In the U.S., where over half of us live along the coast and more than 78 percent of our overseas trade by volume comes and goes along our marine highways, the health of our coasts is intricately connected to the health of our nation's economy. The National Ocean Service (NOS) translates science, tools, and services into action, to address threats to coastal areas such as climate change, population growth, port congestion, and contaminants in the environment, all working towards healthy coasts and healthy economies.

Students will use the Flood Explorer model to investigate the factors that influence flooding. Students also examine real-world case studies to consider and articulate factors that influence the risk and impact of floods including scientific factors (elevation, permeability) and social factors (people and infrastructure) on a local and regional scale. Finally, students will explore the effect of rising global temperatures on inland flooding and be able to answer the guiding question: How will flood risks and impacts change over the next 100 years?

Analyze mapped watershed data, visualize monitoring data, and run model simulations of human impacts on water quality.