All About Waquoit Bay Estuary

Get a quick overview of the Waquoit Bay estuary, including what an estuary is and what makes this estuary unique.

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle

Learn about the Slocum glider. It is shaped like a cruise missile and designed to explore the ocean for months at a time with no human direction.

Building A Salt Marsh

Can a salt marsh be built (or rebuilt)? The answer is “yes.” This video explains how plants are chosen for a “rebuilt” salt marsh near New York City.

China Camp State Park

China Camp State Park, part of the San Francisco Bay Research Reserve, is an important environmental and historic site. The park has a natural wate...

Combined Sewer Overflow

This quick overview shows how a combined sewer overflow system works and why heavy rains can be bad for estuaries.

Deepwater Horizon

This video shares the story of the Deepwater Horizon spill and the affects it had on the gulf region.

Emergent Harvest

This American Sign Language-interpreted video explains the purpose of using a quadrat to measure the amount of cordgrass in the marsh.

Estuaries: Defining Our Terms

Students quickly run down the major aspects of what makes an estuary, a watershed, habitat, and a food web.

Estuary Scavenger Hunt

Take five minutes and look for everything around you (plants, animals, mud) in the estuary. Bring it back. What will you observe and conclude about...

Food Web

This video has two students demonstrating a simple food web of the Hudson River.

Kachemak Bay Tides

This video provides a time-lapse view of the tide rising in areas of Kachemak Bay, Alaska.

Larger Animals of the Estuary

In exploring the San Francisco Bay Research Reserve, you may see no large animals, but they are there! Join naturalists who study the large animals...

Let's Learn About Estuary Plants

Many highly specialized plants are found in the estuary. In this video, an estuary scientist presents some unusual plants (what kids call "seaweeds...

Phytoplankton

Young students learn about plankton (in particular phytoplankton) and why it is vital to life on this planet. Good for elementary and middle-school...

Plankton Parade

Students learn about zooplankton and phytoplankton, the importance of plankton as the basis of the food web, and tools used to collect and study pl...

Sampling Seagrass

Learn about the various types of estuary grasses and the animals that are sheltered in this habitat, and look at the methods scientists use to stud...

Saving the Tijuana Estuary

The estuary stands as the last barrier between the Pacific Ocean and pollution. Its mix of plants and silt acts as a filter that purifies inland ra...

Science Careers and Procedures

This American Sign Language-interpreted video encourages students to consider a career as a scientist or a science translator.

So What is an Estuary, So Now You Know

Produced by the Association of National Estuary Programs as a fun explanation of what estuaries are and why they are important.

Tale of Two Estuaries

This video looks at two very different estuaries in Oregon: South Slough and Tillamook. Look for other videos in this series.

The NERRS System-wide Monitoring Program

Learn about the System Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) and see how high-tech underwater equipment helps keep track of conditions in the estuary ever...

Tides

This American Sign Language-interpreted video demonstrates a tool used for measuring tides.

Turbidity

This American Sign Language-interpreted video demonstrates the use of a tool that helps researchers measure turbidity.

Urban Estuaries: Water Quality Testing

Students measure water quality in the New York-New Jersey estuary using simple tools your students can use. Scientists explain the importance of go...

Waquoit Eelgrass

Eelgrass is one of the most important plants in the estuary. The health of this plant is often a measure of the health of the environment. This vid...

Water Song Sing Along

The “Water Song” ranks alongside “It’s a Small World” as a tune you can’t get out of your head. Second graders from Shelter Island (NY) School sing...

Watershed Demo

Here is a quick discussion of watersheds with a great demo using a very good watershed model (Enviroscape), plus a couple of “what can students do”...

What is an Estuary?

Estuaries and their surrounding wetlands are bodies of water usually found where rivers meet the sea. Estuaries are home to unique plant and animal...