Monterey Bay, located within the waters of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary on the California coast, is one of the best known fishing communities in the world. Ecologically, culturally, and economically it is also one of the most diverse. Monterey Bay's rich maritime and cultural history are characterized by a remarkable range of commercial fisheries and fascinating people who developed and depended on those fisheries for their livelihood.

Voices of the Bay introduces students to Monterey Bay's rich fishing heritage as well as its relevance and value today. Through engaging, hands-on activities, students gain a deeper understanding of the marine ecology, economy, and culture that surrounds them. By using local fisheries and communities as the context for learning, this place-based curriculum helps students develop real-world connections to their own communities while meeting a range of science, math, social science, and communications standards.

Each of the three instructional modules that make up the Voices of the Bay curriculum may be implemented as stand-alone activities or sequenced, in the order suggested below, as a more comprehensive course of study. Since they align to National, California State, and Ocean Literacy standards, the modules provide an excellent multi-disciplinary compliment to a school's regular curricula and instruction.

People often have a limited appreciation or understanding of the complex interactions between natural and built environments. For coastal communities, the ocean is a huge feature on the landscape, yet residents of those communities may know very little about the fisheries that link their community to that vast ocean resource. Voices of the Bay is designed to illuminate these connections through a series of enriching interactive explorations. Working individually, and in teams, students will discover their own personal connections to the ecological, economic, and cultural dynamics that define Monterey Bay today.

Voices of the Bay Instructional Modules

Balance in the Bay (, 7.9MB)

In this module, students will take part in a simulated fishery, harvesting market squid that are common in Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean. Students take on various roles and make decisions, respond to others' decisions, and face natural and man-made challenges that impact their own well-being in addition to the well-being of the natural squid population as a "common" resource. Students use critical-thinking skills and apply principles of ecosystem-based management to analyze data, debate and discuss their findings, and make decisions that recognize the complex dynamics associated with maintaining a "balance in the bay."

From Ocean to Table (, 19.47MB)

Through role-playing, teamwork, and a little fate, this module provides students with an opportunity to get an "insider's" view of what it takes to be an active stakeholder in a commercial fishery. Whether they're a boat owner, a dockside buyer, processing plant owner, distributor, or retail seafood store operator, each student will get a deeper sense of the complex factors that determine the viability of a commercial fishery. Students learn to understand the real costs that contribute to eventual market value, as well as experience some of the unanticipated gains or losses that can occur at any stage along the way.

Capturing the Voices of the Bay (, 2.88MB)

In this module, students take responsibility for their own learning experience as they research, plan, and conduct personal interviews, first with each other and then with citizens of the community, to capture the rich stories, traditions, and knowledge that define Monterey's fishing legacy. This place-based learning experience allows students the opportunity to deeply explore the historic, economic, environmental, and cultural dimensions of their particular "place" in the world and, perhaps more importantly, how all these dimensions inter-connect through the lives of those who live and work in the region.

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