Welcome to Climate Kids Connects! We are so glad you are here. As you may have heard, the Earth needs our help. Our global climate is changing and this will impact our communities, both human and natural. This is a big problem and it will take all of us thinking creatively to come up with solutions. On today's blog, we are going to be exploring a diverse ecosystem that is vast as it is complex - oceans!
Welcome to Climate Kids Connects!
For today's edition we are going to be exploring a diverse ecosystem that is as vast as it is complex - oceans. Oceans cover 71% of the earth's surface and are the basis of all life. Although the intake of carbon dioxide into marine ecosystems is a natural process, scientists are observing significant impacts of too much carbon dioxide entering this system.
As ocean temperatures rise along with global temperatures, plants and animals struggle to adapt to higher temperatures. Increased amounts of carbon dioxide entering the ocean leads to an increased rate of ocean acidification. The following videos and activities will explore climate impacts on our oceans and what we can do to help.
Educational Videos
Learn about the Rocky Intertidal Ecosystem and how our partners at Cabrillo National Monument are working to preserve and protect it.
Will the sea creatures of Cabrillo National Monument pass the high-stakes test of climate change? Find out in this
illustrated video!
Learn about the oceans, the changes in climate and its affects on the oceans, and what you can do to help preserve our planet in this reading of Fever in the Oceans by Stephan Aitken.
Hear from ClimateScience Alliance Affiliated Artist Skylaar Amann on how she tells climate science stories through art and design!
Activities
Click on photos for additional activity instructions
Watch this demonstration by NASA scientists as they use a water balloon to illustrate how Earth's oceans are absorbing most of the heat being trapped on our warming world.
Make your own atmosphere in a cup! This model of ocean-atmosphere interaction shows how carbon dioxide gas diffuses into water, causing the water to become more acidic.
Much like vinegar, the ocean is becoming more acidic, and interacting differently with the chemistry of the ocean and the animals that inhabit it. Learn more through this colorful art activity!
Make a commitment to protect the fish as the sea changes with this fish face mask that was developed and shared by Kira Carrillo Corser, an Affiliated Artist of the Climate Science Alliance.
Dive Deeper
The Climate Science Alliance proudly partners with Cabrillo National Monument to help integrate climate messages into the community, virtually and in-person, through our Climate Kids Program. The Climate Science Alliance team worked closely with Cabrillo National Monument educators to integrate climate science into their programming, developing engaging videos and activities focused on climate change and its relationship to oceans and intertidal zones. We invite you to check out their offerings and support the great work they are doing in our community.
Climate Kids Connects is sponsored by San Diego Gas & Electric.
As our world shifts, we understand the need to adapt for an emergent digital community. By enhancing our online outreach efforts we can build capacity and continued support for climate education. Learn more at www.climatekids.org.
