Make an Ocean Ecosystem Dessert

illustration of a fish, coral, and seaweed in the ocean

It’s hard to imagine life on Earth without oceans. The air you breathe used to be an ocean breeze. The water you drink was once in a cloud over the ocean.

The ocean is also important to the many species of plants and animals that call the water their home. This community of organisms is called an ecosystem.

Human-caused climate change is warming our planet, and the oceans are feeling the heat. Plants and animals in the ocean ecosystem are sensitive to changes in the ocean’s temperature. Some organisms can adapt to the change, but others can’t survive the warmer temperatures. Since so much life is dependent on these waters, it’s important to keep the oceans healthy!

Scientists are monitoring the temperature of the ocean with an instrument called the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. The satellite measures the temperature of the top millimeter of the ocean’s surface.

With this activity, learn to make a cool and tasty version of the ocean ecosystem at home!

What you need:

ingredients on table, such as red licorice, blue gelatin dessert, glass bowl, gummy fish

A large, clear bowl
2 – 6 oz boxes of blue gelatin dessert mix
Red licorice twists
Gummy fish
Scissors
Mint leaves
Hot water
Cold water
Liquid measuring cup (not pictured)
Spoon (not pictured)

What to do:

Make the ocean water. Follow the directions on the box of blue gelatin dessert mix by pouring 2 cups of hot water into the bowl with 2 packages of blue gelatin powder. Stir for 2 minutes. Once the powder is dissolved, mix in 2 cups of cold water. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for approximately 45 minutes.

Note: This amount of time should allow the gelatin to become a thick liquid that is only slightly firm.

photo of blue gelatin powder being poured into a clear bowl of water

Make the coral. While the gelatin is in the refrigerator, use the scissors to cut the red licorice strips into short sections that are only a few inches long. The licorice will represent the coral in your edible ecosystem.

photo of scissors cutting red licorice into short sections

Make the seaweed. Cut the mint into segments approximately 2 to 3 inches long. The mint leaves will represent the seaweed in your edible ocean ecosystem.

Remove gelatin from refrigerator. After 45 minutes has passed, remove your gelatin from the refrigerator. It should be thicker than liquid, but not completely firm. If the gelatin is still very runny, place it back in the refrigerator for 10 minutes and check it again.

Assemble your ocean ecosystem. Once the gelatin has become a thick liquid, begin placing your seaweed (mint), coral (licorice), and fish (gummy fish) in the ocean of blue gelatin. Push each item into the gelatin with your finger. Be sure to place some of your fish, coral, and seaweed right next to the glass so that they’re easy to see. When you’re done, jiggle the gelatin a bit to repair the holes.

photo of finger pushing mint leaves into partially set blue gelatin

Refrigerate the gelatin again. Place gelatin in the refrigerator for another 2 to 3 hours. This will allow the gelatin to become totally firm.

Admire and enjoy your tasty ocean-themed dessert!

photo of finished ocean ecosystem activity, with gummy fish, mint leaves, and red licorice in blue gelatin

Related NASA Missions

Aqua

Ocean Dwellers

Learn more about some of the plants and animals of the ocean ecosystem!

Fish

There are more than 20,000 species of fish in the ocean. Some eat tiny organisms called plankton, some eat plants, and some eat other fish. Fish are an important food source for bigger animals, like whales, dolphins, and even humans.

Seaweed

On land, forests of trees provide shade, food, and housing for many animals. In the ocean, forests made from kelp (a type of seaweed) can do the same thing! While many fish eat the kelp, the seaweed forests also provide shelter and protection for many types of sea life.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Coral

When you first see coral, they often look like big rocky structures. But they are actually communities of living organisms! Corals are tiny animals that glue themselves to rocks on the ocean floor, called reefs. Coral reefs are important homes for fish and other ocean life, but they are also very sensitive to temperature changes in the ocean.

Learn about coral bleaching with this coral bleaching simulation.

Image credits (from top): Photo of fish [Photo by João Batista Campos (Flickr Creative Commons)]; Photo of kelp [Photo by Fred Hsu (Wikipedia Creative Commons)]; Photo of diver and coral [NOAA’s National Ocean Services (Flickr)]

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