Explore This SectionScienceScience Activation1,000 Museum Visitors Dive…OverviewResourcesOpportunitiesCitizen ScienceHighlightsAbout Science Activation 3 min read1,000 Museum Visitors Dive Into NASA Sea Level Science on World Ocean DayParticipants reach into an augmented reality sandbox, reshaping the terrain as projected contour lines and colors illustrate topographic features and elevation changes.University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea GrantMore than 1,000 visitors explored NASA sea level science firsthand during World Ocean Day at the University of Georgia Aquarium on Skidaway Island on June 6, 2026. The free event was supported by NASA’s Science Activation program through the Sea Level Education, Awareness, and Literacy (SEAL) project – a national effort that connects NASA sea level rise data with educators and coastal communities, particularly those historically underserved and already experiencing sea level impacts.SEAL is a partnership between NASA and four NOAA Sea Grant programs working together to expand sea level rise understanding across U.S. coastal regions. By co-developing lesson plans, interactive activities, and place‑based learning experiences, SEAL helps educators engage learners with real NASA observations, models, and projections while strengthening community resilience to climate change.During World Ocean Day, SEAL partners at Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant and the Coastal Equity and Resiliency Hub at Georgia Tech led hands‑on activities that brought sea level science to life. Visitors played the “Tumbling Tower” game, where removing blocks represents different community impacts from rising seas, and made “sea level friendship bracelets” that used colored glass beads to represent observed sea level rise along local coastlines.The event also marked the debut of a new augmented reality sand box developed through SEAL. Guests shaped sand into coastal landscapes and watched NASA-informed sea level rise projections transform their creations in real time. Participants could experiment with resilience strategies, such as adding dunes or relocating homes, to see how adaptations might help communities prepare for future change.Educators – formal, informal, home-based, and more – attending the event were able to take home four different SEAL lesson plans designed for both classrooms and informal learning settings. These materials help students explore sea level rise processes, modeling, variation, and impacts through NASA data and interactive STEM activities. SEAL aims to make all lesson plans developed through the project available online, but until then, please email Shannon Matzke to request digital copies.“World Ocean Day is an annual tradition at the UGA Aquarium,” said Shannon Matzke, Marine Educator and Public Program Coordinator at UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant. “With the support of NASA’s Science Activation program, this year’s event was free, which allowed us to reach more people and different audiences than we typically see. Incorporating SEAL activities made the day even more impactful for visitors – many of whom live in coastal communities already experiencing the effects of sea level rise.”The SEAL project is supported by NASA cooperative agreement award number NNH21ZDA001N-SCIACT and is part of the NASA Science Activation Program portfolio, which connects learners with authentic NASA science experiences through partnerships with educators and community organizations.ShareDetailsLast UpdatedSep 08, 2026Related TermsScience ActivationEarth ScienceFor Colleges & UniversitiesOpportunities For Educators to Get InvolvedExplore More4 min readThe Otherworldly Geology of Vasquez RocksLayers of sedimentary rock that jut from the Soledad Basin at surprising angles have long…Article11 hours ago5 min readNASA Rocket Takes First Multi-Point Look Inside Radio-Disrupting CloudsArticle6 days ago7 min readA Changing World for Emperor PenguinsExperts are analyzing decades of images from Landsat satellites for clues about how the iconic…Article2 weeks agoKeep ExploringDiscover More Topics From NASAJames Webb Space TelescopeWebb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…Perseverance RoverThis rover and its aerial sidekick were assigned to study the geology of Mars and seek signs of ancient microbial…Parker Solar ProbeOn a mission to “touch the Sun,” NASA’s Parker Solar Probe became the first spacecraft to fly through the corona…JunoNASA’s Juno spacecraft entered orbit around Jupiter in 2016, the first explorer to peer below the planet’s dense clouds to…