Resources for secondary education
DTU Aqua has a number of educational materials that can be used in teaching biology, chemistry, biotech and other science subjects, primarily in high school. Most of the resources are in Danish, but the articles below are in English.
The chemistry of the ocean
Here you will find three articles on the chemical composition of the ocean, describing the ocean carbon cycle, ocean salinity and the colors of the ocean. The articles are written by researchers from DTU Aqua in collaboration with the international journal Frontiers and their “Frontiers for Young Minds” initiative as educational material.
A Sea of Carbon
In this article you can read about the ocean carbon pump. Carbon is known to be the building block of life, and in the ocean, carbon is found in a multitude of different forms, both as organic and inorganic compounds. Carbon is part of a number of complex cycles in the ocean. Among other things, the ocean pulls CO2 out of the atmosphere, making this cycle important for our understanding of climate change.
A Sea of Colors
In this article you can learn more about the ocean and the different colors it can have. The ocean is not only blue, but can also be yellow, green or brown at different times and places. This is due to the chemical composition of the ocean, i.e., what chemical compounds are floating around in it, as well as the amount of plant material in the water.
Why is the Sea Salty and Does it Matter?
In this article, scientists explain the salt in the ocean and where it actually comes from. Among other things salt comes from rain that dissolves tiny bits of rocks and stones. This is possible because the molecular structure of water makes it an excellent solvent. You can also learn about how scientists have measured the salt content of the oceans throughout history.