The Minnesota Sea Grant Education Sub-program provided funds to the University of Minnesota in 1980 to develop aquatic education materials (dealing with freshwater systems) for grades 5-9. The project resulted in the development and classroom testing of 13 instructional modules. A second grant (1982) funded workshops to introduce Minnesota teachers to aquatic activities. The project also produced two sourcebooks cataloging these materials. A group of science educators then met to develop a set of objectives for aquatic education unique to Minnesota educational needs. These objectives, presented in the form of critical topic areas (water and society, water in nature, and attitudes/experiences) provided the focus for an assessment of Northern Minnesota teachers' knowledge and priority for selected aquatic education topics. Fifty-five teachers attending one of four workshops on environmental education completed a questionnaire (included in an appendix), assessing knowledge of and educational priorities for sixteen aquatic topics. Although teachers rated themselves as knowledgeable about aquatic topics, they rated aquatic topics low in educational priority when compared to teachers in Mississippi and Alabama. However, six topics appear to be prime areas for future curriculum development. These include aquatic ecology, water table, wetlands, toxic waste dumping, aquatic foodwebs, and influence of aquatic environment on man. (Author/JN)