PURPOSE

The primary objective of this activity is to predict how coastal processes, such as tides, affect salinity, temperature, and nitrate levels in a type of estuary, called a slough. Real-time data from the Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve in Monterey, California, will be used to test predictions. In addition to collecting, graphing, and interpreting real-time data, students will learn how nitrates enter the estuary, and they will gain a better understanding of the interconnectedness of all bodies of water, especially estuaries.

Adams, L.G., and G.I. Matsumoto. 2007. Hands-on oceanography: Investigating coastal processes and nitrate levels in the Elkhorn Slough using real-time data. Oceanography 20(1):200–204, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2007.97.

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