EstuaryLive: Linking Classrooms to the Natural World

Abstract

EstuaryLive is a live, interactive, field-based experience that brings estuaries to the audience through the Internet. The program showcases our nation's estuaries - the precious ecosystems where fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean. The program targets K-12 students, but many colleges and universities participate as well. The field trips offered throughout the two-day exploration allow teachers to bring the coastal environment to the classroom. This collaborative effort between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Estuarine Research Reserve System, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Estuary Program, the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association (NERRA), and many local partners has raised the estuarine, coastal, and science literacy of thousands of viewers. In 2004, approximately 13,600 students and teachers participated via the Internet. EstuaryLive is an innovative model that combines technology and the use of inquiry based approaches to enhance current teaching and learning practices around estuarine science. The use of the technology in EstuaryLive helps engage the students in estuarine science; address scientific inquiry; present scientific data; and support access and communication between learners. This interactive program provides students with an exciting and new way to learn about these unique ecosystems. One of the most exciting aspects about the program is the technology involved in its production. EstuaryLive uses state-of-the-art satellite technology to broadcast remote field trips over the Internet and KU band satellites. In summary, EstuaryLive provides an opportunity for students around the world to experience, in real-time, a field trip to the unique habitat of an estuary; compare different estuaries around the United States; explore an estuary and interact with scientists and natural resource managers; and understand estuarine ecological, social, and economic principals.