Do you love learning about sea stars, jellyfish, and lobsters? How about sponges, coral, and horseshoe crabs? If the answer is yes then you must absolutely check out some of these awesome resources!
Did you know that the ocean is really close to us? Like really, really close? Check out this map and see how the Atlantic Ocean flows into the Chesapeake Bay and then into Potomac River, which borders the western side of Charles County. Hey, that’s where we are!
The Earth’s surface is covered by more than 70% by oceans and contains 97% of all the water that is on Earth. From space, the Earth looks like a blue marble because of the amount of surface covered by water!
So, why are oceans so important if we live on land?
Oceans help keep the Earth’s climate habitable (that means comfortable) and regulates the distribution of heat evenly around the world. It helps absorb CO2 just like trees, so it reduces pollution in our air.
And even though we might not be taking vacations to see the ocean, we can still “visit” the ocean virtually! Check out this fun activity book for kids from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). Protect Our Ocean Activity Book. There are coloring pages, drawing activities, and a crossword puzzle in the activity book. You can even earn a certificate by taking the Ocean Guardian Pledge.
Take a field trip to see different ocean habitats on the Nature.org site! There you can see “The Secret Life of Coral” and explore “The Coral Reefs of Palau”. And if you can’t get enough of diving deep into the ocean, check out the list below of awesome oceanic live cams where you can adventure deep!
Check out these resources!
🐟 Explore.org’s Grand Cayman Reef Cam
🐟 Explore.org’s Tropical Reef Camera
🐟 Open Ocean’s Coastal, Underwater, and Marine Aquarium Webcams
🐟 Monterey Bay Aquarium”s Open Sea | Live Cam
If you would like to check out books, ebooks, and audiobooks about the ocean, visit CCPL’s online catalog full of ocean fun! We even have movies and tv shows on Kanopy about the ocean!
Kanopy’s Ocean Shows & Kanopy’s Sea Shows
Have fun withall the ocean related activities. See you at the beach!