"Habitat Degradation: Ocean Acidification"
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Provided by: Jill Pelto Gallery|Published on: April 27, 2021
ArtworkScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this watercolor and colored pencil piece, scientist and artist Jill Pelto uses ocean pH data to illustrate how ocean acidification affects marine species like clownfish.
- The text below the artwork will help students understand why ocean acidification makes it difficult for clownfish to survive.
Subjects: Biology, Visual and Performing Arts
Authors: Jill Pelto Gallery
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students will learn that ocean acidification is destabilizing the ocean ecosystem.
- The linked references provide more information on the effects of ocean acidification on marine species.
Additional Prerequisites
- Students should be familiar with the following concepts: habitat degradation, pH levels, carbonic acid, and carbon emissions.
Differentiation
- In art classes, students could analyze how Pelto used color, line, and negative space to convey the clownfish's loss of habitat.
- In science classes, students could research other marine species that are having difficulty adapting to the increase in pH levels and make a poster or piece of digital artwork to showcase how ocean acidification impacts the species.
- Other resources on this topic include this experiment that shows students why ocean acidification occurs, and this lesson plan and video on the relationship between CO2 and the acidity of water.
Scientist Notes
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Jill Pelto
Jill Pelto is an artist and scientist whose work focuses on communicating human-environment connections. She incorporates scientific research and data directly into her watercolor paintings — from local trends to global changes. Jill’s artwork was featured on the cover of TIME Magazine in July 2020 and has inspired online features in Smithsonian and PBS News Hour. Jill has created a science-art activity based on this idea and has worked with K-12 students across the U.S. and beyond. By pairing graphical information with visual imagery, Jill hopes students can learn about and connect to climate change topics (good, bad, and in-between) in ways that educate and are emotionally relevant. This data-art activity is flexible and allows students to make their own graph art to share topics they care about.
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
