Biodiversity
What does biodiversity mean?
Biodiversity refers to the variety of living species on Earth, including plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi. These organisms work together in an ecosystem to maintain and support all life on Earth. It can also refer to the number of species found in a defined area, like the Great Lakes!
Want to learn more?
Check out this video on NOAA scientists who retrieved 3 biodiversity monitoring structures (called ARMS) from the bottom of Puget Sound.
What's living in the Great Lakes?
Check out this website on Great Lakes biodiversity, created by MI Sea Grant. Explore different species of birds, plants, aquatic life, reptiles, and amphibians that call the Great Lakes home with the resources available.
Photo Credits: Aquatic Sciences Center
Photo by Wisconsin Sea Grant
Biodiversity Activites & Lessons
Grades: 3 - 5
Description: Students select and map an area. Then they practice finding direction, determining scale, and identifying natural and human features
Grades: 6 - 12+
Description: Students conduct a plot study to observe and record the presence of all living organisms in a selected area.
Seek is a free, child-safe app developed by iNaturalist to help people discover the natural world by identifying plants and animals, while earning badges along the way!
Grades: 3 - 5
Description: Students select an area, identify the species living there, and complete a species inventory.
Grades: 3 - 12+
Description: Articles, videos, and more, all about biodiversity, ecosystems, and species.
Discover Great Lakes aquatic species through the Great Lakes Water Life Explorer database. static photo gallery with access to regionally-specific taxonomic lists and keys where such were available as well as links to a host of regional resources for the various taxa.