Professional Development Opportunities
An essential component of NOAA Ocean Exploration’s mission is to enhance ocean science literacy and understanding of why it is important to explore our little-known ocean world. To help fulfill this mission, NOAA Ocean Exploration offers professional learning opportunities for educators to dive deeper into ocean science and exploration topics.
Professional Development Workshops
Learn how to bring deep-sea topics alive in the classroom at one of our professional development workshops for educators (grades 6-12). Workshops introduce participants to ocean exploration tools and technologies, demonstrate a variety of hands-on lessons and student investigations designed to guide students’ sensemaking of deep-sea phenomena, and explore additional free, online ocean exploration education resources. Our professional development workshops are offered around the country in cooperation with our Education Alliance Partners and led by ocean exploration education team members and facilitators.
During this full-day in person professional development workshop participating educators will learn why and how we explore the deep sea. Together we will dive into hands-on, standards-based lessons and activities, and discuss implementation strategies to bring the excitement of ocean science and exploration into your classroom.
Exploring the Deep Ocean with NOAA Education Materials Collection (pdf, 176 KB)
Look for registration information in late summer/early fall 2026!
Past Professional Development Opportunities
Past Onsite Opportunities
Spring 2026
Oases of Life – Seamounts and Deep-Sea Corals
During this full-day in person professional development workshop we learned about the dynamic geologic and physical processes associated with seamounts and the complex coral and sponge communities that inhabit them. Together we dove into phenomena-based student investigations and hands-on activities, and discussed implementation strategies to bring the excitement of ocean science and exploration into your classroom.
Oases of Life: Seamounts and Deep-Sea Corals Resource Collection (pdf, 124 kB)
Spring 2025
Life Beyond Light: Chemosynthetic Communities of the Deep Ocean
This full-day in person professional development workshop introduced participating educators to hydrothermal vents and cold seeps, two deep-sea ecosystems with dense biological communities fueled by chemosynthesis. Workshop materials included phenomenon-based student investigations, hands-on activities, multimedia from past expeditions, and more.
Life Beyond Light: Chemosynthetic Communities of the Deep Ocean Resource Collection (pdf, 267 KB)
Lesson packages from retired PDs
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Education Materials Collection (2010 – 2017)
Volume I: Why Do We Explore?; Volume II: How Do We Explore?
This lesson collection was developed to encourage educators and students to become personally involved with the voyages and discoveries of the Okeanos Explorer – the only federal vessel dedicated to exploring our largely unknown ocean for the purpose of discovery and the advancement of knowledge about the deep ocean.
Learning Ocean Science through Ocean Exploration (2003 – 2010)
This popular lesson package (last updated in 2006) provides educators with a comprehensive scope and sequence through a variety of ocean exploration subject areas.
Past Online Opportunities (2020 - 2023)
Deep Dives with Ocean Exploration Experts
View the collection of past Deep Dives
This series of previously recorded ~90-minute online professional learning events features intriguing and informative interviews with experts in specific fields of ocean science including cold seeps, ocean technologies, and maritime heritage.
And, to bring these deep-sea topics and others alive in your classroom, check out our classroom-ready educational materials, organized by Ocean Exploration Topics!
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