Inspire your students with a series of interactive live lessons to help them learn about the preservation of coral reefs during this year’s AXA XL Coral Live event.
Hosted at the CARMABI Marine Research and Biodiversity station in the Caribbean on 11-15 November, AXA XL Coral Live connects elementary and secondary students to frontline researchers.
The live events offer teachers a unique way to explore – through the geography and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) curricula – field research investigating the restoration of endangered coral species and vulnerable ecosystems.
Covering less than one percent of the marine environment, coral reefs are home to a quarter of ocean species and are important nursery habitats for edible fish. Climate change, coastal development, pollution, and over-fishing are threatening these habitats, which an estimated one billion humans depend on.
The coral habitat could be the first ecosystem wiped out by climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on 1.5°C concludes that “Coral reefs are projected to decline by a further 70%–90% at 1.5°C…with larger losses over 99% at 2°C.”
“Running for a fourth year, AXA XL Coral Live is a captivating way to engage young people on sustainable issues at scale,” said Chip Cunliffe, Director of Sustainable Development at AXA XL. “It forms part of AXA XL Oceans Education’s mission to ignite young people’s curiosity for the natural world, inspire future STEM careers and engage in environmental stewardship.”
AXA XL Coral Live is a great way to deliver education for the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 13 on climate change and SDG 14 on oceans. Teachers can register for any of the 25 free live lessons, which will help to build competences such as developing literacy, working scientifically and gaining knowledge direct from experts in the field.
Jamie Buchanan-Dunlop, educator and founder of Encounter Edu, will be broadcasting live from the CARMABI, hosting field researchers, marine biologists and science communicators to explore the daily themes of corals and restoration, ecosystems, threats to the reef, climate change and ocean acidification, and adaptation.
Teachers are encouraged to sign up for the live investigations, interactive interviews with experts and the ask-me-anything sessions. Each broadcast has a host of supporting resources from activities and lesson plans to galleries, which can be accessed when registering on Encounter Edu.
