Curated OER
The Ocean Floor and Shore Zones
Make textbook reading more engaging using this reading activities learning exercise, through which scholars review major features found on the ocean floor and the processes that formed these features. They complete 11 terms in a...
Curated OER
Mapping the Sea Floor
Students review their prior knowledge on topographical maps. Using a map, they examine the sea floor off the coast of San Diego, California. With a partner, they chart the sea floor of an area and use cutouts to create a visual...
Curated OER
Sea Floor Spreading II
Students import ocean bathymetry data from text files. They then graph these observations along with model predictions to assess the model's ability to simulate observed topographic features of the North Atlantic. Students use Excel to...
University of California
Mid Ocean Ridge
An article from Scientific American details some recent discoveries about the ridge systems. "New maps reveal striking details of how segments of the Ridge form and evolve."
University of California
University of California, Santa Barbara/abyssal Hills
This article, published in Nature magazine, gives a detailed account of the abyssal plain feature called abyssal hills.
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Neritic Zone
Learn about the neritic zone, also called the sublittoral zone or sea floor.
NOAA
Noaa: New Millennium Observatory (Ne Mo)
NeMO is a seafloor observatory at an active underwater volcano! NeMO "background" is a great place to begin your scientific journey under the sea. Site includes virtual tours, daily updates from the sea, teacher resources and more.
US Geological Survey
Usgs: u.s. Atlantic Continental Margin Gloria Mapping Program
This site from the U.S. Geological Survey allows you to access detailed images of the continental margin around the United States. There is additional information about the sonar methods used, and a wealth of additional sources listed.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History: Ocean Planet
Detailed website that was a companion to a 1995 traveling exhibit of the Smithsonian. Links to lesson plans and other educational materials are at the bottom of the page. Enter the exhibition to explore the world of the ocean.
US Geological Survey
Usgs: Plate Tectonics and Mid Oceanic Ridges
Excellent graphics and understandable text about all aspects of plate tectonics including mid-ocean ridges.
US Geological Survey
Usgs: How to Build a Model Illustrating Sea Floor Spreading
This is a comprehensive website featuring how to build a model that illustrates sea-floor spreading and subduction. It has diagrams and pictures reviewing major geological concepts.
NOAA
Noaa: Explorations
This resource page contains an exhaustive list of pictures and videos of sea floor structures found all over the world.
NOAA
Noaa: Ocean Explorer: Sea Floor
This resource page has numerous links to pictures and videos of the sea floor. Topics include geologic features, habitats, bacteria mats and hydrates.
Institute of Marine Science
Forsea: If I Can't See It, How Do I Know It's There?
A diagram showing features of the seafloor and a laboratory experiment involving a model of the seafloor highlight this site. This is a good resource for teachers as well.
Extreme Science
Extreme Science: Challenger Deep
A short description of the world's deepest ocean trench. Includes diagram and map.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Exploring Seafloor Topography
Users learn to generate and interpret graphs that show seafloor depth versus distance by using the GeoMapApp.
Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College
Serc: Inquiry Into High Resolution Ice Core and Marine Sediment Records
Activity in which questions are provided relating to interpreting paleoclimate data such as characteristics that make sites favorable for paleoclimate records, locating sites using a map, finding patterns and correlations in the data,...
Scholastic
Scholastic: Study Jams! Science: The Ocean Floor
A slideshow and a short multiple-choice quiz on the topic of the ocean floor.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: On Exploring the Oceans
Ocean explorer Robert Ballard takes us on a mindbending trip to hidden worlds underwater, where he and other researchers are finding unexpected life, resources, and even new mountains. He makes a case for serious exploration and mapping....
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Much of Human History Is on the Bottom of the Ocean?
Sunken relics, ghostly shipwrecks, and lost cities aren't just wonders found in fictional adventures. Beneath the ocean's surface, there are ruins where people once roamed and shipwrecks loaded with artifacts from another time. Peter...
University of Washington
University of Washington: Coastal Processes and the Continental Margin
Events affecting the continental margin off Washington State are presented. This article comes from the "Thompson Times," an onboard newspaper from the UW's primary research vessel, the Thomas Thompson.
NOAA
Noaa: Ne Mo: Hydrothermal Vents
Clearly describes hot springs on the ocean floor called hydrothermal vents. Details characteristics of the vents and how they work.
Other
Ocean Trenches
A rather detailed explanation of how trenches form and why. No graphics, but some interesting explanations as well as links to other sites and extensive reference list.