Coral Reef Outreach and Education

The links below include resources for students interested in learning more about reefs as well as lesson plans and other useful information for educators.

Outreach Materials
Educational Resources

Outreach Materials

A poster from the Protect Your Reefs project.

Learn About Coral Reefs

Protect Coral Reefs: Learn More. Coral reefs are some of the oldest and most diverse ecosystems on the planet. They have survived millions of years of natural disturbances, but today they are also threatened by many human activities. Learn how healthy coral reefs are valuable to the people, fish, plants, and animals that depend on them. Help protect our coral reefs by learning more about them.

Things You Can Do to Protect Coral Reefs. Even if you don't live near a coral reef you can help protect reefs in the U.S. and around the world.

Cape Flattery Grounding Restoration. The Coral Reef Conservation Program participates in coral reef restoration projects following events such as ship groundings. Learn about the Cape Flattery restoration project through an outreach video.

Links to More Information about Coral Reefs. Links to other useful sources of information about coral reefs.

Other NOAA Coral Reef Web Resources

NOAA Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS) Regional Portal.The Portal provides regional access to CRCP data and information, based on the regions defined in the State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2005 report.

NOAA Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS) Essays. Coral reefs are complex, biologically diverse ecosystems. Countless studies, books and papers have been devoted to exploring and understanding the nature of these unique marine environments. These essays discuss some of the most important aspects of coral reefs.

NOAA Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS) Online Coral Reef Glossary. The glossary provides definitions of many technical and scientific terms and acronyms related to coral reefs. Photographs and images supplement many of the definitions.

NOAA 200th: Coral Reef Conservation Essays. NOAA's 200th Celebration in 2007 highlighted the rich history of science, service, and stewardship provided to the American public by NOAA and its predecessors. A series of essays written for the Celebration explore the Foundations and Visions of coral reef conservation by NOAA.

NOAA 200th: Coral Reef Conservation Feature Stories. NOAA's 200th Celebration in 2007 highlighted the rich history of science, service, and stewardship provided to the American public by NOAA and its predecessors. Two feature articles written for the Celebration explore Technology and the Study of Coral Reefs and Protecting Coral from Oil Spills and Other Hazards.

NOAA Coral Kingdom Photo Library. The NOAA Photo Library includes high-resolution images of fish, invertebrates and scuba divers from Caribbean, Pacific and Red Sea coral reefs.

Coral Reef: A Guided Tour. This tour provides a basic overview of coral reefs, some of the threats they face, and some of the ways people can restore reefs that have been damaged.

These animals at the top of the chimney are deep-sea octocorals or soft corals (Octocorallia: Alcyonacea), and sometimes go by the common name "mushroom coral".

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve:
Education and Outreach. This site offers general information on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands and activities for children.

NOAA’s Coral Health and Monitoring Program: Frequently Asked Questions. To help answer a variety of questions related to coral reefs and the Coral Health and Monitoring Program, the Program’s Web site includes an extensive listing of Frequently Asked Questions.

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Educational Resources

The sites below provide access to lesson plans and other useful information to help incorporate coral reefs into the classroom.

Coral Reef Educational Resources CD 2008. The 2008 edition of Coral Reef Educational Resources, formerly called the 2008 Resource Roundup CD, is a collection of coral reefs education and outreach materials created by state and federal agencies as well as non-profit organizations that are part of the Education and Outreach Working Group of the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (Task Force). The contents of both editions of the 2008 CD are available online.

Online Coral Reef Discovery Kits. This discovery kit contains three sections devoted to learning about coral reefs: an online tutorial, an educational roadmap to resources, and formal lesson plans (developed for grades 9-12).

Remote Sensing and Coral Reefs Curriculum. This curriculum from NOAA Coral Reef Watch teaches 4th- to 6th-grade students about the satellites that hover around our planet, and how satellite monitoring of coral reefs helps to preserve these unique ecosystems.

Coral Literature, Education and Outreach (CLEO). The CLEO Program Web site includes access to coral reef educational modules, live coral reef Web cameras, and a literature search. The CLEO Program leverages techniques developed at NOAA/Atlantic Oceanic and Meteorological Laboratory under the Explorer of the Seas, Coral Health and Monitoring Program, and Coral Reef Early Warning System programs.

NOAA Ocean Explorer Education Site. This site includes downloadable educational materials and lesson plans for all ages, including a wide variety of lesson plans that relate to coral reefs and deep-sea corals.

NOAA Educational Resources Site. This Web site provides links to a number of educational resources available from NOAA. The site includes resources for teachers, students and the public.

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