Community Alliance for Surveying the Topography of Sandy Beaches is a citizen science monitoring program that surveys local beaches in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. This California Sea Grant (CASG) Program, based at the Marine Science Institute at UCSB and funded by CASG and UCSB's Coastal Fund, is an education research opportunity for community volunteers to contribute to science and learn about beach ecosystems. The data help scientists and beach managers track seasonal changes and human impacts in these dynamic ecosystems. Volunteers needed!
Key to the Sea Program
The Key to the Sea Program is a free marine environmental education program for grade levels K-5 in Los Angeles County. It was developed through a partnership between Heal the Bay, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, Los Angeles County Department of Education, Roundhouse Aquarium, Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, Sea Grant, and SEA Lab. The program covers watersheds, the storm drain system, pollution prevention, the sandy beach habitat, and environmental stewardship. It includes both classroom activities and field trips.
The Coastal Commission offers many resources for California educators, including a classroom activity guide called Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds. The Guide covers topics such as endangered species, marine debris, coastal geology, and water use. Activities for Grades 4 and 6 address the formation and movement of sand.
NOAA National Marine Sanctuary
The Long-term Monitoring Program and Experiential Training for Students (LiMPETS) Sandy Beach Monitoring Program is an in-depth education and monitoring program for middle and high school students, educators and volunteer groups.
NOAA Ocean Service Education
NOAA Ocean Service Education offers a lesson plan library containing lessons such as Who Moved the Beach, a lesson plan for grades 9-12, and Beach Habitat: Scene of the Crimefor grade 4.
UCLA Marine Science Center
The UCLA Marine Science Center’s OceanGlobe program offers estuaries and sandy beaches in-classroom lesson plans for grades 4-8.