Connecting Classrooms to the Coastal Ocean

The grant will provide funds for upgrading one microscope and the purchase of another. Both will be used to image phytoplankton collected in Monterey Bay in California by a 2nd grade student with parental supervision. These observations are shared with her 2nd grade class that cannot join in the data collection during the period of covid-19 restrictions. Data sharing will engage diverse elementary school and community college students in the exploration and understanding of research science and their local coastal environment. Students to be immediately engaged in the 2020-2021 school year include the 2nd grade class at Monte Vista Elementary School and students enrolled in a phytoplankton and zooplankton monitoring and identification course at Cabrillo Community College in Santa Cruz, California. Also, data are taken of salinity, seawater temperature, water color (standardized), weather condition, water conditions, etc.