Coral reefs are some of the most diverse ecosystems in the world.
Whether you are a student working on a school project, a teacher looking for ways to incorporate lessons about coral reefs into your classroom, an informal educator looking for information and activities to include in coral outreach, or just someone wanting to learn more about coral, this section of our website was designed with you in mind. Browse some of our education resources below.
3D Coral Polyp Model: Bring coral education to life with a 3D printed model of a coral polyp. Download the file, get supporting material, and watch a brief video for key points to highlight in your lesson plan.
Ocean Acidification Educational Resources for the Highschool Classroom:This resource contains targeted information on ocean acidification for high school teachers and students, with annotated video presentations, curricula and classroom activities, interactive multimedia, and background materials.
Most corals are made up of hundreds to hundreds of thousands of individual coral polyps, like this one.
SciLinks Coral Tutorial:The tutorial is an overview of the biology of and threats to coral reefs, as well as efforts being made to conserve and protect them. It includes images, animations, and videos.
2008 Coral Reef Educational Resources:
This is a collection of coral reef education and outreach materials created by state and federal agencies as well as non-profit organizations that are part of U.S. Coral Reef Task Force. The materials cover a wide-range of topics, including basic coral biology, coral reef ecosystems, human use, threats, and conservation efforts. (Please note that some content included in this collection is no longer maintained and that some links may no longer work.)
Living Oceans Foundation - Coral Reef Ecology Curriculum:
The Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation developed the curriculum to improve ocean literacy by incorporating marine science into everyday subjects. All of the lessons are aligned to educational standards including the Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and Ocean Literacy Principles.
Discover Coral Reefs - Project WET activity booklet: This ebooklet includes fun, colorful, and informative activities for kids in grade levels K-5. It is available as a PDF and print product. Hard copies are no longer available from NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program.
