Virtual Lessons

Coral Reef Science

Through a guided game format, learners participate in a 50-minute, media-rich, interactive video lesson about coral reefs. This is followed by an open Q&A chat with our ocean expert.

Recommended for Ages (Grades):
- 11-12 (6th), 12-13 (7th), 13-14 (8th)
Can be Adapted for Ages (Grades):
- 08-09 (3rd), 09-10 (4th), 10-11 (5th)
- 14-15 (9th), 15-16 (10th), 16-17 (11th), 17-18 (12th)

Format: Interactive Video Lesson
- 🖥 It's easy to connect
Duration: 50 mins
Fee: $160
- $120 - 💜CILC Premium. You must book through CILC to get the additional discount.
Mote Research Connection:
Organisms featured in this lesson:
- hard corals, soft corals, fire corals
- barnacles, clownfish, isopods, lionfish, remora, sea jellies, seaweeds, sea bass (grouper), sponges, triggerfish, urchins
Keywords: acidification, anatomy, apex predator, asexual reproduction, atoll, barrier reef, biodiversity, biogeography, budding, calcium carbonate, classification, carnivore, cleaning station, climate change, clone, cnidarian, community, conservation, consumer, endangered, extinction, fragmentation, fringing reef, gamete, habitat, herbivore, invasive species, lagoon, medusa, nematocysts, pH, photosynthesis, planula, polyp, primary producer, reef, salinity, spawn, symbiosis: mutualism, symbiosis: commensalism; symbiosis: parasitism, tropics, zooxanthellae

Objectives: Understand basic coral reef ecology. Compare symbiotic relationships of reef organisms. Identify coral anatomy and reproduction strategies. Recognize the value of coral reefs to humans. Identify threats to coral reefs like disease, climate change, and ocean acidification. Compare three stewardship actions.

Outline:

Intro and prior knowledge
Guided Reef Quest game
1. Coral classification
2. Coral anatomy
3. Life cycles
4. Reef formation
5. Biogeography
6. Biodiversity
7. Reef relationships (symbiosis)
8. Food webs
9. Coral conservation
Research and conservation
Open questions and answers

cr5kinfo

Request this lesson to see our calendar and all available dates.SCHEDULING HELPLINE: (941) 388-2904 ☎️We use Bookeo to process requests.

Supplemental resources featuring Mote research

The following media can be used before or after your live virtual field trip with Mote to enhance the lesson.

Coral Reef Monitoring & Assessment

Coral Reef Restoration

Coral Health and Disease

Ocean Acidification

Meet the Team

Researchers and staff working with coral reefs at Mote Marine Laboratory.

Dr. Erinn Muller

Coral Health and Disease, Program Manager and Science Director of the Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration

Erich Bartels

Coral Reef Monitoring & Assessment, Staff Scientist, Program Manager

Dr. Abigail Clark

Coral Health and Disease, Postdoctoral Researcher

Standards

Subject Areas

Life Sciences

Ocean Literacy Principles

OLP #5 The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystemsOLP #6 The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected

Florida State Standards

SC.3.L.15.1, SC.3.L.17.1, SC.3.N.1.1, SC.3.N.1.4, SC.3.N.1.7, SC.4.L.16.3, SC.4.L.17.2, SC.4.L.17.4, SC.4.N.1.1, SC.4.N.1.8, SC.5.L.15.1, SC.5.L.17.1, SC.6.L.15.1, SC.7.L.15.1, SC.7.L.15.2, S.C.7.L..15.3, SC.7.L.17.1, SC.8.N.4.1, SC.8.N.4.2

Next Generation Science Standards

5th Grade

5-LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and DynamicsLS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems (5-LS2-1)LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in Ecosystems (5-LS2-1)5-ESS3: Earth and Human ActivityESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems (5-ESS3-1)

6th - 8th Grades

MS-LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and DynamicsLS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems (MS-LS2.1; MS-LS2.2)LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience (MS-LS2-4)LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans (secondary to MS-LS2-5)MS-LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and DiversityLS4.C: Adaptation (MS-LS4-6)MS-ESS3: Earth and Human ActivityESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems (MS- ESS3-3, MS-ESS3-4)ESS3.D: Global Climate Change (MS-ESS3-5)

9th - 12th Grades

HS-LS2: Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and DynamicsLS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems (HS-LS2-1, HS- LS2-2)LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience (HS-LS2-2, HS-LS2-6, HS-LS2-7)LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans (HS-LS4-6, secondary to HS- LS2-7)ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions (secondary to HS-LS2-7)HS-LS4: Biological Evolution: Unity and DiversityLS4.C: Adaptation (HS-LS4-5), (HS-LS4-6, HS-LS4-5)LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans (HS-LS4-6, HS-LS4-7)HS-ESS3: Earth and Human ActivityESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems (HS-ESS3-3, HS-ESS3-4)ESS3.D: Global Climate Change (HS-ESS3-5, HS-ESS3-6)ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions (secondary to HS-ESS3-2, secondary HS-ESS3-4)

Common Core ELA/Literacy

5th Grade

RI.5.7 Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently. (5-LS2-1)

6th - 8th Grades

WHST.6-8.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources. (MS-LS1-8)SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly. (MS-LS2-2)RST.6-8.4 Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6-8 texts and topics. (MS-LS3-1),(MS-LS3-2)

9th - 12th Grades

WHST.11-12.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. (HS-LS1-3)RST.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem. (HS-LS2-6),(HS-LS2-7),(HS-LS2-8)