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Exploring Explorations

Ocean Exploration / Grades 9-12 / Earth Science, Life Science

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Focus Question

What discoveries and human benefits have resulted from exploration of the Earth’s deep ocean?

Learning Objectives

• Students will be able to describe at least three human benefits that have resulted from explorations of the Earth’s deep ocean.

• Students will be able to identify separate examples of Ocean Exploration expeditions focused on historical, biological, and physical features of the Earth’s deep ocean.

Links to Overview Essays and Resources Useful for Student Research

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/topics/oceans/oceanex/

Materials

• Copies of “Ocean Exploration Worksheet,” one copy for each student or student group. (Click Here for a seperate printable worksheet.)

• Chalkboard, marker board, or overhead projector to list discoveries and potential benefits associated with Ocean Exploration expeditions.

• (optional) Computers with Internet access; if students do not have access to the Internet, download copies of materials cited under “Learning Procedure” and provide copies of these materials to each student or student group.

Audio/Visual Materials

(optional) Equipment for viewing online video tours of deep-sea communities.

Teaching Time

One or two 45-minute class periods, plus time for student research.

Seating Arrangement

Classroom style or groups of 2-3 students

Maximum Number of Students

30

Key Words

Ocean exploration
Cold seep communities
Hydrothermal vents
Methane hydrates
Bioprospecting
Shipwreck
Anthropology

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Background Information

In the past twenty years, new tools and technologies have allowed scientists to visit many previously unexplored areas of the deep ocean. These expeditions have discovered hundreds of new species, and even new ecosystems, but many more discoveries are yet to be made.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) created the Office of Ocean Exploration to learn more about unexplored areas in the Earth’s ocean. Expeditions sponsored by the Office of Ocean Exploration have:

• Explored recently discovered hydrothermal vents and cold seep communities that have resulted in new ideas about the beginnings of life on Earth;
  
  
• Prospected for new anti-cancer drugs from the deep sea;
  
  
• Investigated methane hydrate deposits that may be an energy source twice as large as all global reserves of coal, oil, and conventional natural gas combined (the same methane hydrate deposits may also produce disastrous tsunamis (“tidal waves”), and may have been responsible for the Paleocene extinction event);
  
  
• Recovered the historic turret and engine of the Civil War ironclad, USS Monitor;
  
  
• Discovered well-preserved 19th century shipwrecks in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron, Michigan;
  
  
• Investigated origins and culture of the first people to inhabit North America; and
  
  
• Discovered the steamship Portland, an ill-fated passenger ship lost in 1898 off the Massachusetts coast.

Videos, photography, personal logs, and mission details from more than forty expeditions can be found at http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/explorations.html. This lesson is intended to introduce students to the variety of expeditions conducted by the Ocean Exploration program and the discoveries that have resulted from these expeditions.

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Learning Procedure

1. Briefly review some of recent discoveries associated with deep ocean explorations. You may want to visit the Ocean Explorer Gallery (http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/gallery/gallery.html), the Magic Mountain Virtual Site (http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/02fire/logs/magicmountain/), and/or virtual tours of hydrothermal vent and cold seep communities (http://www.bio.psu.edu/hotvents and http://www.bio.psu.edu/cold_seeps, respectively). Be sure students understand that 95% of Earth’s ocean remains unexplored.

2. Have each student or student group complete the “Ocean Exploration Worksheet” at the end of this lesson. You may want to assign a specific expedition to each student or student group and have them present a brief report on the expedition and its results. Lead a discussion of their results. Keep a running list of new discoveries and potential benefits. Students should realize that expeditions to unexplored areas almost routinely discover new species, and that bottom dwelling species have proven to be an extremely promising source for powerful new treatments for cardiovascular disease, cancer, inflammatory diseases, and infections. Other benefits include discovery of new energy sources; information on natural hazards such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and tsunamis; and better understanding of human history and the origins of life on Earth.

Correct answers to the Worksheet questions are:

1. In what two seas did a 2004 international Ocean Exploration expedition investigate global climate change? [the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea]
2. What type of deep-sea community was studied by the Windows to the Deep expedition? [methane seeps]
3. What is the world’s least explored ocean? [the Arctic Ocean]
4. Where were deep-sea hydrothermal vents first discovered 25 years ago? [Galapagos Rift]
5. How are aquaculture and cell culture relevant to the 2003 Deep Sea Medicines expedition? [aquaculture and cell culture provide methods for producing useful chemicals from deep sea organisms without damaging the ecosystem or depleting natural populations]
6. What was the habitat of mussels and other deep-sea animals studied by the Gulf of Mexico Deep Sea Biology expedition? [cold seeps]
7. Where is the “Submarine Ring of Fire”? [the Mariana Arc]
8. What kind of communities were studied by the 2004 Mountains in the Sea expedition? [octocoral]
9. What are the “Mountains in the Sea?” [the New England seamounts]
10. The 2004 Gulf of Alaska 2004 focused on what geological features? [submerged volcanoes]
11. Who burned the British warship Gaspee? [disgruntled American colonists]
12. What is one possible use for polarization vision investigated by Operation Deep Scope? [signaling and communication]
13. Part of the 2004 Estuary to the Abyss expedition was concerned with antimicrobial resistance. What has been identified as a source of antimicrobial resistance in microbes [inappropriate use of antimicrobials], and what are “nosocomial” infections? [Infections with antimicrobial-resistant microbes in a hospital or hospital-like setting]
14. On May 21, 2002, the Davidson Seamount expedition posted a video of an animal sighted at 1,725 meters that had previously been sighted only once. What was the animal? [a halosaur]
15. During the 2002 Arctic Exploration expedition, one scientist – Mike Vechionne – discussed similarities and differences between the Arctic and Antarctic. One difference he noted was that it is common to see seals hauled out among the penguins on Antarctic ice floes, but none were seen on floes in the Arctic. Why? [Because there is a major difference in the predators of the two regions. The top predators of the Antarctic, leopard seals and killer whales, dwell below the water surface. In the Arctic, the apex predator is the great white bear prowling on the ice floes. Seals don’t usually haul out in the Arctic because they are avoiding the bears.]
16. The Life on the Edge 2004 expedition included explorations of deep coral ecosystems that are severely threatened by a variety of human activities. What is the dominant coral species in these ecosystems? [Lophelia pertusa]
17. The Gulf of Mexico was ideal for the WW II Shipwreck Survey expedition because of the number of ships that were casualties of World War II. How many Allied vessels were sunk in the Gulf by German U-boats in 1942 and early 1943? [56]
18. Scientists participating in the 2002 Exploring Alaska’s Seamounts expedition noticed that most of the giant spider crabs (Macroregonia macrocheira) viewed from the submersible Alvin were missing limbs, and had a black scar (blastema) where a limb once existed. They also noticed that almost all of the limbs were lost at the base of the limb. What did this suggest to the scientists? [that limb loss was voluntary (autotomy); perhaps once grabbed, the crabs release their limbs to escape an enemy’s grip]
19. On August 10, 2003, scientists on the Charleston Bump expedition discovered an animal that one observer said “looked like interactive art!” What was this animal? [a Syllid polychaete worm]
20. What caused the Steamship Portland to sink? [a massive storm off the coast of New England]
21. What was the most effective method for collecting adult flying fishes used by the 2003 Life on the Edge expedition? [dip netting at night with bright lights]
22. Kick’em Jenny Volcano is the most active underwater volcano in what region? [the West Indies]
23. On September 28, 2003, the Gulf of Mexico Habitats expedition collected a beautiful flower-like animal. But the log entry for the day says that this beauty is deceiving. Why? [because the animal was the berried sea anemone Alicia mirabilis, the most toxic anemone in the Western Hemisphere]
24. The 2003 Puerto Rico Trench expedition explored the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean. How deep is it? [almost 8,400 m (5.2 miles)]
25. The Puerto Rico Trench expedition also discovered a large underwater fault system similar to the San Andreas Fault in California. Where is this fault located? [Bunce Fault is located 115 km north of Puerto Rico]
26. What conditions in the Black Sea make it ideal for preserving ancient wooden shipwrecks? [cold water, and the almost complete absence of oxygen below a few hundred meters (a unique feature of the Black Sea)]
27. On September 25, 2001, The R/V Alvin made its first dive on the Blake Ridge. What unusual live samples were brought up from the deep ocean floor? [giant mussels]
28. During the 2003 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands expedition, a tagged monk seal peered into the porthole of the Pisces deep-sea manned submersibles at what depth? [more than 500 m]
29. What percentage of all U.S coral reefs are located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands? [about 70%]
30. Where is the wreck of the German U-boat 166? [the U-166 rests in 5,000 ft of water about 50 mi southeast of New Orleans, and is the only U-boat sunk in the Gulf of Mexico]
31. One of the studies conducted as part of the Titanic 2004 expedition involved tiny microbes that feed on iron and create icicle-shaped formations called _________. [rusticles]
32. According to the last mission log (June 19) of the 2002 Sanctuary Quest expedition, how many humpback whales were sighted during the expedition in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary? [139; the highest number recorded on a sanctuary research cruise]
33. What was the important discovery made on July 11, 2002, by explorers on the Monitor Expedition 2002? [one of the 16,000-pound cannons was discovered inside the Monitor’s gun turret]
34. October 8, 2002, scientists on the Gulf of Mexico expedition found a bivalve clam that was identified as Acesta excavata. What was unusual about this discovery? [Acesta excavata is found only in the northeast Atlantic; either this species has a much larger range, or a close relative (possibly a new species) was discovered]
35. The June 28 log of the 2001 Lewis and Clark Legacy expedition comments on an advantage of using an ROV for underwater exploration. What is this advantage? [a geologist, ichthyologist, invertebrate zoologist and physical oceanographer can all see the bottom at the same time, allowing scientists with differing expertise to share ideas as the action is happening.]

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The Bridge Connection

http://www.vims.edu/bridge – In the navigation menu on the left, click “Lesson Plans” then “Secondary/Middle” for links to sites with curriculum units and large collections of lesson plans and/or classroom activities.

The “Me” Connection

Have students write a brief essay describing at least three ways in which exploration of Earth’s deep ocean could be of direct personal benefit.

Extensions

1. Visit http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/lessonplans/lessonplans.html for more than 200 lesson plans and activities based on Ocean Exploration expeditions.

2. Many Ocean Explorer expeditions use various types of manned or remotely operated underwater vehicles. Students can learn the underlying principles by building their own operating underwater vehicles with plans provided in books by Harry Bohm and Vickie Jensen (see “Resources”) below.

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Resources

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/topics/oceans/oceanex/ – National Ocean Service Web page introducing the Ocean Exploration program

http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/ – the Ocean Explorer Web site

Bohm, H. and V. Jensen. 1997. Build Your Own Underwater Robot and Other Wet Projects. Westcoast Words. Vancouver, BC, Canada. 150 pp. – Build-it-yourself projects demonstrate the physical principles that are used to design and build real submarines and submersibles. For price/ordering information, contact: Westcoast Words, 3036 Waterloo Street, Vancouver, BC CANADA V6R 3J6; phone/fax: (604) 731-5565; e-mail: vjensen@telus.net

Bohm, H. and V. Jensen. 2001. Build Your Own Programmable LEGO® Submersible. Westcoast Words. Vancouver, BC, Canada. 39 pp – A handbook for building an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle using a microcomputer such as the LEGO Mindstorms or Robolab RCX controller brick. For price/ordering information, contact: Westcoast Words, 3036 Waterloo Street, Vancouver, BC CANADA V6R 3J6; phone/fax: (604) 731-5565; e-mail: vjensen@telus.net

Bohm, H. and V. Jensen. Introduction to Underwater Vehicle Design. A textbook designed for advanced high school or college-level courses. The text features complete plans for an inexpensive, shallow-water ROV. For information on prices and how to order, contact the Marine Advanced Technology Education Center at info@marinetech.org.

National Science Education Standards

Content Standard A: Science as Inquiry

• Understandings about scientific inquiry

Content Standard E: Science and Technology

• Abilities of technological design
• Understandings about science and technology

Content Standard F: Science in Personal and Social Perspectives

• Natural resources
• Environmental quality
• Natural and human-induced hazards
• Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges

Content Standard G: History and Nature of Science

• Science as a human endeavor

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Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts

Essential Principle 1. The Earth has one big ocean with many features.

• Fundamental Concept a. The ocean is the dominant physical feature on our planet Earth— covering approximately 70% of the planet’s surface. There is one ocean with many ocean basins, such as the North Pacific, South Pacific, North Atlantic, South Atlantic, Indian and Arctic.
• Fundamental Concept b. An ocean basin’s size, shape and features (such as islands, trenches, mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys) vary due to the movement of Earth’s lithospheric plates. Earth’s highest peaks, deepest valleys and flattest vast plains are all in the ocean.
• Fundamental Concept c. Throughout the ocean there is one interconnected circulation system powered by wind, tides, the force of the Earth’s rotation (Coriolis effect), the Sun, and water density differences. The shape of ocean basins and adjacent land masses influence the path of circulation.
• Fundamental Concept d. Sea level is the average height of the ocean relative to the land, taking into account the differences caused by tides. Sea level changes as plate tectonics cause the volume of ocean basins and the height of the land to change. It changes as ice caps on land melt or grow. It also changes as sea water expands and contracts when ocean water warms and cools.
• Fundamental Concept h. Although the ocean is large, it is finite and resources are limited.

Essential Principle 2. The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of the Earth.

• Fundamental Concept a. Many earth materials and geochemical cycles originate in the ocean. Many of the sedimentary rocks now exposed on land were formed in the ocean. Ocean life laid down the vast volume of siliceous and carbonate rocks.
• Fundamental Concept b. Sea level changes over time have expanded and contracted continental shelves, created and destroyed inland seas, and shaped the surface of land.
• Fundamental Concept e. Tectonic activity, sea level changes, and force of waves influence the physical structure and landforms of the coast.

Essential Principle 3. The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate.

• Fundamental Concept a. The ocean controls weather and climate by dominating the Earth’s energy, water and carbon systems.
• Fundamental Concept e. The ocean dominates the Earth’s carbon cycle. Half the primary productivity on Earth takes place in the sunlit layers of the ocean and the ocean absorbs roughly half of all carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere.
• Fundamental Concept f. The ocean has had, and will continue to have, a significant influence on climate change by absorbing, storing, and moving heat, carbon and water.
• Fundamental Concept g. Changes in the ocean’s circulation have produced large, abrupt changes in climate during the last 50,000 years.

Essential Principle 4. The ocean makes Earth habitable.

• Fundamental Concept a. Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere originally came from the activities of photosynthetic organisms in the ocean.
• Fundamental Concept b. The first life is thought to have started in the ocean. The earliest evidence of life is found in the ocean.

Essential Principle 5. The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.

• Fundamental Concept a. Ocean life ranges in size from the smallest virus to the largest animal that has lived on Earth, the blue whale.
• Fundamental Concept b. Most life in the ocean exists as microbes. Microbes are the most important primary producers in the ocean. Not only are they the most abundant life form in the ocean, they have extremely fast growth rates and life cycles.
• Fundamental Concept c. Some major groups are found exclusively in the ocean. The diversity of major groups of organisms is much greater in the ocean than on land.
• Fundamental Concept d. Ocean biology provides many unique examples of life cycles, adaptations and important relationships among organisms (such as symbiosis, predator-prey dynamics and energy transfer) that do not occur on land.
  
• Fundamental Concept e. The ocean is three-dimensional, offering vast living space and diverse habitats from the surface through the water column to the seafloor. Most of the living space on Earth is in the ocean.
• Fundamental Concept f. Ocean habitats are defined by environmental factors. Due to interactions of abiotic factors such as salinity, temperature, oxygen, pH, light, nutrients, pressure, substrate and circulation, ocean life is not evenly distributed temporally or spatially, i.e., it is “patchy”. Some regions of the ocean support more diverse and abundant life than anywhere on Earth, while much of the ocean is considered a desert.
• Fundamental Concept g. There are deep ocean ecosystems that are independent of energy from sunlight and photosynthetic organisms. Hydrothermal vents, submarine hot springs, and methane cold seeps rely only on chemical energy and chemosynthetic organisms to support life.

Essential Principle 6. The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.

• Fundamental Concept a. The ocean affects every human life. It supplies freshwater (most rain comes from the ocean) and nearly all Earth’s oxygen. It moderates the Earth’s climate, influences our weather, and affects human health.
• Fundamental Concept b. From the ocean we get foods, medicines, and mineral and energy resources. In addition, it provides jobs, supports our nation’s economy, serves as a highway for transportation of goods and people, and plays a role in national security.
• Fundamental Concept c. The ocean is a source of inspiration, recreation, rejuvenation and discovery. It is also an important element in the heritage of many cultures.
• Fundamental Concept e. Humans affect the ocean in a variety of ways. Laws, regulations and resource management affect what is taken out and put into the ocean. Human development and activity leads to pollution (such as point source, non-point source, and noise pollution) and physical modifications (such as changes to beaches, shores and rivers). In addition, humans have removed most of the large vertebrates from the ocean.
• Fundamental Concept f. Coastal regions are susceptible to natural hazards (such as tsunamis, hurricanes, cyclones, sea level change, and storm surges).
• Fundamental Concept g. Everyone is responsible for caring for the ocean. The ocean sustains life on Earth and humans must live in ways that sustain the ocean. Individual and collective actions are needed to effectively manage ocean resources for all.

Essential Principle 7. The ocean is largely unexplored.

• Fundamental Concept a. The ocean is the last and largest unexplored place on Earth—less than 5% of it has been explored. This is the great frontier for the next generation’s explorers and researchers, where they will find great opportunities for inquiry and investigation.
• Fundamental Concept b. Understanding the ocean is more than a matter of curiosity. Exploration, inquiry and study are required to better understand ocean systems and processes.
• Fundamental Concept c. Over the last 40 years, use of ocean resources has increased significantly, therefore the future sustainability of ocean resources depends on our understanding of those resources and their potential and limitations.
• Fundamental Concept d. New technologies, sensors and tools are expanding our ability to explore the ocean. Ocean scientists are relying more and more on satellites, drifters, buoys, subsea observatories and unmanned submersibles.
• Fundamental Concept e. Use of mathematical models is now an essential part of ocean sciences. Models help us understand the complexity of the ocean and of its interaction with Earth’s climate. They process observations and help describe the interactions among systems.
• Fundamental Concept f. Ocean exploration is truly interdisciplinary. It requires close collaboration among biologists, chemists, climatologists, computer programmers, engineers, geologists, meteorologists, and physicists, and new ways of thinking.

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Exploring Explorations

Ocean Exploration Worksheet

These questions are your guide to a quick “treasure hunt” through the Ocean Exploration Web site. Begin with the Ocean Explorer Explorations Web page at http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/explorations.html. Some questions can be answered directly from this Web page. To find answers for the rest, you will need to follow the links to pages for specific expeditions. Happy exploring! (Click Here for a seperate printable worksheet.)

1. In what two seas did a 2004 international Ocean Exploration expedition investigate global climate change?
   
   
   
2. What type of deep-sea community was studied by the Windows to the Deep expedition?
   
   
   
3. What is the world’s least explored ocean?
   
   
   
4. Where were deep-sea hydrothermal vents first discovered 25 years ago?
   
   
   
5. How are aquaculture and cell culture relevant to the 2003 Deep Sea Medicines expedition?
   
   
   
6. What was the habitat of mussels and other deep-sea animals studied by the Gulf of Mexico Deep Sea Biology expedition?
   
   
   
7. Where is the “Submarine Ring of Fire”?
   
   
   
8. What kind of communities were studied by the 2004 Mountains in the Sea expedition?
   
   
   
9. What are the “Mountains in the Sea?”
   
   
   
10. The 2004 Gulf of Alaska 2004 focused on what geological features?
    
    
    
11. Who burned the British warship Gaspee?
    
    
    
12. What is one possible use for polarization vision investigated by Operation Deep Scope?
    
    
    
13. Part of the 2004 Estuary to the Abyss expedition was concerned with antimicrobial resistance. What has been identified as a source of antimicrobial resistance in microbes, and what are “nosocomial” infections?
    
    
    
14. On May 21, 2002, the Davidson Seamount Expedition posted a video of an animal sighted at 1,725 m that had previously been sighted only once. What was the animal?
    
    
    
15. During the 2002 Arctic Exploration expedition, one of the scientists (Mike Vechionne) discussed similarities and differences between the Arctic and Antarctic. One of the differences he noted was that it is common to see seals hauled out among the penguins on Antarctic ice floes, but none were seen on floes in the Arctic. Why?
    
    
    
16. The Life on the Edge 2004 expedition included explorations of deep coral ecosystems that are being severely threatened by a variety of human activities. What is the dominant coral species in these ecosystems?
    
    
    
17. The Gulf of Mexico was ideal for the WW II Shipwreck Survey expedition because of the number of ships that were casualties of World War II. How many Allied vessels were sunk in the Gulf by German U-boats in 1942 and early 1943?
    
    
    
18. Scientists participating in the 2002 Exploring Alaska’s Seamounts expedition noticed that most of the giant spider crabs (Macroregonia macrocheira) viewed from the submersible Alvin were missing limbs, and had a black scar (blastema) where a limb once existed. They also noticed that almost all of the limbs were lost at the base of the limb. What did this suggest to the scientists?
    
    
    
19. On August 10, 2003, scientists on the Charleston Bump expedition discovered an animal that one observer said “looked like interactive art!” What was this animal?
    
    
    
20. What caused the steamship Portland to sink?
    
    
    
21. What was the most effective method for collecting adult flying fishes used by the 2003 Life on the Edge expedition?
    
    
    
22. Kick’em Jenny Volcano is the most active underwater volcano in what region?
    
    
    
23. On September 28, 2003, the Gulf of Mexico Habitats expedition collected a beautiful flower-like animal. But the log entry for the day says that this beauty is deceiving. Why?
    
    
    
24. The 2003 Puerto Rico Trench expedition explored the deepest part of the Atlantic Ocean. How deep is it?
    
    
    
25. The Puerto Rico Trench expedition also discovered a large fault system similar to the San Andreas Fault in California. Where is this fault located?
    
    
    
26. What conditions in the Black Sea make it ideal for preserving ancient wooden shipwrecks?
    
    
    
27. On September 25, 2001, the R/V Alvin made its first dive on the Blake Ridge. What unusual live samples were brought up from the deep ocean floor?
    
    
    
28. During the 2003 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands expedition, a tagged monk seal peered into the porthole of the Pisces deep-sea manned submersibles at what depth?
    
    
    
29. What percentage of all U.S coral reefs are located in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands?
    
    
    
30. Where is the wreck of the German U-boat 166?
    
    
    
31. One of the studies conducted as part of the Titanic 2004 expedition involved tiny microbes that feed on iron and create icicle-shaped formations called _____________________.
    
    
    
32. According to the last mission log (June 19) of the 2002 Sanctuary Quest expedition, how many humpback whales were sighted during the expedition in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary?
    
    
    
33. What was the important discovery made on July 11, 2002, by explorers on the Monitor expedition 2002?
    
    
    
34. October 8, 2002, scientists on the Gulf of Mexico expedition found a bivalve clam that was identified as Acesta excavata. What was unusual about this discovery?
    
    
    
35. The June 28 log of the 2001 Lewis and Clark Legacy expedition comments on an advantage of using an ROV for underwater exploration. What is this advantage?
    
    

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