The Reef Stewardship Foundation is proudly supporting the University of Houston Doctoral Dissertation study by Brian Plankis. This educational research study is designed to measure the environmental and ocean literacies of the high school students that will be participating in the study, while providing them with an engaging research project.

The research study is designed primarily around two curriculum models. The first model is Network Science Project (NSP) (Feldman, Konold, & Coulter, 2000) where students collaborate with other classrooms and scientists over the Internet on a joint science project directly related to a real world science issue or environmental problem. The second model is the Investigating and Evaluating Environmental Issues and Actions curriculum model (IEEIA) (Hungerford, Volk, Ramsey, Litherland, & Peyton, 2003). The IEEIA model is designed to guide students through the analysis of environmental problems and issues and build a personally relevant understanding of the interaction of science, society and technology.

The students will be conducting an aquarium-based experiment in the classroom that looks at the effects of temperature on coral growth, reproduction and survival, as well as investigating the wide range of environmental issues that are impacting coral reefs.

Aquarium Experiment

Students in three states will be conducting identical aquarium experiments where they manipulate temperature and record data and observations on the response of coral reef invertebrates to the temperature changes. Students will share their results with other schools and be assisted by science experts via the Reef Stewardship Foundation discussion forums.

Investigating and Evaluating Environmental Issues and Actions

The students' teachers, was well as science experts, will guide the students in understanding the larger context of coral reef decline and why 2008 was named the International Year of the Reef. Student investigations will research the environmental issues impacting coral reefs and examine ways the students can take actions in their local community to help coral reefs. Student investigations will result in investigation reports and videos that we hope to share with the Reef Stewardship Foundation community at a later date.

Help Support This Project

We are still accepting donations to equip as many classrooms as possible for this research study. There are two ways you can donate. First you can donate funds via Paypal to help us purchase equipment:

Or you can donate equipment or materials directly to the Reef Stewardship Foundation. If you would like to donate equipment, please contact us via e-mail at:

donations (AT) reefstewardshipfoundation.org (replace the (AT) with the @ symbol).

Someone will respond to your e-mail within 48 hours. Thanks in advance for your support of this project and its students.

Since the Reef Stewardship Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization, your donation is tax deductible in the United States and any donation over $250 will receive a thank you letter from us within two weeks of the donation. Please be sure to include your address where you want the donation letter sent.

If you are a Reef Stewardship Foundation or Project DIBS discussion forum user, you should see a 2008 Supporter button next to your name within two weeks in honor of your support.

If you are a business or funding organization, please e-mail us your preferred logo to be placed on this page, as well as our list of 2008 supporters. If your donation is over $250 you will be entitled to other benefits as well, please contact us via the e-mail above for additional details.
Cheers,

Brian Plankis
President
Reef Stewardship Foundation