Resilient New England Coral

• This article explores the hardiness of northern star coral, the environmental challenges that corals are dealing with worldwide, and why many researchers are focusing on the northern star coral.
• Students will learn that northern star corals can obtain food in multiple ways, ocean acidification and heat waves are hazardous to many corals worldwide, and researchers are studying northern star coral to boost the climate resilience of other coral species.

Positives

• The article has an overall tone of hope, which will inspire students.
• This article explains how coral bleaching happens and why it matters.
  

Additional Prerequisites

• Students should understand how climate change contributes to ocean acidification and ocean warming.
• It may be beneficial if students understand the importance of coral and the ecosystem services it provides.
  

Differentiation

• Students can use this article for an informative essay on climate resilience research in the United States.
• This article can fit within a larger unit on how humans impact the environment in various ways.
• This article can enhance a classroom discussion on how the average ocean pH has changed since the Industrial Revolution.
• This article can support a lesson on ocean ecosystems and how they're impacted by human activity.
  

This resource addresses the listed standards. To fully meet standards, search for more related resources.