Education
To inform and prepare the next generation of coastal professionals
Sea Grant educators provide valuable leadership in marine and aquatic science education activities throughout the nation, playing a leading role in K‐12, undergraduate, graduate, professional, technical and public education in coastal communities.
Sea Grant educators provide valuable leadership in marine and aquatic science education.
Education programs are designed to inform citizens in coastal and Great Lakes communities and help prepare the next generation of professionals involved with our nation’s coastal resources, communities and economies. Sea Grant’s education portfolio includes undergraduate and graduate education, teacher education, K-12 curriculum development and programs, fellowships, informal education for the general public, special training programs for industry and much more. Educators work closely with universities, the NOAA Office of Education, the National Marine Educators Association and other partners to develop formal education programs, workforce training and professional education programs.
Download a summary of Sea Grant’s Education Programming. (PDF)
Resources
The Bridge is Sea Grant’s online collection of ocean education resources. The Bridge is a growing collection of the best marine education resources available on-line. It provides educators with a convenient source of accurate and useful information on global, national, and regional marine science topics, and gives researchers a contact point for educational outreach. Resources are organized as indicated on the sidebar on the left side of the screen. Partners include the National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant), the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP), and the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA).
Visit our Teacher Pay Teachers storefront to access free Sea Grant educational materials.
Visit the Sea Grant Collection at the NOAA Library for educational materials and our published research papers.
Check out this collection of sites dedicated to providing educational resources for teachers, parents and students. Explore these at-home learning ideas and activities for any time of year.
Scuttlebutt is the national email discussion list for educators and scientists interested in talking informally about ocean education ideas, issues and questions. Join the ocean education conversation!
Education by the Numbers
*Educators refers to total number of Sea Grant-affiliated educators. Sea Grant education full-time equivalents = 65.
1,259
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS SUPPORTED
318
SEA GRANT EDUCATORS*
488,427
K-12 STUDENTS REACHED
1,132
GRADUATE STUDENTS SUPPORTED
Videos
Sea Grant programs produce videos covering a wide variety of topics. Check out our videos page for featured educational series (such as 15-second science), clips sharing Sea Grant work, and short stories of people who live along coasts or make a living on the water.
Comics
The Our New Age of Water series takes a hard and hopeful look at topics related to the present and future use of water. The intent is that each installment of Our New Age of Water will advance ideas about water-related research and innovative technologies.
Blogs
Sea Grant and its programs support students of all ages on their educational journey. Check out our student blogs to learn what Sea Grant Scholars are doing in the science, policy, education and art spaces and explore our alumni blogs to see where our students end up!
Featured Education Projects
Students increase STEM skills as aquaculture and fisheries education program launches in Los Angeles classrooms
Texas Sea Grant Master Naturalist volunteers contribute 83,000 hours worth $2 million to informal education, restoration projects
New Jersey Sea Grant’s Dune Manual used by City of Cape May to plant dunes that use a diversity of native plant species
Signs of the Seasons citizen science program generates useful scientific data and increases climate stewardship
Science, Sailing and Shipwrecks Workshop Gives Teachers in Great Lakes New Tools and New Peers
Alaska Sea Grant’s Alaska Young Fishermen’s Summit spurs similar Canada fishermen’s conference
Sea Grant Education in the News
NOAA Sea Grant to invest $8.8 million to enhance aquaculture production, capacity and knowledge sharing
To further support sustainable U.S. aquaculture, NOAA Sea Grant selected 33 projects totaling $8,821,710 in fiscal year 2024 federal funding. The projects will span coastal and Great Lakes states and territories with a focus on enhancing aquaculture species production, boosting aquaculture literacy and knowledge sharing, and strengthening aquaculture research and extension capacity.
Sea Grant takes center stage in Oceanography special issue
NOAA Sea Grant-funded research and work with coastal and Great Lakes communities across the nation are being highlighted in a special issue of “Oceanography,” the official journal of The Oceanography Society.
This special issue, published in April 2024, features 36 articles contributed by Sea Grant authors across 29 programs and the NOAA National Sea Grant Office.
The Joy of Discovery: Summer Science Marine Lab Inspires Students
USC Sea Grant’s program has a lasting impact on students, enabling them to learn about science and themselves.