Monthly Archives: August 2013

Classroom MaterialsCWCLesson Plans Lesson Plan: A Bug’s Life – Gulf of Mexico Edition (Insects) This experiment will test if the insects will die (i.e., the yellow color changing paper turning red once it comes in contact with a weak basic solution) once they have come in contact with crude oil through various exposure routes.

Many times, people think about the environmental impacts of an oil spill and the main organisms (impacted) that come to mind are marine mammals, crustaceans, fish, birds, and even mollusks. Insects are often forgotten, but some species are closely associated to soil and plant life; therefore, some insects are of high ecological value. Some insects Read More

Apps & Interactive SitesClassroom MaterialsCWCLesson Plans Lesson Plan: Chia Pets in Oily Situations (Coastal Wetlands) After the 2010 Deepwater Horizon spill, a heavy layer of oiled vegetation mats were preventing the thick emulsified oil underneath from breaking down along Barataria Bay’s marshes. (NOAA/Scott Zengel)

Coastal wetland vegetation is essential to the coastal area because it provides a barrier for the local community, a nursery habitat for juvenile organisms, and a highly productive environment for the marine life. This form of vegetation has a very high potential to come in contact with pollution, originating from inshore or offshore sources, because Read More

GISRGoMRI ScientistsPeopleTeachers and Students The Kids and the Cups – Teaching Oceanography Using Styrofoam OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Laura Spencer, a graduate student in Dr. Steven DiMarco’s lab at Texas A&M University, took cups from three classrooms with her on the Gulf Integrated Spill Research Tracer cruise (G03) in the Gulf of Mexico. The cups were lowered in the water on one of the CTD casts. When the CDT was raised, the 5 Read More

Citizen ScienceCWCGoMRI ScientistsPeople CWC Involves All in the Family in Oil Spill Marsh Science CWC-FamilyMarshScience_2263a

“My mom would love this boat ride.” “I wish my child could walk the marshes.” Murt Conover, Senior Marine Educator and Aquarist with the Coastal Waters Consortium (CWC), often hears comments like these when leading teacher and student groups at the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) facility. She thought it seemed like a “no brainer” Read More