behavior on Long Island beaches.
Study American lobster anatomy, molting, and the 1999 Long Island Sound die-off. Investigate epizootic shell disease, climate-driven range shifts, and sustainable fisheries management.
Play a Montauk lobsterman across six fishing trips. Balance sustainability, carrying capacity, V-notching rules, climate change, and real market economics in this interactive simulation.
Compare dangerous box jellyfish and Portuguese man o' war with harmless species like moon jelly and lion's mane. Vocabulary, reading, data table, matching, and a Regents-style quiz with print-to-PDF grade summary.
Explore oral and aboral sea star anatomy, regeneration biology, and a Long Island Sound shellfish-industry case study. Includes vocabulary, matching, reading, data table, regeneration graph, and Regents-style assessment.
Investigate echinoderm structures inside and out — test, spines, tube feet, Aristotle's lantern, and gonads. Interactive external and internal anatomy dissection with Regents-style activities.
Use a dichotomous key to identify 7 species — Great White, Mako, Blue, Bull, Whale, Basking, and Sixgill Sharks. Practice mode and timed quiz included.
Explore external anatomy of Carcharodon carcharias with interactive hotspot exploration, drag-and-drop labeling, and structure-to-function matching across 4 phases.
Investigate the remarkable comeback of humpback whales in the New York Bight. Explore food web ecology, Atlantic menhaden, baleen whale biology, and analyze real recovery data in Regents-style activities.
Compare wild orca social structure, range, and dorsal fin health against captive conditions. Interactive Tank vs. Ocean simulation, dorsal fin collapse time-lapse, data analysis, and Regents-style assessment.
Trace Long Island's whaling history from the height of Sag Harbor's industry to today's North Atlantic right whale crisis. Explore the global recovery of whale species and the conservation challenges that remain.
Access study guides, references, and helpful links
Review materials for tests and quizzes
Educational videos on marine topics
Maps of Long Island marine habitats
External resources and databases