Coral Reefs and Global Warming

This activity allows students to use authentic scientific data to make claims about the threat of coral bleaching for reefs around the world.

In this computer-based activity, students download, graph, and analyze authentic satellite temperature data for coral reef sites around the world. After observing global trends in the data, students evaluate the threat to coral reefs from heat stress, which has been occurring with increased intensity and frequency in recent years. The activity requires that students have access to computers with spreadsheet software. If computers are unavailable or students are unfamiliar with using spreadsheet software, students can be provided with handouts of prepared graphs for analysis and evaluation.

Cards, graphs, and maps for the activity are provided in the “Other Materials” ZIP file. 

The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.