1. Have students investigate twelve marine ecosystems.
Have students watch the Census of Marine Life background video, "A Journey Through Habitats" (2 minutes, 21 seconds). The video is found under the "Background" tab on the Census of Marine Life link provided. As they watch, ask students to note the wide diversity of ocean ecosystems. Divide students into small groups and assign each group one ecosystem from the list:

• Abyssal Plain (communities include deep sea corals, whale fall, brine pool)
• Antarctic
• Arctic
• Coral Reef
• Deep Sea (abyssal water column)
• Hydrothermal Vent
• Kelp Forest
• Mangrove
• Open Ocean
• Rocky Shore
• Salt Marsh and Mudflat
• Sandy Shore

Give each group a copy of the Marine Ecosystems handout and the Marine Ecosystems Notetaking worksheet. Have students use the handout and provided websites to research and record the following information about their ecosystems: location of one or more real-world examples of their ecosystems, the different marine organisms found there, and the unique characteristics that set the ecosystem apart from other marine ecosystems. Each group should then transcribe its research from the Marine Ecosystem Notetaking worksheet to a large piece of butcher paper so the information can be shared with the class.

2. Have students map real-world ecosystems.
Ask one student from each group to present their ecosystem research to the class. After presenting, have each group use the World Physical MapMaker Kit, to locate and label at least one location where its ecosystem can be found. Once all of the ecosystems are labeled on the Mega Map, ask students to discuss their findings. Ask: Are there any links between these ecosystems? Prompt students to think of links such as hydrologic cycle, currents, organisms, or other connections. Then ask: Do the ecosystems share any physical features or significant abiotic factors? Prompt students to consider geology, depth, salinity, and water temperature.

3. Have students look at illustrations of real-world ecosystems.
List the 12 ecosystems on the board as a word bank. Display the gallery of ecosystem illustrations and have students analyze them. While scrolling through the illustrations, pause after each one and have students write which ecosystem they think it is and where in the world it might be located (Answers: abyssal plain [deep sea coral, whale fall, brine pool], Antarctic, Arctic, coral reef, deep sea [abyssal water column], hydrothermal vent, kelp forest, mangrove, open ocean, rocky shore, salt marsh and mudflat, sandy shore). Conclude the activity by emphasizing how many different and unique ecosystems are found throughout the ocean.

Informal Assessment

Have students return to the illustrations and ask them to explain their reasoning for identifying each illustration as a particular ecosystem. Their reasoning should include the unique characteristics of the ecosystems and how the ecosystems' physical features relate to their locations throughout the world.

Extending the Learning

Have students use Google Earth: Oceans to find as many of their marine ecosystem locations as possible. Then have them find these additional features:

• The Dead Sea—the lowest point on land in the world at 422 meters (1,385 feet) below sea level
• The Arabian Peninsula (Arabia)—the largest peninsula in the world; it is surrounded by the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf.
• Mariana Trench—the lowest point in the sea at about 11,000 meters (36,000 feet) deep