Course Description: Coastal Ecology – A
(2.0) Grade 10-12
60 days
This course includes marine biology of coastal areas including salt marshes, harbors, and
estuaries. The class meets during the spring trimester to learn about the life and
interactions in coastal ecosystems. Fish, invertebrates, and plants will be studied along
with water and soil chemistry. The class will participate in field trips and set up aquaria
in the classroom. Students will catch fish, identify plants, measure water quality and
analyze data from current research. This course meets Whitman-Hanson Student
Expectations 1, 3 and 5. During the summer months, students from the class may earn 1-2
extra science credits by doing hands-on independent study research for a tidal restoration
project involving the Center for Student Coastal Research and Coastal Zone
Management. Credits depend upon the number of volunteer hours.
Prerequisite: Biology I and Marine Biology I.
Rationale:
The current thought is that science education should incorporate real-world
situations into the learning process in an effort to engage students and assist them in
visualizing the interconnectedness of humans and their environment. Hands-on learning
appeals to most students but is not always readily available because of budget constraints
and time considerations. The new Coastal Ecology course, though based primarily in the
classroom, will involve measurement and analysis of real data from a local Coastal Zone
Management Tidal Restoration Project and from other projects such as NOAA supported
initiatives (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and Waquoit Bay
National Estuarine Research Reserve in Falmouth.
Student Objectives:
Overarching Student Objectives: The students will be able to:
1) Collect data completely and with high accuracy.
2) Analyze and create graphs.
3) Read and write coherent reports.
4) Peer review other students reports and graphs.
5) Develop and participate in a class presentation with supporting evidence.
6) Experience the peer review process in presentations and discussions.
7)
Create and maintain a healthy aquarium.
8) Identify the interactions between organisms and their physical environment.
9)
Describe how organisms depend upon one another for survival within an
ecosystem.
10) Understand the type of nets to use in collection.
11) Use keys to identify fish and invertebrates.
12) Identify the major organisms that live in salt marshes, harbors, and estuaries.
13) Use a microscope correctly to observe planktonic organisms in an ecosystem.
14) Classify organisms accurately.
15) Develop a food web for a coastal ecosystem.
16) Recognize and explain the role of the physical environment on the health of the
living community.
17) Use the transect method to identify plants.
18) Perform water quality tests with high degree of accuracy.
19) Explain how water chemistry such as dissolved oxygen, salinity, pH, temperature,
and turbidity affect the life in a coastal ecosystem.
20) Appreciate the value of coastal wetlands to humans.
21) Demonstrate an understanding of the short and long-term effects of pollution.
22) Examine primary and secondary sources as research tools.
23) Draw conclusions using accurate evidence.
Time Frame: 60 day course (spring trimester)
Course Outline: See attached.
Resources and Key Materials: Videos Father Island, Mother Bay, Channel Islands
National Marine Sanctuary, Oceanography: An Invitation to Marine Science.
Interactive Computer game: Fish Banks: Tragedy of the Commons
Currently available resources Charting Our Course: The Massachusetts Coast at an
Environmental Crossroads, An Expedition to the Water Planet: A Curriculum Guide for
Schooner Ernestina’s Underway Program, A Volunteer’s Handbook for Monitoring New
England Salt Marshes, Field Guide Sheets for Eastern Shore Marine Environments,
Sustainable Seas Expeditions: Teacher Resource Book, Essentials of Oceanography,
Taunton River Watershed Connection Project.
GENERAL CURRICULUM FOR COASTAL ECOLOGY
WHITMAN-HANSON REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
GRADES 10-12
Term 3
Duration
I. Introduction to Ecology
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What is Ecology?
What is a community?
How does life depend on the physical environment?
What variables affect population sizes?
Why do certain animals live in specific habitats?
What is a niche?
How are animals adapted to fill niches?
How do autotrophs and heterotrophs interact?
What is a food web?
What biotic and abiotic factors influence life in coastal areas?
Define limiting factor.
II. Types of Coastal Ecosystems
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What biotic and abiotic factors influence life in coastal areas?
Beach in a bag activity
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What types of organisms live along the coast?
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Why do fish have different forms?
How does one use a key to identify fish?
Describe the five kingdoms of living things and classify organisms
accordingly.
What invertebrates live in coastal ecosystems?
Describe the adaptations that allow organisms to survive.
Field trip to Green Harbor. Use nets to catch fish and
invertebrates. Count, measure, and mass the organisms.
Classify organisms using keys.
Observe plankton samples and sketch organisms.
Learn about common coastal plants and algae.
Use a plant press to preserve specimen.
Make a line transect and use the quadrat method for predicting
the abundance of plant species in an area.
Create a food web for one of the coastal ecosystems.
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5-8 days
What is a salt marsh?
What is an estuary?
What constitutes a harbor?
How does one recognize a tidal flat?
Why are rocky shores different from sandy beaches?
Where do we find these kinds of ecosystems?
III. The Living Community
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3-4 days
IV. Aquarium Project
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Determine which organisms can live successfully in an aquarium.
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Measure the water quality in the tank on a regular basis.
Provide healthy conditions for the survival of all species.
Write in a log book any and all changes, tests, or occurrences.
Research the necessary ingredients to maintain good water
quality and living conditions.
10-15 days
2-3 days set up
Ongoing monitoring
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Provide suitable habitat for any animals placed in the aquarium.
V. Physical Factors
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Explain the local tide cycle and make predictions for any tide within a
week, given the tide for the day.
Describe two tidal restrictions and explain how they can affect the water
quality of an ecosystem.
Do currents affect the types of organisms and their life cycles?
What affect does the substrate have on the type of creatures that
live in that area?
How do wind, waves, storms and erosion impact coastal
environments?
What part does depth play in an ecosystem?
What is sedimentation and when does it become an issue?
VI. Water Chemistry
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How does water chemistry affect life?
What is salinity and how is it measured?
How does temperature affect life?
Does pH impact an ecosystem?
pH lab
When does dissolved oxygen become a limiting factor? How can it be
measured?
Measure the dissolved oxygen content of a water sample with accuracy.
What is turbidity and how does it affect a river?
Demonstrate proper technique in the use of a turbidity tube and secchi
disk.
How far down can light reach in a harbor? Why is that important?
Does the color of water have any indication of the quality?
What is meant by nutrient loading? How much is too much?
What is density?
Salt water wedge lab
Thermocline activity
Graph one parameter of water chemistry over time.
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What is a watershed?
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When does runoff occur?
What is groundwater?
What conditions can contribute to flooding?
How can a topographic map be used to understand and define a
watershed area?
How can septic tank effluent and sewage get into waterways?
Describe how excess nutrients can get into rivers.
Explain the causes and effects of algae blooms.
Understand how the study of macroinvertebrates can be utilized
to determine the water quality of a river.
VIII. Human Impacts on Coastal Areas
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8-12 days
Analyze data from one of the following: Green Harbor,
Cohasset Harbor, Boston Harbor, Buzzards Bay, Waquoit Bay,
Chesapeake Bay.
Identify possible limiting factors in the studied site.
Graphing Project using Real-time data
VII. Watersheds
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3-5 days
Explain the impact of development along the coast.
How does removing wetlands by filling, land reclamation, etc. affect
6-8 days
5-8 days
flooding?
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What happens to the community when tidal restrictions occur?
Which kinds of fish are most affected by dams and tide gates?
Fishbanks game: The Tragedy of the Commons.
What is the outcome of overfishing and is there a remedy?
Describe the ways pollution can enter and alter an ecosystem.
What is the difference between point source and non-point
source pollution?
Explain the short and long-term effects of pollution on an
ecosystem.
Optional Boat trip: Field trip to Boston or New Bedford Harbor
IX. Stewardship
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Why are coastal ecosystems important?
How can humans assist in preserving coastal areas?
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What monitoring techniques are useful to protect rivers, harbors,
bays, and estuaries?
Read an article about some aspect of human influences on the
coast and write an abstract.
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X. Submersibles
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Project – only if time is available. Build a submersible according to
Museum of Science plans, etc.
5-8 days
2-3 days