Ocean Science Learning Activities:
Nothing that Can Be Seen
with the Naked Eye

From Micro*scope at MBL:
“Microbes were the only living things for most of the history of the Earth. Over 3.5 billion years ago they began the process of transforming this planet, making it habitable for those of us who came later. Bacteria and protists remain the dominant players in most known ecosystems. The numbers of bacteria and protists in the world is staggering - a single teaspoonful of sea water contains millions of bacteria and thousands of protists.”

Biotoons
This amusing website contains short films illustrating the basics of bacterial life.

Intimate Strangers—Unseen Life on Earth
As the homepage to this website says, “Microbes were the first life forms on Earth. They form the basis of the food web and are responsible for the production of most of the Earth’s oxygen. Ultimately, all life relies on these tiny, invisible creatures.” Learn about the positive role bacteria play in our world. Read about infectious disease and public health. Keep cells alive in the interactive “The Game of Life.” Check out the learning activities.

Microbe World
Journey around the world of microbes! Look at “Microbiology—What’s It all About?" This site has beautiful images of microbes, timelines of microbiology’s 50 most significant events between 1875 and 1995, and interviews with microbiologists working in a variety of settings.

Micro*scope at MBL
This site has descriptions, classifications and images of microbes, as well as links to educational resources. Click on “By collections” and look at images in the “Marine” and “Water Column” collections. This site comes from the Astrobiology Institute, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Massachusetts.

Nanoworld Image Gallery from the University of Queensland, Australia
This site has wonderful images of a variety of subjects in the “nanoworld.”

Stalking the Mysterious Microbe
This award-winning educational site is sponsored by the American Society of Microbiology. Solve such mysteries as what microbes are, where microbes live, why they’re considered an “evolutionary success story”, whether or not they’re friend or foe, and how we use them. There are simple hands-on experiments to do at home. Note: some of the text at the site seems directed to children.

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