📖 Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas by Molly Bang. Molly Bang has a talent for conveying lots of information with few words. In this gorgeously illustrated entry in the Sunlight Series, Bang explains how tiny phytoplankton harness the sun’s energy to power the food chains of the seas. – Preschool • Elementary

📖 Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea by Steve Jenkins. Meet the animals that inhabit the different layers of the ocean—from the surface, through the twilight zone, deep into the Marianas Trench. A bar on the right of each page makes it easy to keep track of the descent. A good accompaniment to an elementary study of ocean life; Jenkins' trademark collage art has great visual appeal. – Preschool • Elementary

đź“– The Most Amazing Creature in the Sea by Brenda Guiberson. A dozen sea creatures explain what makes them unique in this brief yet beautifully illustrated picture book. Learn about the box jellyfish, leatherback sea turtle, vampire squid, anglerfish, and more. – Elementary

📖 Diving to a Deep Sea Volcano by Kenneth Mallory. This Scientists in the Field book takes us to the ocean floor, where scientists are exploring the odd forms of life that make a home in deep sea volcanoes. "For Rich Lutz, a pioneer in marine biology, each dive to the frontier of the deep holds the possibility of discovering more clues that might help us learn how life on earth began after our planet was formed billions of years ago." – Middle

🔗 Content Connection: Geology. Learn more about Earth’s oceans.

💻 Monterey Bay Aquarium. Check out the Animal Guide for information and photos on many marine animals. See the animals in action through the live webcams. – All

▶️ NEW • Can the ocean run out of oxygen? from TED-Ed. For most of the year, the Gulf of Mexico is teeming with marine life, from tiny crustaceans to massive whales. But every summer, disaster strikes. Around May, animals begin to flee the area. And soon, creatures that can’t swim or can’t swim fast enough begin to suffocate and die off in massive numbers. – Middle • High

▶️ Denizens of the deep from MinuteEarth. Learn about deep ocean animals and the dangers of overfishing. – All

▶️ What’s hiding at the most solitary place on Earth? from Kurzgesagt. Sometimes the world feels boring. All the remote islands are visited, the arctic conquered, the dense jungles discovered. Except, there is still a place to explore: A wet deadly desert where mysterious creatures live in total darkness: The deep sea. Let us dive down. – All

▶️ Underwater astonishments from TED Talks. "David Gallo shows jaw-dropping footage of amazing sea creatures, including a color-shifting cuttlefish, a perfectly camouflaged octopus, and a Times Square's worth of neon light displays from fish who live in the blackest depths of the ocean." – All

jellyfish

▶️ How does a jellyfish sting? from TED-Ed. "You’re swimming in the ocean when something brushes your leg. When the tingling sets in, you realize you’ve been stung by a jellyfish. How do these beautiful gelatinous creatures pack such a painful punch?"– All

▶️ The secret powers of jellyfish from TED-Ed. “Some are longer than a blue whale. Others are barely larger than a grain of sand. One species unleashes one of the most deadly venoms on earth; another holds a secret that’s behind some of the greatest breakthroughs in biology. They’ve inhabited the ocean for at least half a billion years, and they’re still flourishing.” – All

cephalopods

📖 An Octopus is Amazing by Patricia Lauber. Turn to this brief Let's-Read-and-Find-Out book for a simple introduction to the truly amazing octopus. Perfect for preschool or young elementary. – Preschool • Elementary

đź“– Giant Squid by Candace Fleming. This lyrical, atmospheric nonfiction picture book takes us “down, down in the depths of the sunless sea” for a glimpse of the elusive giant squid. A good addition to a study of cephalopods and life in the ocean. –Elementary

📖 The Octopus Scientists by Sy Montgomery. This Scientists in the Field book gives a fairly detailed account of researchers studying octopi near Tahiti: "This book, an inquiry into the mind of an intelligent invertebrate, is also a foray into our own unexplored planet. These thinking, feeling creatures can help readers experience and understand our world (and perhaps even life itself) in a new way." Includes many cool photographs. – Middle

▶️ NEW • These squids can fly from TED-Ed. In 1947, explorers noticed a strange phenomenon while crossing the Pacific Ocean. Somehow, small squid known to live deep beneath the waves kept appearing on the roof of their boat. The crew was mystified— until they saw the squids soaring above the sea for roughly 50 meters. – All

▶️ Why the octopus brain is so extraordinary from TED-Ed. "Octopuses have the ability to solve puzzles, learn through observation, and even use tools—just like humans. But what makes octopus intelligence so amazing is that it comes from a biological structure completely different from ours."– All

▶️ How squids outsmart their predators from TED-Ed. “There are about 500 species of squid, and they live in all the world’s oceans, making them a reliable food source for whales, dolphins, sharks, seabirds, fish - and even other squid. As a result, the squid's most extraordinary adaptations are those that have evolved to help them thwart these predators. Carly Anne York explains how these stealthy cephalopods have mastered deep sea survival.” – All

ocean mammals

📖 Baby Whales Drink Milk by Barbara Juster Esbensen. It can be hard for young kids to grasp that, despite their fish-like appearance, whales are in fact members of the mammal class. This Stage 1 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science title helps explain this concept by showing similarities between whales and more familiar land-dwelling mammals. – Preschool • Elementary

📖 Big Blue Whale by Nicola Davies. Here's a gentle, nicely illustrated introduction to blue whales for younger elementary aged kids. – Preschool • Elementary

📖 Here Come the Humpbacks by April Pulley Sayre. "[Y]oung readers follow along as a mother humpback whale and her calf make their annual trek from the warm waters of the Caribbean to their summer feeding grounds off the coast of New England and back again. Within this extraordinary story of migration, Sayre provides information about how humpback whales breathe, sing, and how they got their name." – Preschool • Elementary

📖 Eight Dolphins of Katrina: A True Tale of Survival by Janet Wyman Coleman. "Hurricane Katrina crashed a forty-foot tidal wave over the Marine Life Oceanarium in Gulfport, Mississippi. The dolphin house was demolished, and its inhabitants swept from their tank into the Gulf of Mexico. After growing up in captivity, how could the eight bottlenose dolphins feed and protect themselves in the wild?" Though the focus is on the true Katrina story, the book also gives examples of dolphins in the wild assisting humans in need. – Elementary

📖 The Dolphins of Shark Bay by Pamela S. Turner. In this Scientists in the Field title, we join a team studying wild dolphins off the coast of Australia. Learn about how their research is yielding new insights into the remarkable intelligence and social structure of dolphins. This is a fascinating book—highly recommended. – Middle

đź”— Content Connection: Mammals. Learn more about mammals.

▶️ How smart are dolphins? from TED-Ed. "Dolphins are one of the smartest animal species on Earth. In fact, their encephalization quotient (their brain size compared to the average for their body size) is second only to humans." – All

▶️ The lovable (and lethal) sea lion from TED-Ed. “Sunning themselves on rocks or waddling awkwardly across the beach, it’s easy to think of sea lions more as sea house cats. But don’t be fooled by their beachside behavior. Under the waves, sea lions are incredible endurance hunters, reaching speeds of 18 miles an hour and hunting for up to 30 hours at a time.” – All

▶️ Inside the killer whale matriarchy from TED-Ed. “Pods of killer whales inhabit the waters of every major ocean on Earth. Each family is able to survive thanks mainly to one member, its most knowledgeable hunter: the grandmother. These matriarchs can live 80 years or more and their expertise can mean the difference between life and death for their families.” – All

▶️ Why do whales sing? from TED-Ed. “Communicating underwater is challenging. Light and odors don’t travel well, but sound moves about four times faster in water than in air—which means marine mammals often use sounds to communicate. The most famous of these underwater vocalizations is undoubtedly the whale song. Stephanie Sardelis decodes the evocative melodies composed by the world’s largest mammals.” – All

▶️ Why are blue whales so enormous? from TED-Ed. “Blue whales are the largest animals on the planet, but what helps them grow to the length of a basketball court? Asha de Vos explains why the size of krill make them the ideal food for the blue whale—it's as if the blue whale was made to eat krill (and krill was made to be eaten by the blue whale).” – All

sharks

đź“– If Sharks Disappeared by Lily Williams. In simple prose, Williams discusses the evolutionary history of sharks and their importance to ocean ecosystems. What would happen if these apex predators disappeared? The book examines the likely impact on ocean life, land animals and, ultimately, humans. A good accompaniment to a study of sharks or conservation. – Elementary

📖 Neighborhood Sharks by Katherine Roy. Follow a great white shark as it hunts for seals off the coast of California. Learn how the white shark's anatomy and finely-tuned senses make it a stealthy and highly effective hunter. – Elementary • Middle

▶️ Why are sharks so awesome? from TED-Ed. “Sharks have been celebrated as powerful gods by some native cultures. And today, sharks are recognized as apex predators of the world’s ocean. What is it that makes these fish worthy of our ancient legends and so successful in the seas?” – All

fish

▶️ Why are fish fish-shaped? from TED-Ed. “In tropical seas, flying fish leap out of the water, gliding for up to 200 meters, before dipping back into the sea. In the Indo-Pacific, a hunting sailfish swims up to 110 kilometers per hour. These feats are made possible by a fish’s form—which in most species is a smooth, long body, fins, and a tail. Lauren Sallan explains why these features are so common, and what it reveals about fish.” – All

▶️ Will the ocean ever run out of fish? from TED-Ed. “When most people think of fishing, we imagine relaxing in a boat and patiently reeling in the day’s catch. But modern industrial fishing—the kind that stocks our grocery shelves—looks more like warfare. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Jennifer Jacquet explain overfishing and its effects on ecosystems, food security, jobs, economies, and coastal cultures.” – All

coral reefs

📖 Coral Reefs by Jason Chin. On a trip to the library, a girl opens a book about coral reefs; as she begins to read, her surroundings change until she finds herself swimming among the reefs. Chin's Coral Reefs is a unique book in which the straightforward informational text is juxtaposed with fanciful illustrations. – Elementary

📖 Coral Reefs by Seymour Simon. This book is classic Seymour Simon: Every two-page spread features beautiful color photographs as well as basic information on coral reefs. Whether you buy or borrow, this book is certainly worth incorporating into a study of ocean habitats. – Elementary

đź“– The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs by Kate Messner. This nicely illustrated picture book describes how Ken Nedimyer and his Coral Restoration Foundation are working to restore the endangered coral reefs. Endnotes explain how kids can help and provide useful vocabulary. â€“ Elementary

▶️ Coral Bleaching from HHMI. "Zoom into a coral reef and discover photosynthetic algae inside the coral’s cells. Reef-building corals rely on these symbionts for their survival." – Middle • High

Zoom into a coral reef and discover photosynthetic algae inside the coral's cells. Reef-building corals rely on these symbionts for their survival. This stunning animation is perfect for all levels of biology and environmental science classes. Corals get their energy in part from microscopic symbiotic algae that live inside their cells.

scientist biographies

📖 Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle by Claire Nivola. This is a lovely illustrated biography of prominent oceanographer Sylvia Earle. The story discusses her childhood and touches on her many professional accomplishments. – Preschool • Elementary

📖 Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau by Jennifer Berne. This picture book biography of famed oceanographer and conservationist Jacques Cousteau would make a nice addition to a unit on the ocean. Or read Dan Yaccarino's The Fantastic Undersea Life of Jacques Cousteau - another lovely biography geared toward young kids. – Elementary

📖 Into the Deep by David Sheldon Here's the story of William Beebe, a naturalist, conservationist and deep sea explorer who helped to design the bathysphere. Short and simple; this is another good book to supplement a unit on oceanography. – Elementary

Fiction

📖 The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson. "When a tiny snail meets a humpback whale, the two travel together to far-off lands. It's a dream come true for the snail, who has never left home before. But when the whale swims too close to shore, will the snail be able to save her new friend?" – Preschool • Elementary

📖 Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James. "Dear Mr. Blueberry, I love whales very much and I think I saw one in my pond today. Please send me some information on whales." It's vacation time, so Emily has to write to her teacher to help when she discovers a blue whale living in her pond. Mr. Blueberry answers that she must be mistaken, because whales live in the ocean, not in ponds." Parents and children alike will get a kick out of this sweet, funny little book. – Preschool • Elementary

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