What are Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)?
Visit this site by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to find out what causes harmful algal blooms, such as red tides. Why is the term "red tide" a misleading term for these harmful algal blooms?
Harmful Algal Blooms
At this site by the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) you can learn more about red tides and other harmful algal blooms. You can click on any of the links provided, or scroll down to learn more about the planktonic organisms that cause HABs. What other colors can HABs be besides red?
Humongous Fungus
Humongous Fungus, A New Kind of Individual: Read about the honey mushroom, a fungus with the scientific name Armillaria ostoyae. The site explains how scientists study this particular organism. How does this species challenge how we usually think about individual organisms?
World’s Largest Living Organism Found
Armillaria ostoyae: Visit this site to read about the fungus, Armillaria ostoyae, the largest living organism. It has a diameter of 3.5 miles (5.6 km). What are the distinguishing characteristics of this organism?
Armillaria Root Disease
Go to this site to find out how armillaria root disease affects trees. Armillaria ostoyae is the member of this genus that causes problems because it acts in conjunction with insects and other pathogens to damage trees. How can the spread of this fungus be controlled?
Natural Perspective: The Fungus Kingdom
Go to this site to learn all about fungi, especially the club fungi, the Basidiomycota. Which of the following is a club fungus that you would definitely NOT want to eat: Agaricus, Amanita, or Boletus?
Subdivision: Basidiomycotina
At this site you can read about the club fungi and how they reproduce. The site includes a graphic and several photographs of hyphae, basidia, spores, and various types of club fungi. What order of Basidiomycotina includes the bird’s nest fungi?
Welcome to the Mushroom Club!
Although this site is intended for younger students, you can still learn something about club fungi here by clicking on any of the activities listed. You can click on experiments to find out how to grow your own fungi, or click on cook with Fun Gus to learn what kinds of mushrooms can be used in cooking.
Chocolate – an Introduction
Visit this site to learn about the history of chocolate, a product that dates back at least 4000 years. The Aztecs used cocoa beans as currency and first produced a cocoa mass by fermenting, drying, roasting, and grinding the beans. Who first introduced chocolate to Western Europe?
How Chocolate Works
Go to this site to learn all about how chocolate is made. Once the beans are processed, they are ground up to form chocolate liquor. What two products can be formed from chocolate liquor?
Chocolate Information Center
At this site, you can read recent news and information about chocolate. Use the information in the "Scientific Research" portion of the web site to create a class newsletter that describes the latest scientific discoveries about chocolate.
Cacao Diseases
The Impact of Plant Diseases on World Chocolate Production: Visit this site to learn about the plant diseases that are affecting cacao trees in Latin America and West Africa. Fungal diseases are destroying many cacao trees worldwide. What is being done to combat this problem?
