Sea Otters, Brain Illness, and Climate Change
June 8, 2027
In this hands-on teacher workshop, we will explore how climate change can influence wildlife and human health—focusing on sea otter mortality along the California coast and an outbreak of encephalitis in a New York City neighborhood.
AM Session:
Follow a real-life scenario to investigate the cause of sea otter deaths on the California coast. Analyze postmortem photos, conduct simulated lab tests for biological toxins, interpret evidence to identify the source of the toxin killing sea otters, use a food web diagram to explain how toxin concentrations rise, test toxin effects on human liver cells, and design a public health sign explaining algal bloom risks and prevention.
After a 1-hour lunch…
PM Session:
Investigate a real encephalitis outbreak in a New York City neighborhood. Conduct simulated antibody testing to identify the virus responsible for the illness, analyze viral RNA sequences to determine whether bird deaths are linked to the outbreak, learn how West Nile virus is transmitted, and explore how climate change may influence mosquito populations and impact human health.
Together, these two investigations illustrate how a warming world can reshape ecosystems, concentrate biological toxins, shift disease patterns, and affect both wildlife and people.