Ocean Depths Slides Dana Point Expedition Series
Junior Scientist Oceanographic Briefing
Field Station 01
Five Global Oceans & Five Secret Depths
Mapping Earth's interconnected marine basins and descending through the vertical layers of light, crushing pressure, and extreme creature adaptations.
5 Global Basins
5 Marine Zones
0 to 11,000 Meters
Geography Protocol
One World Ocean, Five Major Basins
71% of Earth
01
Pacific
Largest and deepest. Borders our Dana Point coastline and holds the Ring of Fire.
Mariana Trench
02
Atlantic
Second largest. Features the vast underwater Mid-Atlantic mountain ridge.
Spreading Ridge
03
Indian
Warmest ocean basin. Influenced heavily by seasonal monsoon storm winds.
Warm Currents
04
Southern
Encircles Antarctica. Powerful circumpolar current drives global nutrient flow.
Icy Upwelling
05
Arctic
Smallest and shallowest. Covered by seasonal sea ice sheet in the far North.
Polar Sea Ice
Field Note: All 5 basins are linked by the global conveyor belt of thermohaline currents!
Depth Profile: 0m to 1,000m
The Sunlit Surface & Twilight Realm
Photosynthetic Zone
Zone 1: Epipelagic 0 – 200 m
Sunlight Zone
Full solar penetration fuels phytoplankton photosynthesis. Home to 90% of all known marine life including kelp forests, dolphins, sea turtles, and coastal reef fish.
Dana Point Connection:
This is where the Ocean Institute research vessel collects surface water and live plankton samples.
Zone 2: Mesopelagic 200 – 1,000 m
Twilight Zone
Only faint blue sunlight remains. Plants cannot grow. Animals evolve gigantic upward-facing eyes, reflective silvery skin, and photophores (bioluminescent light organs).
Key Organisms:
Lanternfish, hatchetfish, and giant squid that migrate up to feed under the cover of night.
Light disappears entirely beyond 1,000 meters into perpetual darkness.
Depth Profile: 1,000m to 11,000m
The Midnight, Abyssal & Hadal Trenches
Pure Bioluminescence
Bathypelagic 1,000–4,000 m
Midnight Zone
Zero sunlight. Freezing cold (4°C). The only light is creature-made bioluminescence used as lures, warning flashes, or camouflage.
Creatures: Anglerfish, gulper eel, vampire squid.
Abyssopelagic 4,000–6,000 m
Abyssal Plain
Covers over 50% of the planet's surface. Crushing hydrostatic pressure, flat muddy plains, and nutrient rain known as "marine snow."
Creatures: Tripod fish, sea pigs, deep sea glass sponges.
Hadal Trenches 6,000–11,000 m
The Trenches
V-shaped tectonic subduction canyons. Pressure exceeds 1,000 atmospheres (like 50 jumbo jets stacked on your head!).
Record: Mariana Trench (Challenger Deep, 10,994m).
Classroom Challenge: Which zone will your group choose to illustrate on our giant classroom ocean mural?
Mission Checklist
Junior Ocean Scientist Briefing Summary
Field Task
Core Concept Check
• 5 Oceans: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic basins.
• 5 Vertical Zones: Sunlight (0-200m), Twilight (200-1000m), Midnight (1000-4000m), Abyssal (4000-6000m), Hadal (6000m+).
• As depth increases, light drops to zero while pressure increases by 1 atm every 10 meters!
Next Step: Ocean Zones Log
Open your Ocean Zones Field Log document to:
1. Basin Identifier: Label the 5 oceans and locate Dana Point Harbor.
2. Cross-Section Mapping: Diagram creature adaptations across each vertical depth tier.
Ocean Institute Lab Readiness: Phase 1 Active
Ocean Zones Log Dana Point Ocean Institute Prep • Field Station 01
Ocean Zones & Basins Field Log
Student Logbook
Scientist Name: ______________________
Date: ________________
Lab Station: _________
Part 1: Mapping Earth's Five Ocean Basins
5 Basins • 1 Global Ocean
Earth’s oceans are one continuous body of salt water divided into five distinct geographical basins. Match each basin with its defining scientific feature and identify which basin touches our Dana Point coastline.
Ocean Basin
Key Scientific Characteristic
Your Discovery Notes / Unique Fact
1. Pacific Ocean
Largest & deepest; borders Dana Point; holds Mariana Trench.
2. Atlantic Ocean
Growing basin; bisected by 10,000-mile Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
3. Indian Ocean
Warmest ocean; driven by violent seasonal monsoon currents.
4. Southern Ocean
Encircles Antarctica; creates intense circumpolar nutrient upwelling.
5. Arctic Ocean
Shallowest and coldest; covered by shifting polar pack ice.
Part 2: Vertical Profile (Surface to 1,000 Meters)
Photic & Disphotic Layers
Zone 1: Epipelagic (Sunlight)
0 – 200 m
Light: Full sunlight. Life: 90% of marine species. Photosynthesis thrives.
Primary Producers found in Dana Point waters:
Why cannot plants survive below 200 meters?
Zone 2: Mesopelagic (Twilight)
200 – 1,000 m
Light: Faint dim blue. No plant growth. Cold thermocline layer.
Two physical adaptations for dim twilight light:
What is bioluminescence and how does it help animals here?
Ocean Institute Junior Scientist Lab Preparation Series Page 1 of 2 • Continue to Deep Sea Descent →
Deep Marine Descent • 1,000 to 11,000 Meters
The Midnight, Abyssal & Hadal Zones
Logbook Pt. II
Part 3: Deep Sea Physical Conditions & Adaptations
Every 10 meters of water adds 1 atmosphere (14.7 psi) of pressure. Fill out the physical profile for the three aphotic (perpetual darkness) zones and describe how organisms survive the immense pressure and freezing temperatures.
Zone Name
Depth Range & Temp
Pressure Conditions
Key Creature & Survival Adaptation
Bathypelagic
(Midnight Zone)
1,000 – 4,000 m
~4°C (39°F)
Up to 400 atmospheres.
Water is pitch black.
Example creature & adaptation:
Abyssopelagic
(Abyssal Plain)
4,000 – 6,000 m
Near freezing (2°C)
600 atmospheres.
Covers ocean floor.
Example creature & adaptation:
|
| Hadalpelagic
|
Part 4: Scientific Synthesis & Food Web Energy
1. Energy Source: Since plants cannot photosynthesize below 200 meters, what do deep-sea creatures in the Midnight and Abyssal zones eat? (Hint: Consider what sinks from the surface).
2. Gas Bladder vs. Fluid Tissues: Human divers would be crushed at deep depths. Why do deep-sea fish have flexible cartilaginous skeletons and no air-filled swim bladders?
Classroom Mural Connection:
You will use this data in Lesson 2 to draw and label your species tile for our giant classroom ocean mural!
Junior Ocean Scientist Field Log • Dana Point Expedition Page 2 of 2 • Completed Log
Ocean Mural Guide Classroom Collaborative Installation • Blueprint
Five Oceans & Depths Mural Guide
Teacher & Student Guide
Mission: Transform a classroom wall or hallway display into an interactive, to-scale oceanographic cross-section. The horizontal axis spans Earth's 5 major ocean basins , while the vertical axis descends through the 5 vertical depth zones , populated by student-researched species placards and ocean currents.
Section 1: The Mural Grid Architecture
Depth \ Basin
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Southern Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Sunlight (0–200m)
Kelp forests, Dana Point seals & dolphins
Sargasso sea turtles & flying fish
Coral atolls, manta rays & dugongs
Krill swarms, leopard seals, penguins
Walrus, ringed seals, beluga whales
Twilight (200–1000m)
Humboldt squid & Pacific hatchetfish
Giant oarfish & lanternfish schools
Coelacanth & deep viperfish
Colossal squid & lantern sharks
Deep comb jellies & arctic amphipods
Midnight (1k–4km)
Black sea devil anglerfish & gulper eels
Vampire squid & snipe eels
Bioluminescent siphonophores
Antarctic toothfish & glass jellies
Deep-sea narwhal prey & skates
Abyssal & Hadal
Mariana Trench snailfish & amphipods
Mid-Atlantic hydrothermal vent tubeworms
Java Trench sea pigs & sea cucumbers
South Sandwich Trench giant isopods
Molloy Deep xenophyophores
Section 2: Student Collaborative Crews
1. Cartographers
Paint wall gradient bands, label the 5 ocean columns, and mark Dana Point Harbor coordinates.
2. Zone Engineers
Construct physical depth markers (meters & atmospheres) and label light penetration drop-offs.
3. Bio Illustrators
Research, color, and cut out species placards from the Species Cards sheet to mount on their correct zone.
4. Current Riggers
Use blue & red yarn to map warm surface currents and cold deep thermohaline conveyor currents.
Classroom Ocean Mural Blueprint Page 1 of 2 • Construction Stages →
Phase Implementation & Assessment
Mural Construction & Quality Rubric
Implementation Plan
Phase-by-Phase Build Protocol
Phase 1
Wall Prep & Gradient Staging (Day 1)
Tape 5 continuous horizontal strips of butcher paper or paint vertical gradient: pale sky blue (Sunlight) → royal blue (Twilight) → dark navy (Midnight) → deep charcoal (Abyssal) → jet black (Hadal).
Phase 2
Basin Division & Ocean Labels (Day 2)
Erect vertical divider ribbons for the 5 Oceans (Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, Arctic). Pin large geographic title banners across the top with average depth and area data.
Phase 3
Species Card Research & Installation (Day 3)
Each student completes 1–2 research placards from the Mural Species Cards resource. Students pin their illustrated organism at its exact depth level and correct geographical ocean column.
Phase 4
Connecting Currents & Gallery Walk (Day 4)
Students string red/blue yarn representing the global conveyor belt of currents, highlight Dana Point's coastal upwelling zone, and host an interactive peer gallery walk.
Student Contribution Rubric
Evaluation Metric
Exemplary (4 pts)
Proficient (3 pts)
Developing (2 pts)
Scientific Accuracy
Species placed in precise depth zone; depth metrics & basin accurately cited.
Species placed in correct general zone; minor depth label omission.
Organism placed in wrong depth zone or ocean basin.
Adaptation Analysis
Explicitly links physical trait (eyes, bioluminescence, pressure tolerance) to depth.
Lists physical traits without full explanation of depth survival link.
Vague description of animal without depth adaptation details.
Visual Quality
Neat, full-color anatomical illustration with clear structural labels.
Recognizable drawing with color; labels somewhat basic.
Unfinished sketch; lacks anatomical details or color.
Team Collaboration
Actively contributes to background painting, labeling, and peer card mounting.
Completes assigned task and assists with mural assembly.
Requires teacher prompting to stay engaged with mural team.
Dana Point Harbor Marker:
Pin a golden lighthouse or ship icon on the Pacific Sunlight Zone column to anchor our field trip location!
Five Oceans & Depths Classroom Mural Project Page 2 of 2 • Evaluation & Staging Complete
Mural Species Cards Mural Installation Kit • Cut & Pin Placards
Mural Species Research Cards (Part I)
Cut along dashed border
Zone 1: Epipelagic (Sunlight • 0–200m)
Common Name: Sci Name: _________________
By: ____________________
Found in Basin(s): Pacific Atlantic Indian Southern Arctic
Scientific Illustration & Color
[Draw organism, coloration, and specialized fins/appendages]
Scale / Approx Size: ________
1. Solar / Surface Adaptation:
2. Diet / Food Web Role:
3. Dana Point Local Connection:
Zone 2: Mesopelagic (Twilight • 200–1,000m)
Common Name: Sci Name: _________________
By: ____________________
Found in Basin(s): Pacific Atlantic Indian Southern Arctic
Scientific Illustration & Color
[Draw large eyes, photophores, or silvery camouflage]
Light Organs (Photophores): Y / N
1. Dim Light / Camouflage Adaptation:
2. Daily Vertical Migration Pattern:
3. Predator-Prey Interaction:
Classroom Ocean Mural Placement Series Page 1 of 2 • Continue for Midnight & Abyssal Cards →
Mural Installation Kit • Cut & Pin Placards
Mural Species Research Cards (Part II)
Cut along dashed border
Zone 3: Bathypelagic (Midnight • 1,000–4,000m)
Common Name: Sci Name: _________________
By: ____________________
Found in Basin(s): Pacific Atlantic Indian Southern Arctic
Scientific Illustration & Color
[Draw bioluminescent lure, hinged jaw, or dark red/black body]
Pressure Tolerance: Up to 400 atm
1. Bioluminescent Function (Hunting/Defense):
2. Feeding on Scarce Prey (Jaws/Stomach):
3. Extreme Pressure Survival Trait:
Zone 4/5: Abyssal & Hadal Trenches (4,000–11,000m)
Common Name: Sci Name: _________________
By: ____________________
Found in Basin(s): Pacific Atlantic Indian Southern Arctic
Scientific Illustration & Color
[Draw pale translucent skin, elongated legs, or vent plumes]
Crushing Pressure: 600–1000+ atm
1. Marine Snow / Chemosynthesis Diet:
2. Molecular Piezo-Adaptations (Proteins/Lipids):
3. Trench / Benthic Habitat Location:
Classroom Ocean Mural Placement Series Page 2 of 2 • Ready for Cut & Mural Pinning
Junior Scientist Lab Manual Ocean Institute Dana Point • Junior Scientist Lab
Plankton & Marine Food Webs Manual
Lab Protocol 01
Lab Investigator: ___________________
Date: ________________
Microscope Station: _____
The Drifters of Dana Point Harbor
The word plankton comes from the Greek planktos , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter." Plankton cannot swim against ocean currents. In the Ocean Institute lab, you will use compound microscopes to identify live plankton towed from Dana Point waters.
Part 1: Phytoplankton vs. Zooplankton
Phytoplankton (Plant Drifters) Producers
• Microscopic single-celled algae (Diatoms & Dinoflagellates).
• Use sunlight to produce over 50% of Earth’s oxygen!
• Diatoms build intricate shells made of pure silica glass.
Why must phytoplankton stay in the top 200m?
Zooplankton (Animal Drifters) Consumers
• Tiny crustaceans (Copepods), krill, and baby larvae.
• Holoplankton: Spend their entire life as plankton.
• Meroplankton: Baby crabs/fish that grow into strong swimmers.
What do zooplankton feed upon during nighttime migration?
Part 2: Microscope Specimen Field Sketches
1. Diatom (Glass Shell Algae)
[Field of View]
Mag: 100x • Phyto
2. Dinoflagellate (Twin Tails)
[Field of View]
Mag: 100x • Phyto/Mix
3. Copepod / Zoea (Larva)
[Field of View]
Mag: 40x • Zoo
Junior Scientist Lab Series • Ocean Institute Page 1 of 2 • Continue to Seasonal Waves & Shells →
Coastal Dynamics & Benthic Geology
Seasonal Waves & Shell Secrets
Lab Protocol 02
The Dana Point Beachcomber Mystery:
"Why do we discover massive, thick-shelled wavy turban snails, giant abalone pieces, and deep sea clam valves in the winter, but mostly small, thin, delicate shells during the summer?"
Summer vs. Winter Wave Mechanics
Summer Wave Regime Low Energy
• Swell Origin: Distant southern hemisphere swells.
• Wave Action: Gentle spilling waves push sand onshore .
• Beach Shape: Wide, sandy berms with gentle slopes.
• Shell Type Deposited: Small, light, fragile shells (coquina clams, limpets, sand dollars) ride the gentle crest without shattering.
Sand Effect: Accretion (sand builds up, burying deep benthic shells offshore).
Winter Wave Regime High Energy
• Swell Origin: Powerful North Pacific / Alaskan storms.
• Wave Action: Crushing plunging breakers with strong undertow.
• Beach Shape: Narrow beaches stripped to cobble rocks.
• Shell Type Deposited: Heavy, thick-walled deep benthic shells dredged from rocky reefs; fragile shells get smashed into sand.
Sand Effect: Erosion (sand scoured into offshore bars, exposing heavy shells).
Scientist Field Analysis Questions
1. Energy & Mass Connection: Explain why a gentle summer wave cannot move a 200-gram Wavy Turban Snail shell from an offshore reef to the shoreline:
2. Beach Transformation: In January, Dana Point beaches often look like piles of dark stones rather than golden sand. Where did the sand go, and what happens to it in July?
Junior Scientist Beach Walk Task:
During our Ocean Institute lab, record the shell thickness and wave breaker type at the Baby Beach tidepools!
Ocean Institute Junior Scientist Lab Preparation Page 2 of 2 • Lab Investigation Complete
Seasonal Waves Slides Dana Point Junior Scientist Lab
Biological & Coastal Physics Investigation
Field Lab 03
Plankton, Swells & The Winter Shell Mystery
Unlocking the microscopic base of the ocean food chain and discovering why intense winter storm waves dredge up completely different shells than gentle summer tides.
Microscopic Drifters
Summer Swells
Winter Storm Waves
Microbiology Station
The World of Plankton (The Drifters)
50%+ of Earth's Oxygen
Plant Drifters • Primary Producers
Phytoplankton
Microscopic algae like Diatoms (housed in glass houses of pure silica) and Dinoflagellates (twisting flagella tails). They harness sunlight to fuel almost all oceanic life.
Dana Point Tow: We will sample them live on the research boat!
Animal Drifters • Consumers
Zooplankton
Tiny grazing crustaceans like Copepods , krill, and larval babies (meroplankton) such as crab zoea, baby sea urchins, and larval California spiny lobsters.
Migration: World’s largest mass movement of animals occurs every night!
Scientific Law: Without microscopic plankton, whales, kelp bass, and dolphins cannot survive!
Coastal Hydrodynamics
Summer Swells vs. Winter Storm Waves
Wave Energy Shift
Summer Regime Low Energy
Gentle Spilling Swells
Long-period waves travel from distant South Pacific storms. Gentle swash pushes sand up onto the beach face, creating wide, soft, golden sandbars.
Beach Result: Accretion
Sand builds up; offshore benthic rocks remain buried under sand.
Winter Regime High Energy
Violent Plunging Breakers
Intense storms in the Gulf of Alaska generate massive, short-period crashing waves. Powerful backwash scours the beach and carries millions of tons of sand offshore.
Beach Result: Severe Erosion
Sand is pulled into deep offshore bars, exposing rocky reefs and cobbles!
The same beach looks completely different between August and January!
Benthic Shell Deposition
Why Do We Find Different Shells in Winter?
Wave Dredging
1. Deep Dredging
Winter storm waves have orbital energy that reaches 30+ feet deep, ripping heavy snails and clams off rocky reefs and tumbling them ashore.
Moves 200g+ shells
2. Stripping Sand
Summer sand layers (often 6 to 10 feet thick!) are washed away into deep offshore bars, unearthing buried shell deposits and ancient fossil beds.
Exposes cobble layers
3. Selective Survival
Delicate summer shells (sand dollars, thin coquina clams) get crushed to powder by winter wave turbulence. Only dense, armor-plated shells survive!
Heavy armor wins
Field Rule: Winter beachcombing = Thick Wavy Turbans & Giant Clams. Summer = Small fragile shells!
Dana Point Shell Catalog
Seasonal Shell Identification Guide
Field ID
Summer Shell Finds
Fragile & Light
• Coquina / Bean Clams: Paper-thin, pastel-colored valves riding gentle wash lines.
• Pacific Sand Dollars: Delicate calcium carbonate skeletons easily preserved.
• Purple Olive Shells: Small, polished, lightweight surface scavengers.
Winter Shell Finds
Heavy & Armor-Plated
• Wavy Turban Snails: Heavy, corrugated calcium shells with thick operculum trapdoors.
• California Mussels: Massive, thick-valved bivalves ripped off deep outer rocks.
• Red Abalone Fragments: Dense nacreous mother-of-pearl plates torn from deep reefs.
Compare your beachcombing findings during the Dana Point tidepool exploration!
Mission Briefing
Junior Scientist Lab Protocol Ready
Field Checklist
In the Ocean Institute Lab:
1. Use compound microscope focus knobs gently.
On the Dana Point Beach:
1. Observe wave breaker type (spilling vs plunging).
Ready for Coastal Weather Hazards & Southern California Storms (Lesson 4)
Coastal Hazards Dossier Southern California Marine Hazards • Case File
Coastal Flooding & Storm Surge Dossier
Hazard Brief 01
Lead Investigator: __________________
Date: ________________
Incident Code: OC-SURGE
Incident Report
The Newport Beach Coastal Inundation Event
Orange County Coast
Earlier this season, powerful winter storm swells, intense gale-force onshore winds, and astronomical King Tides converged along the Southern California coastline. In Newport Beach (Balboa Peninsula and Balboa Island) and nearby coastal harbors including Dana Point, ocean swells overtopped seawalls, flooding boardwalks, ground-floor businesses, and residential roadways with knee-deep seawater.
1. Astronomical King Tide: Maximum high tide caused by moon/sun orbital alignment (+7.2 ft).
2. Low-Pressure Storm Surge: Deep atmospheric storm low pulled sea levels up like a vacuum dome (+1.5 ft).
3. Wave Runup / Swell: 12–16 ft crashing winter breakers slammed onto the shoreline.
Part 1: How Ocean Weather Floods Coastal Cities
Atmospheric Pressure Effect
Normal air pressure pushes down on the ocean surface. When a severe winter storm arrives, low atmospheric pressure releases this weight, allowing seawater to mound upward into a moving dome.
Why does low pressure raise local sea level?
Wind Stress & Shallow Water
Sustained 40+ mph winds drag surface water toward shore. As water enters shallow coastal bays and harbors (like Newport Bay or Dana Point), the water has nowhere to go but up and onto land.
How do narrow harbors amplify surge height?
Storm Water Height Equation
Total Water Elevation = Astronomical High Tide + Storm Surge Height + Wave Breaking Runup.Calculate: If King Tide is 7.1 ft, Storm Surge is 1.8 ft, and Wave Runup adds 4.2 ft, will seawater exceed Newport Beach's 10.5 ft seawall?
Show your calculation: 7.1 + 1.8 + 4.2 = ________ ft. (Result: Seawall overtopped by: ________ ft)
Orange County Coastal Hazards Series Page 1 of 2 • Continue to Tsunamis & Coastal Defenses →
Geological vs. Meteorological Hazards
Wind Waves vs. Tsunami Disasters
Hazard Brief 02
Part 2: Wind Waves vs. Tsunami Wave Mechanics
While storm waves are generated at the ocean surface by wind, tsunamis are massive geological displacements of the entire vertical water column .
Feature
Storm / Wind Wave (e.g., Newport)
Tsunami Wave (Subduction Trench)
Trigger Mechanism
Atmospheric wind friction on surface water.
Undersea earthquake fault slip, landslide, volcano.
Water Moved
Top 10 to 50 meters of water column only.
Entire ocean column from seafloor to surface!
Wavelength
100 to 200 meters (short crests)
100 to 200 kilometers (vast pulse)
Open Ocean Speed
20 to 50 mph
500+ mph (speed of a commercial jetliner!)
Coastal Arrival
Breaks on the sand; recedes in seconds.
Surges inland like a relentless, rising ocean wall.
Nature’s Tsunami Warning Signs at Dana Point:
1. Strong Ground Shaking: If you feel an earthquake near the coast, immediately head to high ground.Rapid Ocean Drawback: If the tide suddenly and dramatically drains hundreds of yards out, exposing the seafloor, a massive wave is approaching.Roaring Sound: A loud rumble resembling a freight train or jet engine approaching from the horizon.
Part 3: Coastal Engineering Defenses
1. Bulldozed Sand Berms
Newport Beach bulldozes 15-foot temporary sand walls every winter to block crashing high-tide surf.
2. Reinforced Seawalls
Concrete revetments and riprap boulders absorb wave energy and protect harbor infrastructure.
3. Living Shorelines
Offshore kelp forests and coastal salt marshes naturally dissipate up to 60% of incoming wave energy!
Orange County Coastal Hazards Dossier • Junior Scientist Series Page 2 of 2 • Investigation Complete
Storm Surge Experiment Coastal Physics Laboratory • Experimental Model
Wave Tank Coastal Inundation Lab
Lab Protocol 04
Student Engineer: _________________
Date: ________________
Lab Station: _________
Wave Tank Apparatus Setup Physical Model
Equipment: Clear plastic container (24–36"), sand/gravel sloped into a coastal beach, water (3–4 cm depth), ruler, cardboard wave paddle, small toy houses/markers representing Newport Beach / Dana Point coastal structures.
[ Deep Water End (Paddle) ] ∼∼∼∼∼ [ Sloping Sand Beach ] ∼∼∼∼ [ Coastal City / Houses (Ruler Metric) ]
Experimental Trials & Data Collection
Trial Condition
Wave Generation Method
Water Runup
Shoreline Impact / Erosion
1. Summer Swell
Low Energy
Rhythmic, gentle paddle pulses every 2 seconds.
____ mm
Sand builds up on beach slope; houses dry.
2. Winter Storm Surge
+ King Tide Simulation
Add 1 cm water (King Tide) + rapid 1-sec forceful paddle strokes.
____ mm
Sand scoured offshore; water reaches house foundations.
3. Tsunami Pulse
Full Column Slip
Slide submerged plastic plate forward along bottom to push entire column.
____ mm
Massive surging wall overtops beach; structures knocked over!
Lab Discovery Observations
1. King Tide Multiplier: In Trial 2, why did adding just 1 cm of baseline water make the storm waves cause dramatically more coastal flooding than in Trial 1?
2. Tsunami Displacement: How did the behavior of the water in Trial 3 (pushing the seafloor plate) differ from simply splashing the water surface with the paddle?
Ocean Hazards Engineering Series Page 1 of 2 • Continue to Defense Design & Exit Ticket →
Synthesis & Mastery Assessment
Defense Design & Final Exit Ticket
Mastery Pass
Coastal Defense Test: Hard Wall vs. Living Marsh
Engineering Trial
Place a rigid barrier (ruler seawall) vs. an absorbent barrier (sponge/mesh living wetland) in front of your houses. Run Trial 2 again. Record which design prevented more wave splash and explain why:
Junior Ocean Scientist Synthesis Exit Ticket
1. Oceans & Depths: Name the ocean basin touching Dana Point and list the 5 depth zones in order from surface to seafloor:
2. Plankton Food Web: Why are microscopic phytoplankton called the "lungs and engine" of the ocean?
3. Seasonal Shell Mystery: Why do we find heavy, thick-shelled wavy turbans in winter, but delicate shells in summer?
4. Coastal Hazards: Explain how a winter storm surge and a King Tide combined to flood streets in Newport Beach:
Field Expedition Authorization:
All 4 pre-lab scientific protocols completed. You are officially certified for the Ocean Institute Dana Point Junior Scientist Lab!
Junior Ocean Scientist Sequence • Ocean Institute Expedition Ready Page 2 of 2 • Mastery Complete
