Habitat Mapping
How do we study what we cannot see or touch? Students learn about technologies used for underwater mapping, such as benthic habitat images produced by GIS. They participate in a class discussion on why habitat mapping is useful and how current technology works to make bathymetry mapping possible. Through inquiry-based questions, students brainstorm about the importance of bathymetry mapping to help us explore and map the seafloor, marine habitats and the water column. They examine collected data and draw conclusions. Students learn how remote sensing and underwater vehicles designed by engineers give scientists more data to be able to better map marine habitats.