Under Pressure Workshop

Under Pressure Workshop

Discovering the Incredible Adaptations that Enable Marine Mammals to Explore the Ocean’s Depths

Marine Mammals share many traits with humans – they have large brains for their body size, they breathe air, and can become infected by similar diseases. However, one unique difference is that marine mammals are capable of deep diving by tolerating immense pressure. This workshop will focus on marine mammal adaptations to diving in the ocean and how they compare to human diving physiology.

Marine mammals are recognizable, charismatic animals. They are also some of the ocean’s most long lived top predators, and serve as sentinels of environmental health hazards in our oceans. This workshop is not only intended to educate the community on the impressive diving adaptations of marine mammals and introduce young people to the underwater world, but also to address the conservation issues of marine mammals, their application to humans, and how each of us can protect our shared oceans.

Under Pressure Workshop Resources

Under Pressure Activity Book

Grades Pre-K -5
Activity book covers various topics related to marine mammal adaptations. Complete science experiments and challenge yourself to think critically about ocean-based STEAM topics.

Under Pressure Infographic

Grades: Pre-K- 5
Explore the many physiological adaptations of marine mammals in this fascinating infographic.

NMMF SCUBA Grant Recipients

Marine mammals are significantly more adapted to their aquatic environment than humans, possessing a wide range of specialized features that enable them to thrive underwater. We humans can get some idea of these adaptations through SCUBA diving, where we learn about buoyancy control, pressure tolerance, breathing adaptations, temperature regulation, and underwater vision, among others. 

May 2023

The NMMF Community Engagement Team, with support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), sponsored two high school students in earning their SCUBA certifications.

Congratulations to Angelina A., Preuss School, University of California San Diego and Noah S., Outdoor Outreach!

Instructor: Chris Fischer, Beyond Land Adventures

"I found so much value in this experience and my certification. I can explore a whole new world and feel like a new person. This experience has made me feel like I can take on anything. I've proven to my parents that I'm the strong daughter they raised me to be."
AngelinaStudent, Preus School, University of San Diego
"This experience has taught me to be adaptive in hard situations and to demonstrate the importance of being a good listener and the true adventure of scuba diving for the first time. I was not in a good mental health space before going on this trip and I was pretty down and about in my life. But when I heard back from my mom that I was going to go and be able to learn how to scuba dive I was so ecstatic and happy. This experience moved me and helped me feel more accomplished as a person."
NoahStudent, Outdoor Outreach

Get in Touch!

Do you have questions about the Under Pressure workshop? Interested in talking to our Community Outreach team? Please contact us!