Ocean Currents and Drifters

• Grades 5th–12th
• Length: 3.5 hours
• Type: Lab & Field Activity

Students design and build current drifters, a type of technology scientists use to study ocean currents. Students deploy a full-size ocean drifter at the beach and track its motion using an app. The significance of nearshore currents in barrier island dynamics and the effects of ocean currents on the distribution of organisms, heat, energy, and other materials in the water are discussed.