Explorations

🎓 Audience

Education: Grade(s) 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Teacher(s)/Educator(s), Parent, Adult Learners, Homeschool/Family , Learning Pod; Public Library: Library Patrons, Library Staff

 🐾 Topics

Career & Technical Education (CTE), Economics/Business, Health & Physical Education, Industrial Technology, Professional Development, Science, STEM, Technology/Information Science

🗂️ Format

• Introduction and Prior Knowledge: The program begins with an introduction to estuaries, discussing their importance in marine ecosystems and inviting participants to share any facts or questions they may have.

• Segment 1 - What is an estuary? Participants are introduced to the Sarasota Bay estuary, learning about the role of seagrass in this ecosystem and the various species found there.

• Video 1 - Roots of Resilience: A short video is shown, highlighting Mote’s efforts in growing resilient seagrass and the science of seagrass restoration.

• Segment 2 - Meet the Mangroves: Discover the diversity of mangrove species and their vital role in stabilizing shorelines, filtering water, and providing essential habitat for marine life.

• Video 2 - Rising Tides: Rising seas and shifting shorelines shape the future of our coastal ecosystems. In this brief video, discover how changes in sea level and water quality impact estuaries like Sarasota Bay.

• Segment 3 - Connected Currents: Explore how bioswales keep our bay healthy as we go behind the scenes to look at natural filtration systems and consider solutions that can work in your community.

• Segments may vary due to weather and veterinary priorities. We will make every effort to deliver the segments as described but may use a combination of live and recorded video when necessary.

🎯 Objectives

1. Explore the critical role estuaries play in marine ecosystems, including their impact on biodiversity and shoreline protection.

2. Identify various estuarine species and recognize the challenges they face due to changes in water quality and loss of habitat.

3. Investigate natural solutions like bioswales and rain gardens and propose ways to implement them in their own communities.

4. Ask questions and engage in discussions about environmental challenges such as sea level rise, water quality, and habitat restoration.

✏️ Standards this program supports

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

• LS1A 3–5 –– Structure and function. Learners observe estuary organisms such as oysters, seagrasses, and mangroves, connecting physical structures like shells, leaves, and prop roots to survival functions including filtration, photosynthesis, and shoreline stabilization.

• LS4C 3–5 –– Adaptation. Learners explore how animals and plants in estuaries adapt to changing salinity, tides, and muddy conditions, highlighting traits like root systems in mangroves, filter feeding in oysters, and behavior of estuarine fish.

• ESS3C 6–8 –– Human impacts on Earth systems. Learners assess how human actions such as fertilizer runoff, coastal development, and pollution affect estuary health, considering both challenges (e.g., algal blooms, habitat loss) and solutions (e.g., bioswales, restoration projects).

• ESS2C 9–12 –– The roles of water in Earth’s surface processes. Learners analyze how tides, salinity, and freshwater inflow shape estuary dynamics, influencing sediment transport, shoreline stability, and the distribution of habitats such as seagrass meadows and mangroves.

Ocean Literacy Principles

• • Ocean Literacy Principle #3 – The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate.

  • Ocean Literacy Principle #5 – The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.

  • Ocean Literacy Principle #6 – The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.

UN Sustainable Development Goals

• • 13 - Climate Action

  • 14 - Life Below Water

Florida Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS)

• SC.3.L.15.1 – Classify animals into major groups (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, arthropods, vertebrates and invertebrates, those having live births and those which lay eggs) according to their physical characteristics and behaviors. Application: Learners classify estuary animals, noting key traits that place them in different groups.

• SC.4.L.17.4 – Recognize ways plants and animals, including humans, can impact the environment. Application: The program highlights how oysters filter water, mangroves stabilize shorelines, and humans affect estuaries through runoff, pollution, and restoration efforts.

• SC.5.L.17.1 – Compare and contrast adaptations displayed by animals and plants that enable them to survive in different environments such as life cycle variations, animal behaviors, and physical characteristics. Application: Learners investigate how mangrove roots tolerate salt, oysters filter feed, and fish adapt to shifting salinity.

• SC.5.N.2.1 – Recognize and explain that science is grounded in empirical observations that are testable; explanations must always be linked with evidence. Application: Learners see how Mote scientists collect data on seagrass, water quality, and mangroves to guide restoration and conservation decisions.

• SC.6.E.7.2 – Investigate and apply how the cycling of water between the atmosphere and hydrosphere has an effect on weather patterns and climate. Application: Learners connect the water cycle—rainfall, runoff, tides, and evaporation—to estuary salinity and ecosystem health.

• SC.7.E.6.6 – Identify the impact that humans have had on Earth, such as deforestation, air pollution, coral reef destruction, and urbanization. Application: The program examines human impacts on estuaries, including nutrient runoff, habitat destruction, and the benefits of restoration.

• SC.7.L.17.3 – Describe limiting factors in an ecosystem and their impact on populations. Application: Learners consider how salinity, water quality, food availability, and habitat space limit estuary populations such as oysters, fish, and crabs.

• SC.8.L.18.3 – Construct a scientific model of the carbon cycle showing the processes and pathways among Earth’s systems. Application: Learners explore how seagrass and mangroves store carbon, connecting estuaries to global carbon cycling and climate regulation.

• SC.912.L.17.4 – Describe changes in ecosystems resulting from seasonal variations, climate change, and succession. Application: Learners evaluate how estuaries change with tides, storms, and sea-level rise, and how restoration can increase resilience to climate impacts.

Nouns

Words that name animals, body parts, places, or things.

• abundance: A large number of living things in one place.

• adaptation: A feature or behavior that helps an organism survive.

• algae: Simple, plant-like organisms that grow in water.

• biodiversity: The variety of living things in one area.

• bioswale: A planted area that filters rainwater before it reaches bays.

• brackish: Water that is a mix of fresh and salt water.

• climate: The long-term pattern of weather in a place.

• conservation: The protection and careful management of nature.

• ecosystem: A community of organisms and their environment.

• estuary: A place where freshwater from rivers mixes with saltwater from the sea.

• fertilizer: A substance added to soil to help plants grow.

• filtration: The process of cleaning water by removing pollution.

• habitat: The natural home of a plant or animal.

• invasive species: Plants or animals that do not belong in an area and cause harm.

• mangrove: A salt-tolerant tree that grows in coastal mud and provides habitat.

• microplastics: Tiny plastic pieces that pollute oceans, bays, and rivers.

• nutrient: A substance that helps plants grow.

• oyster: A shellfish that filters water and lives in estuaries.

• photosynthesis: The process plants use to make food with sunlight.

• resilience: The ability of nature to recover after disturbance.

• restoration: Helping nature return to a healthy state.

• richness: The number of different species in an area.

• runoff: Rainwater that carries pollution into rivers, bays, or oceans.

• salinity: A measure of how salty water is.

• seagrass: A flowering plant that grows underwater in shallow bays.

• sediment: Small pieces of soil, sand, or rock carried by water.

• tide: The rise and fall of ocean water caused by the moon and sun.

• turbidity: How cloudy or murky water looks.

• water quality: A measure of how clean or healthy water is.

• watershed: All the land that drains into the same body of water.

• wetland: Land that is wet most of the time and supports wildlife.

Verbs

Words that describe actions.

• filter: To clean water by trapping particles or pollution.

• flow: To move steadily, like water in a river.

• restore: To bring back to a healthy condition.

• stabilize: To hold in place, such as mangrove roots keeping soil from washing away.

• survive: To stay alive in changing conditions.

Adjectives

Words that describe or give more information about a noun.

• brackish: Describing water that is partly salty and partly fresh.

• cloudy: Describing water that is not clear, with high turbidity.

• healthy: Describing an ecosystem that is balanced and full of life.

• resilient: Able to recover quickly after storms or pollution.

• salty: Describing water with a high amount of salt.

Play Estuary Bingo

Play virtual bingo using a computer, smartphone or tablet during your program to focus on key concepts and vocabulary.

• Online

• On paper/PDF

🌐 Websites

• SBEP - Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan

• SBEP - Sarasota Bay Ecosystem Health Report Card

• SBEP - Sarasota Bay Watershed Field Guide

• SBEP - Classroom Tech Kits (for Sarasota-area teachers)

• Mote - Seagrass Restoration Technology Development Initiative

📚 Books & Publications

• Sarasota Bay Children’s Activity Book (Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, 2016) – An interactive activity book with puzzles, coloring pages, and games that teach children about Sarasota Bay, its wildlife, and ways to protect the estuary. https://eadn-wc04-1243468.nxedge.io/cdn/wp-content/uploads/Childrens-Activity-Book.pdf

• A Day in the Salt Marsh by Kevin Kurtz, illustrated by Consie Powell (Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2007) – A picture book that follows the changing sights and sounds of a salt marsh over the course of a day, introducing readers to the plants and animals that live there. https://arbordalepublishing.com/bookpage.php?id=SaltMarsh

• Next Time You See a Seashell by Emily Morgan (NSTA Kids, 2013) – A nonfiction book that invites children to explore seashells closely, sparking curiosity about mollusks and the ocean ecosystems they represent. https://www.nsta.org/next-time-you-see/next-time-you-see-seashell

• The Secret Bay by Kimberly Ridley, illustrated by Rebekah Raye (Tilbury House Publishers, 2015) – A lyrical introduction to the wonders of an estuary, blending science and storytelling to reveal the hidden life of a Maine tidal bay. https://www.tilburyhouse.com/product-page/the-secret-bay

🖥️ Videos

• Restoring Our Bays: Preparing Sarasota Bay for Sea Level Rise

• How to Adopt and Install Vertical Oyster Gardens

• Does it Go in the Ocean?

• Mighty Mangroves - Paper-craft Tree Activity

• From the Field: Mangrove Forest Exploration, Part 2

• From the Field | Fouling Communities

• From the Field | Ken Thompson Park