Professional Development Workshop Brings Deep-Sea Science to Palau’s Middle and High School Classrooms

From March 31 to April 1, the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC), in collaboration with educators from NOAA Ocean Exploration and Palau’s Ministry of Education, successfully conducted a two-day professional development workshop for 27 school teachers across Palau. Although the focus was on middle and high school teachers, the workshop attracted a much wider range with teachers from third to ninth grade attending.

Titled, “Exploring the Deep Waters of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS) Professional Development Workshop”, the event focused on deep-sea science, offering educators an opportunity to expand their knowledge of ocean exploration, marine ecosystems, and research techniques. Through hands-on activities, interactive sessions, and expert-led discussions, participants gained valuable tools and resources to bring deep-sea topics into their classrooms.

Day 1 focused on why and how we explore. The teachers carried out a deep-sea mapping exercise, received a presentation on environmental DNA (eDNA) from a PICRC researcher, and went into detail about the variety of underwater robots used to explore our vastly unknown ocean.

Day 2 focused on deep-sea ecosystems and biodiversity with lessons on seamounts, deep-sea corals, light and color, and bioluminescence. 

Reflections, lesson planning and persuasive writing were also important components of the workshop. The teachers in attendance each received an Ocean Exploration Education Materials Collection binder of lessons and resources to help them implement the lessons in their classrooms.  

“This workshop is an important step in strengthening science education in Palau,” said Imade Tellei, Director of PICRC’s Outreach Department. “By equipping teachers with current knowledge and engaging teaching strategies, we are helping inspire the next generation of ocean stewards.”

In addition to the workshop, NOAA Ocean Exploration also provided teaching kits for distribution across the schools in Koror, Babeldaob, and the outlying states. These teaching kits contain all the supplies needed to carry out the lessons shared during the workshop. 

This collaboration reflects a shared commitment among PICRC, NOAA Ocean Exploration, and the Ministry of Education to support teacher development and enhance science learning opportunities for students throughout Palau.

This workshop follows two years of expeditions to map, explore, and characterize Palau’s deep waters, especially those within Palau National Marine Sanctuary. This multi-year effort—which included 2024 expeditions on E/V Nautilus and 2025 expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer—honors the commitment the United States made to Palau at the 2022 Our Ocean Conference. By prioritizing scientific discovery alongside community engagement and at-sea opportunities for Palauan students and researchers, the initiative ensures that the knowledge gained at sea is directly shared with Palau’s educators and the local community.