The following resources can help you design and enhance marine biodiversity lessons and units.We have included organisations, a variety of teaching resources, sources for general information and images, books for teachers and students, videos, Web interactives, and events. Brief descriptions of most of these are included in Appendix F of Treasures in the Sea, and we’ve added some additional resources here.
Listing of publications or other resources does not imply endorsement by the Bahamas National Trust, the American Museum of Natural History, or the Ministry of Education,Youth, Sports and Culture.
Jump to a resource type:
Organisations
Teaching Resources
Information and Images
Books for Teachers
Books for Students
Videos
Web Interactives
Programmes and Events
Organisations
Andros Conservancy and Trust (ANCAT)
The Bahamas Environment Science and Technology Commission(BEST)
Bahamas Marine Mammal Survey (BMMS)
Bahamas National Trust (BNT)
Bahamas Reef Environment Educational Foundation (BREEF)
Bahamas Sportfishing Conservation Association
Department of Marine Resources
Dolphin Encounters
Exuma Resource Centre
Friends of the Environment
Gerace Research Centre (GRC)
The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
Teaching Resources
American Museum of Natural History – Resources for Learning
Bahamian Primary Science
Bridge
Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society, Ambassadors of the Environment (AOTE) Teacher’s Corner
Marine Activities, Resources, and Education (MARE)
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
See also NOAA’s library
National Science Teachers Association – SciGuides and Teachers’ Grab Bag
Ocean World
Office of Naval Research – Science & Technology Focus
Reef ED
TeAch-nology
Information and Images
American Museum of Natural History – Bahamas Biocomplexity Project (BBP)
Animal Diversity Web
Bermuda's Coral Reefs
Conch Heritage Network
FishBase
Sea Stats
United Nations Environmental Program – Caribbean Environmental Program – Marine Issues
Books for Teachers
Baha Mar: An Underwater Guide to The Bahamas by Rob Palmer. (London: Immel Publishing Ltd., 1995)
The Ephemeral Islands by David G. Campbell. (Oxford: Macmillan Caribbean, 1978)
Fully-Protected Marine Reserves for the Future of Our Oceans.
Designed as a companion guide to an exhibition by the same name in The Bahamas. (Department of Fisheries, BREEF, The Nature Conservancy, Bahamas National Trust, American Museum of Natural History, 2004)
Guide to Marine Life: Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida by Marty Snyderman and Clay Wiseman. (Locust Valley, NY: Aqua Quest Publications, 1996)
Handguide to the Coral Reef Fishes of the Caribbean and Adjacent Tropical Waters Including Florida, Bermuda, and The Bahamas by Joseph F. Stokes. (New York: Lipincott and Crowell, 1980)
Marine Life of the Caribbean by Alick Jones and Nancy Sefton. (Northampton, MA: Interlink Publishing, 2003)
Marine Plants of the Caribbean: A Field Guide from Florida to Brazil by Diane Scullion Littler, Mark M. Littler, Katina E. Bucher, and James N. Norris. (Washington, DC: Smithsonian, 1989)
Marine Reserves: A Guide to Science, Design, and Use by Jack A. Sobel and Craig P. Dahlgren. (Washington DC: Island Press, 2004)
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Tropical Marine Fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda by C. Lavett Smith. (New York: Knopf, 1997)
The Nature of the Islands: Plants and Animals of the Eastern Caribbean by Virginia Barlow. (Dunedin, FL: Cruising Guide Publications, 1993)
Reef Coral Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas, 2nd Edition (2001); Reef Creature Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas, 2nd Edition (2001); and Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas, 3rd Edition (2002) by Paul Humann, edited by Ned Deloach. (Jacksonville, FL: New World Publications)
Books for Students
The Conch Book by Dee Carstarphen. (Wicomico Church,VA: Pen and Ink Press, 1982)
Coral Reef, Look Closer Series. (New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc., 1992)
The Coral Reef by Jerry, Idaz, and Michael Greenberg. (Miami: Seahawk Press, 2002)
Coral Reefs: Earth’s Undersea Treasures by Laurence
Pringle. (New York: Simon & Schuster, Books for Young Readers, 1995)
Eyewitness Books feature photographs and texts examining a wide variety of natural history topics. Titles include Fish, Ocean, Seashore, Shark, and Shell. For ages 8 – 12. (New York: Dorling Kindersley Publishing, Inc.)
Grouper Moon by Cynthia Shaw. (Richland,WA: Aurelia Press, 1999)
The Kingfisher Young People’s Book of the Oceans by David Lambert. (Boston: Kingfisher, 2001)
Leroy the Lobster by Kathleen Orr. (Oxford: Macmillan Caribbean, 1985)
The Magic School Bus on the Ocean Floor by Joanna Cole. (New York: Scholastic, 1992)
The Magic School Bus Takes a Dive: A Book about Coral Reefs by Joanna Cole. (New York: Scholastic, 1998)
My Grandpa and the Sea by Kathleen Orr. (Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publishing Group, 2004)
One Small Square: Seashore by Donald M. Silver, illustrated by Patricia J.Wynne. (New York:W.H. Freeman and Company, Scientific American Books for Young Readers, 1993)
Outside and Inside Sharks by Sandra Markle. (New York: Simon and Shuster, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1996)
The Secret Life of Fishes: From Angels to Zebras on the Coral Reef by Helen Buttfield. (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2000)
Shelly by Kathleen Orr. (Oxford: Macmillan Caribbean, 1991)
Videos
At Home in the Coral Reef. 12 min. (Katherine Muzik, SpokenArts, 1995)
Atlantic Realm, No. 1: Island Arks. Part 1: 29 min. Part 2: 28 min. (Public Media, Inc., 1989)
Available through the BNT video library.
Hanging In The Balance: The Future of Fishing in The Bahamas. 42 min.
(Friday’s Films, 2004) Available for loan from BREEF.
The Magic School Bus Gets Eaten. 30 min. (Scholastic, 1995)
Ocean Life. 26 min. (Bill Nye, 1995)
Our Oceans, Ourselves. 8 min. (American Museum of Natural History, 2005)
Really Wild Animals: Deep Sea Dive. 45 min. (National Geographic, 1994)
Short Attention Span Science Theater "Micro-documentaries" from San Salvador Island with Stephen Palumbi, Bahamas Biocomplexity Project scientist
The Sea is Green
Ground Truthing
Marine Parks
Life Cycle of the Conch
Web Interactives
American Museum of Natural History – Marine Biology: The Living Oceans
American Museum of Natural History – Milstein Hall of Ocean Life
Beachcomber’s Companion
Discovery "Life on the Reef" Expedition
Mangal Cay Virtual Mangrove Trail
Marine Activities, Resources, and Education (MARE) – Build a Fish
Marine Conservation Biology Institute – From Sea To Shining Sea
Tramline Virtual Field Trips
Where Land and Sea Intertwine: Mangrove Forest and Sea Turtles of Belize
World Wildlife Fund – Expeditions in Conservation: Mesoamerican Reef
Programmes and Events
Coastal Awareness Month (April)
International Coastal Cleanup (usually held in The Bahamas in September)
Wetland Education Week
World Ocean Day (June 8)
World Wide Biome Project
Youth Venture
Youth Visioning for Island Living – Caribbean, Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans