The Ocean is the defining feature on our blue planet. All life, including our own, exists because of the ocean. Our lives depend, now and forever, on the health of the ocean.
Understanding the ocean is essential to comprehending and protecting this planet on which we live. The Ocean Literacy Guide presents a vision of an ocean-literate society and outlines the knowledge required to be considered ocean literate.
The Ocean Literacy campaign began as a grassroots effort to determine what everyone should know about the ocean. Ocean Literacy is now an important global concept. The National Marine Educators Association has played a critical role in the development of Ocean Literacy all over the world.
The NMEA Ocean Literacy website houses a wealth of resources—including the Ocean Literacy Framework, translations into a variety of languages, workshop presentations, webinar recordings, and background information—all designed to help educators plan and develop lessons and curriculum materials that ensure that our current and future society is ocean literate.
Visit the NMEA Ocean Literacy Website
Ocean Literacy Framework
The Ocean Literacy Framework comprises the Ocean Literacy Guide, the Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence for Grades K–12, and the Alignment of Ocean Literacy to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). This 3-part framework presents a vision of an ocean-literate society and outlines the knowledge required to be considered ocean literate.
The Ocean Literacy Guide describes the 7 most important ideas, or Essential Principles, about the ocean that all people of our water planet should have the opportunity to learn and understand.
The Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence for Grades K–12 provides educators with guidance as to what students need to comprehend in Grades K–2, Grades 3–5, Grades 6–8, and Grades 9–12 in order to achieve full understanding of the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts.
The Alignment of Ocean Literacy to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) describe the correlations between NGSS and the concepts included in the Ocean Literacy Guide, and the Ocean Literacy Scope & Sequence.