This resource is a video abstract of a research paper created by Research Square on behalf of its authors. It provides a synopsis that's easy to understand, and can be used to introduce the topics it covers to students, researchers, and the general public. The video's transcript is also provided in full, with a portion provided below for preview:

"Recognized by the distinctive white ring around its eyes, the Adélie penguin is only one of two species of penguin whose only home is Antarctica. While Adélie numbers have been observed to decline in some regions amid a changing climate, the truth is surprisingly little is known about the penguins’ actual distribution along Antarctica’s coastline. A 2015 land-and-air survey explored previously unreported colonies of Adélie here, in a cluster of ice-choked islands called the Danger Islands. The discovery could mark an important technological turning point in species tracking that would have clear implications for preserving biodiversity. Researchers conducted their survey from aboard a research vessel and on the grounds of several of the Danger Islands—only one of which had ever been inspected for Adélie penguins. They counted nests [manually], [from panoramic photos], and [from imagery captured by drones]. In all, the team tallied 751,527 pairs of Adélie penguins in the Danger Islands..."

The rest of the transcript, along with a link to the research itself, is available on the resource itself.

After viewing various fossil corals and answering questions about them, students divide into teams of 2-3. They first read a short paper by Rodney Watkins, who used measurements of corallite diameter and density to argue for the evolution of niche partitioning in Silurian tabulate reef corals from Wisconsin and Illinois. (Watkins, 2000, Lethaia 33: 55-63.) Then they make the same measurements on a tabulate coral head from the Lower Silurian Brassfield Formation of southwestern Ohio (a rock unit they will have seen about a week before on a fieldtrip). Students will find that the coral falls nicely into Watkins' morphospace, even though this coral pre-dates the formation of large reefs in the area, and therefore presumably any selective pressure for niche partitioning. Students have to report their measurement data, briefly explain Watkins' interpretation, and then write a paragraph on the implications of their results, including alternative explanations for the pattern Watkins found.

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The Ocean Health Index is a new, comprehensive measure of the ocean’s overall condition – one that treats people and nature as integrated parts of a healthy system. The ocean touches nearly every aspect of our lives – making it essential to the economic, social, and ecological well-being of everyone, everywhere. Evaluated globally and by country, the Ocean Health Index presents 10 public goals that represent the wide range of benefits that a healthy ocean provides to people. Each country’s overall score is the average of its 10 goal scores. Overall scores and individual goal scores are directly comparable between all countries. All scores range from 0 to 100.

Students use the procedure outlined by Casey Hermoyian and colleagues (2002) to test whether competition played a role in structuring a strophomenid brachiopod community in the Middle Devonian Onondaga limestone of western New York. It is not necessary to use these particular brachiopods; brachs from other localities, ages, and species could work, too, if chosen well. Students sort through a collection of brachiopods, separating them into groups of species defined by mutual agreement. They then use measurements of the commissure length to test two predictions made by Robert MacArthur's (1972) theory of how Hutchinson's (1959) niche partitioning would be evidenced: nonoverlapping resource use among former competitors but with very little distance between them. Students graph results, calculate ratio sums of their measurements and z statistics to test whether their results are significant. Finally, students prepare a conference-type abstract based on their results. The activity gives students practice in observing differences among groups, measurement, graphing, statistical calculation, synthesizing results, and clear presentation of their synthesis. Students also practice group and individual work in this exercise.

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In this activity, students divide into groups of 4-5, choose a hypothesis relating to escalation, and fine-tune it for testing-- using bulk sampled material from the local Yorktown Formation (Pliocene). They select a study organism on which to focus, develop a sampling regime, and decide on approaches to data collection and analyses. As students collect and analyze data, I rotate around the classroom discussing hypotheses, answering questions, and assessing their progress. Students finish the data collection, analyses, and interpretation in class (or lab), then write up the results outside of class.

Students enjoy the activity because:
(1) it is essentially a mini research project-- including developing a hypothesis, collecting data, analyzing and interpreting data, and presenting it (either in writing or orally)
(2) it emphasizes the concept that paleontology can be a hypothesis-driven science,
(3) it provides students with additional experience applying a variety of basic statistical tests (e.g., t-tests, ANOVA, chi-square, regression)
and (4) it includes lots of hands-on experience with fossils.

The activity can be designed as either a lecture or lab activity, and can easily be expanded to include a field component (bulk sampling), additional lab component (sorting and identifying fossils), and/or oral presentation component.

(Note: this resource was added to OER Commons as part of a batch upload of over 2,200 records. If you notice an issue with the quality of the metadata, please let us know by using the 'report' button and we will flag it for consideration.)

Join Scripps marine ecologist Edward Parnell as he describes the science behind Marine Protected Areas, how they are established and preliminary results from the first such areas around CaliforniaŐs Channel Islands. (58 minutes)

Join research oceanographer and photographer Dale Stokes for a global photographic journey featuring ships, submarines, underwater habitats, and both poles. This presentation includes a decade of images documenting exotic locations underwater and topside and a variety of unusual vessels and research instruments. (58 minutes)

Believe it or not, your life depends on algae! Join Scripps' Institution's Russell Chapman as he discusses the important roles algae have played in the development of life as we know it. (55 minutes)

Join Frank Vernon as he discusses ROADNet, a new project that allows a wide variety of environmental research projects to stream data via Wireless and satellite communications in order to observe our dynamic environment. (29 minutes)

The largest of the 30 National Sea Grant programs, California Sea Grant draws on the talents of scientists and engineers at public and private universities throughout the state. Join Dr. Russ Moll as he describes how the program contributes to the growing body of knowledge about coastal and marine resources and helps solve contemporary marine-related problems. (26 minutes)

Coral reefs are among the most productive and biodiverse environments on the Planet. Join Scripps Oceanography marine ecologist Stuart Sandin as he describes his travels to untouched parts of the globe to conduct scientific research aimed at understanding and protecting these fragile ecosystems. Learn how he and his colleagues are working to establish the scientific basis for what constitutes a healthy coral reef and how they are probing the causes of coral reef decline. (58 minutes)

Microbes rule the reef. They determine both coral reef health and decline. Exploration of their diverse roles in these ecosystems has become possible only recently with the development of new research methods, such as metagenomics. Join San Diego State microbial ecologist Forest Rohwer as he builds his case for the role of microbes in the DDAMnation of coral reefs. His research expeditions to the remote Line Islands, including trips with Scripps scientists, have provided new insights into the mechanisms by which human activities can influence reef health; how we convert the essential microbial partners of a healthy coral reef ecosystem into coral killers. (28 minutes)

The advent of rapid methods for sequencing DNA has resulted in major advances in our understanding of the Evolution and distribution of a wide variety of marine organisms. Join Scripps researcher Ron Burton as he describes the surprising array of applications for these techniques in marine science. (56 minutes)

In the late 1970s, scientists conducting a geologic investigation of the ocean floor in the Pacific made a startling discovery - deep ocean hot springs populated by a host of organisms never before seen. Join Dr. Horst Felbeck as he describes his fascinating research into what makes life possible in this seemingly inhospitable environment. (43 minutes)

The world's leaders have committed to creating a Global Earth Observing System - a massive network to provide a continuous and comprehensive picture of the Earth and its environment. This "system of systems" would provide an understanding of changing conditions on our Planet and support decision-making affecting the world's economy. Dr. Charles Kennel, Director of SIO, will describe the U.S. contributions to this international initiative and will talk about the extensive Earth observing capabilities at SIO. (59 minutes)

Join Philip Hastings, curator of the Marine Vertebrate Collection at Scripps and learn how research on fishes of the Gulf of California and Southern California is essential for guiding conservation efforts aimed at protecting marine fisheries and ecosystems. (56 minutes)

From mangroves to deep-sea reefs, join Brad Erisman and Octavio Aburto-Oropeza on a grand tour presenting the diversity of marine life in the Gulf of California. Learn how humans impact these fragile ecosystems and how marine reserves and habitat monitoring provide scientists with critical information needed to protect and restore these amazing ecosystems. (51 minutes)

Explore the kinds of sounds made by marine mammals and what we can learn about marine mammal populations from recording their sounds with Scripps Institution's John Hildebrand. (28 minutes)

Renowned penguin expert Gerry Kooyman moderates a live discussion with researchers at a colony of Adelie Penguins in Antarctica. (55 minutes)

In the darkness of the ocean live fascinating creatures that produce their own light called bioluminescence. Join Scripps Institution's Mike Latz and discover how organisms use this light to attract food, hunt prey, and hide from predators, and how applications of bioluminescence have rEvolutionized biomedical research. (47 minutes)