For Students
National marine sanctuaries are living classrooms that can be explored in person or through interactive digital labs and activities. In this section, you will find games, online story books, information on marine careers, activities, free materials and other cool stuff.
Games and Activities
Games and Virtual Reality
Games, VR, coloring pages, and fun activities to help you learn about the national marine sanctuaries.
Ocean Guardian Activity Book
Learn about the ocean and why it's important through word searches, games and coloring pages. You can also sign the Ocean Guardian Pledge to protect the ocean and all the creatures that live in it. The activity book is appropriate for children in Grades K-3.
Ocean Guardian Kids Club
The Kids Club offers children a stimulating opportunity to express their insights, observations and understanding of their natural environment through the creation of original stories, poetry and visual art. All K-8 students are eligible and encouraged to join!
Creature Feature Videos
Mantas vs. mobulas
Do you know the difference between manta rays and mobulas? Learn how to tell them apart in our video!
Cliff swallows
Every spring, cliff swallows migrate to Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in California to nest. Learn about their migration and nesting in our video!
Venus flytrap anemone
This Venus flytrap anemone may look like its terrestrial counterpart – but this deep-sea dweller is actually an animal, not a plant!
Hydroids
These are not the droids you're looking for – they're hydroids! Learn about these odd invertebrates in our video.
Hawaiian monk seals
Hawaiian monk seals are found throughout Hawai‘i, including in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
Ctenophores
Though it may look like a jellyfish, a ctenophore – or comb jelly – is something else entirely.
Sea cucumbers
Have you ever seen a sea cucumber swim? The NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research spotted this one swimming around in the deep waters of National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.
Sharks
Sharks: scary? We think not! Check out our video to learn more about the crucial role sharks play in sanctuary ecosystems.
Sea lions
Sea lions are found throughout the national marine sanctuaries of the West Coast. Watch this video to learn more about these friendly animals!
Coral spawning
Every August, the reef-building corals of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary put on a fantastic spawning display.
Leatherback sea turtles
How big are leatherback sea turtles? How do they swim? Find this out and more in this video about leatherbacks in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Barracuda
Barracudas are found throughout your National Marine Sanctuary System. Find out what makes them so special in our video!
Whale fall
When a whale dies at sea, its body becomes a habitat for a wide array of organisms. Learn about whale falls in our video.
Bluntnose sixgill shark
Researchers aboard the E/V Nautilus got a treat when they spotted this bluntnose sixgill shark in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary.
Sea nettle
What's a sea nettle? Learn about these Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary dwellers in our video!
Nudibranchs
Nudibranchs may look something out of a science fiction movie, but they're actually closely related to snails! Find out more about these colorful creatures in our video.
Birds
The National Marine Sanctuary System is home to a magnificent array of birds. Learn about them in our video!
Dolphins
From bottlenose dolphins in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to spinner dolphins in Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, many species of dolphin frequent your national marine sanctuaries.
Turtle cleaning station
What's a turtle cleaning station? Check it out in our video and learn more here.
Octopuses
From Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary to Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary octopuses are found in many of our national marine sanctuaries. Check out our video to learn about these intelligent ocean creatures.
Humpback whales
Did you know that when baby humpback whales are born they are already 15 feet long and weigh as much as a small car? Watch this fun video to find out more.
Green sea turtles
Want to see a baby turtle hatchling making its way to the ocean and learn more about the turtles of the Hawaiian archipelago? Check out this video.
Marine Careers
MarineCareers.net
Get introduced to a wide range of marine career fields and to people working in those fields at marinecareers.net
Women Exploring the Ocean
Our knowledge of Earth and its oceans has been pieced together through the work of many individuals. Increasingly women have made significant contributions to marine science. Meet a few woman oceanographers to learn about their ocean careers.
NOAA Careers
Unlock secrets in the deep ocean, track rapidly moving storms, operate state-of-the-art environmental satellites, chart the Nation's waterways, formulate models to forecast climate trends, protect and preserve our living marine resources.
OceanCareers.com
The Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence and the MATE Center have developed an ocean career Web site that allows you to explore over fifty ocean-related careers, as well as find: a college, university of training center that specializes in ocean-related education.
Careers in Oceanography, Marine Science & Marine Biology
This career directory is divided into three sections: general guides for oceanography and marine science; guides for marine biology, marine mammals, zoos and aquariums; and other guides covering all of science.
Student Opportunites
What Will You Do?
How much do you appreciate what the ocean has to offer? What will you do to see that it endures for your children?
Ocean Guardian Kids Club
Kids Make a Difference - Become an Ocean Guardian and join our kids club today!
Ocean for Life
The Ocean for Life program is an initiative to increase cultural understanding through ocean science. Ocean for Life provides high quality, immersive ocean field studies to facilitate cross-cultural learning between multicultural students.
Thank You Ocean
The ocean takes care of us. Let's return the favor. Discover ways to thank the ocean.
Ocean Guardian Activity Book
This activity book is for grades Kindergarten through 3rd to learn about the ocean and why it’s important through word searches, games, and coloring pages.
Scholarships
Undergraduate and Graduate Student Scholarships
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) offers many scholarships, internships, fellowships and post docs for undergraduate and graduate students.