Immerse yourself in ocean ecosystems using resources provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). We will use a collection of virtual underwater dives in the form of 360° videos which allow us to go pretend scuba diving in kelp forests, coral reefs, and even shipwrecks. This class will use lots of fantastic media to take students underwater to witness alien underwater worlds. 

We start our journey in the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary where we feature humpback whales, green sea turtles, and white tip reef sharks. We will explore their physiology, life cycle, interactions with other animals in the ecosystem, major threats to their survival, and what we can do to help these threatened and often endangered animals. 

Each series of classes will be location specific so learners will gain an understanding of ocean geography as we transition from the Hawaiian Archipelago, to the Florida Keys, and on to the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. We will discuss relevant geology like the formation of volcanic island chains and barrier reefs. We will also discuss relevant atmospheric and oceanographic processes like ocean upwelling which drives food availability in the open ocean. Finally we will appreciate the conservationists and scientists who study ocean life, by viewing some current projects and research stations, like Aquarius, the worlds only underwater laboratory located in the Florida Keys. 

To clarify, I am not a Marine Biologist but I have a degree in ecology and I am a life long learner. I love to study new subjects and share what I learn with the Outschool community. 

Class Schedule: 
October 21st
Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary - Humpback Whales - physiology and migration
	
October 28th
Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary - Humpback Whales - feeding techniques and conservation. 
	
November 4th
Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary - Green Sea Turtles - migration and ecosystem functions
	
November 11th 
Hawaiian Islands National Marine Sanctuary - Whitetip Reef Sharks - shark senses and the importance of apex predators
	
November 18th
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary - Coral Reefs - the importance of reefs and the physiology of a coral
	
November 25th
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary - Coral Reefs - the symbiosis of algae and coral polyps, land forms that corals create, coral reefs virtual exploration
	
December 2nd 
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary - Coral Reefs - the animals of the coral reef, understanding ecosystems
	
December 9th
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary - Coral Reefs - coral reef ecosystems continued
	
December 16th
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary - Coral Reefs - climate change and conservation
	
January 13th
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary - Sea Kelp Forests - ocean upwelling and sea kelp physiology 
	
January 20th
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary - Sea Kelp Forests - sea kelp ecosystem 
	
January 27th
Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary - Sea Kelp Forests - sea kelp ecosystem continued 
	
February 3rd
Open Ocean - phytoplankton and the foundation of the food chain
	
February 10th 
Open Ocean - ocean currents phytoplankton and jellyfish
	
February 17th 
Open Ocean - all about dolphins 
	
February 24th 
Deep Ocean - seamounts, submarine canyons, and the abyssal plain 

....

Classes will continue with new material each week until summer break.