Bringing the Coral to the Classroom: Using Clay Cores to Learn about Paleoceanography

Abstract:

Scientists use myriad tools to reconstruct past surface ocean conditions to develop a comprehensive image of our Earth. Corals are often utilized to create high-resolution records of sea surface temperature, local salinity or precipitation, and overall reef health via geochemical analyses. Paleoceanography is often a completely foreign topic for younger students or is taught in an abstract way unaccompanied by lab experiences for older students. Additionally, it is quite rare for students to be regularly interacting with marine organisms and coastal processes, weakening their connection to the ocean. In order to strengthen this bond and help students to understand the global impacts of a distant ocean it is sometimes necessary to bring the coral reef to the classroom. Using modeling clay and large straws students can take their own coral cores and examine the alternating clay layers to create their own chronology. Different clay colors represent a spectrum of environmental conditions. Students can reconstruct the oceanic conditions according to their coral core and begin to appreciate the wealth of information stored in these reef structures. The goals of this activity are to introduce students to paleoceanography and teach just one of many ways that scientists can learn about the past. Ideally students will begin to cultivate an appreciation for the ocean and its role in the climate system.