Ocean First Education brings the sea to life through high-quality, innovative marine science education and creates lifelong students and stewards of the sea.
It’s back-to-school season! Looking for a little something different to get the ball rolling this year? Try our free course, Ocean Literacy, and get your students motivated as they learn how, regardless of proximity, we are all connected to the ocean.
Ocean Literacy is an online course based on NOAA’s seven principles of ocean literacy and details what everyone should know about the ocean. Students will discover why it is so important that each and every one of us care about the health and sustainability of the ocean and its inhabitants through this short, online course complete with a student guide and interactive online assessment.
To access Ocean Literacy, you need only create an account. If you would like to implement Ocean Literacy with your students, we can expedite the account creation by uploading your student roster; just email us today to find out more.
Are you a certified scuba diver? Are you looking to learn more about the places you visit and creatures you observe? SSI (Scuba Schools International) and Ocean First Education have partnered up and are making it possible for you to learn more about some of your favorite marine ecosystems and animals while earning a specialty scuba certification. Not only can you learn more about marine ecology, sharks, sea turtles, or how to identify reef fish and coral, you can do so while earning a specialty diver rating that counts toward your Advanced Open Water Diver rating.
Not an SSI certified diver? You don’t have to be certified to take the courses and earn the dive certification. Learning more about the animals encountered on a dive will only enhance your underwater experiences. You’ll no longer wonder exactly which species of sea turtle that was, or why some sharks are able to sleep on the bottom of the sea floor while others would drown. Make the most of your time underwater; check out the SSI ecology courses and become an educated diver.
Florida has been hit with an extraordinarily large bloom of red algae. Every year, Florida experiences a bloom of red algae, known as “Red Tide”, but this latest bloom has been so large that it is causing problems. Florida’s governor has even declared a state of emergency for seven counties.
Karenia brevis, the algae that causes the annual red tide, comes from the Gulf of Mexico. It blooms off the coast of Florida normally in the late spring or early fall. The current bloom started in October 2017 and has continued to expand. Besides the usual downsides of a large algae bloom, Karenia brevis kills marine animals and can cause health problems for humans. When wave action breaks apart the cells of the Karenia brevis, the brevetoxins can become airborne and cause respiratory problems.
Read more from Michael Rice about the red tide impacting the west coast of FL.
