Coastal Discovery Center Field Trips
Immerse your students in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary through one of our exploratory field trip programs at the Coastal Discovery Center. Through experiential activities, students will gain a better understanding of the sanctuary and be inspired to protect this special place in the future. Programs are grade specific, support Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core to investigate the natural world, and include indoor and outdoor components.
We require a chaperone ratio of 1:8 for grades K-2 and a 1:10 ratio for grades 3-12. Chaperones do not count towards participant maximums. All field trip programs typically run for two hours and have a capacity of 30 students. Groups larger than 30 students may require additional accommodations to ensure meaningful program delivery. Contact us to inquire about fees for your group size, offered in partnership with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
Reservations are required for school field trip programs. Submit a request at least 30 days prior to your visit. For more information, email: mbnms.discoverycenter@noaa.gov or call (805) 927-2145.
Grades K-2: Beach Exploration and Coastal Discovery Center Tour
From large birds and mammals, to small insects and algae, the beach is home to many different creatures. What makes this habitat special and how can people help keep it safe for the animals—small and large— that call it home? Students will participate in a beach scavenger hunt to explore this ecosystem, then investigate what they found using their senses and science tools. Students will also have the opportunity to explore the exhibits of the Coastal Discovery Center where they will take a deeper dive into the sanctuary’s unique resources.
Grades 3-4: Beach Exploration, Coastal Discovery Center Tour, and Marine Mammal Sizing
From large birds and mammals, to small insects and algae, the beach is home to many different creatures. What makes this habitat special and how can people help keep it safe for the animals—small and large—that call it home? Students will participate in a beach scavenger hunt to explore this ecosystem, then investigate what they found using their senses and science tools. Following the scavenger hunt, they will explore the diversity of marine mammals through an interactive sizing activity. Students will also have the opportunity to explore the exhibits of the Coastal Discovery Center where they will take a deeper dive into the sanctuary’s unique resources.
Grades 4-5: Tide Pool Naturalist, Pier Oceanography, and Sanctuary Food Web
The animals and plants living on our shores together make up the intertidal ecosystem. Students will play a role as naturalists that use keen observation and journaling to discover the unique organisms that call this place home. Students will then use real oceanographic tools to study the current conditions of San Simeon Bay to understand what physical, biological, and chemical parameters affect marine life and how scientists monitor them. By monitoring these conditions over time, scientists can determine the health of the bay and how changes over time could influence the food web. Students will then analyze how human health could potentially affect the basis of the marine ecosystem.
Grades 6-8: Tide Pool Naturalist, San Simeon Bay Health Assessment, and Plankton Exploration
The animals and plants living on our shores together make up the intertidal ecosystem. Students will play a role as naturalists that use keen observation and field identification to discover the unique organisms that call this place home. Students will use real oceanographic tools to assess the health of San Simeon Bay by collecting and analyzing water samples from off of San Simeon Pier. Through this investigation in the field students will understand what physical, biological, and chemical parameters affect marine life and how scientists monitor them. By monitoring these conditions over time, scientists can determine the health of the bay and how changes over time could influence the animals we see.
In the next part of this program, students will explore the tiny drifters of the ocean: plankton! Students will learn that plankton are the basis of the marine food web, are critical for producing oxygen on Earth, and can be important indicators of ocean health. Additionally, using scientific tools, students will conduct a plankton tow off the San Simeon Pier. Back in the Coastal Discovery Center, students will investigate the sample under microscopes to see which species of plankton are currently in the ocean.
Grades 9-12: Marine Debris, San Simeon Bay Health Assessment, and Plankton Lab
Practice becoming a scientist while helping to protect Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Using scientific protocols, your students will collect debris, make observations, and keep detailed records. Sanctuary naturalists will lead your students in a discussion on the causes and effects of marine debris. Students will use real oceanographic tools to assess the health of San Simeon Bay by collecting and analyzing water samples from off of San Simeon Pier. Through this investigation in the field, students will understand what physical, biological, and chemical parameters affect marine life and how scientists monitor them. By monitoring these conditions over time, scientists can determine the health of the bay and how changes over time could influence the animals we see.
Students will learn that plankton are the basis of the marine food web, are critical for producing oxygen on Earth, and can be important indicators of ocean health. Additionally, using scientific tools, students will conduct a plankton tow off the San Simeon Pier. Back in the Coastal Discovery Center, students will investigate the sample under microscopes to see which species of plankton are currently in the ocean and how different species can impact marine ecosystems.