| |
|
|
 |
|
Welcome!
|
|
|
The New Year means new beginnings, new opportunities, and a brand new chance to turn our future in the right
direction! Take advantage of all the opportunities that exist to make this year a brand new start for our ocean planet.
The Ocean Project provides this e-newsletter as a free service to our contacts at zoos, aquariums, museums, conservation organizations, schools,
agencies, and others involved in our Partner network.
Please forward widely and encourage colleagues and friends to subscribe (through the link in left column).
In this issue...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1) Get Ready Now for World Ocean Day 2006!
Six months and counting until World Ocean Day 2006! Last year’s events around World Ocean Day on June 8 were a great success, with dozens of our partners from around the globe celebrating our world’s ocean. The Ocean Project is committed to helping coordinate this event worldwide and providing resources to our partners interested in hosting World Ocean Day activities. Our new website for WOD will be up and running shortly. In the meantime, please visit http://www.theoceanproject.org/news/oceanday.html for a list of events from previous years as well as a suite of ideas on how your organization might encourage your visitors and members to celebrate World Ocean Day.
Please contact Denise Washko, dlwashko@TheOceanProject.org, World Ocean Day Coordinator, if you have any questions or ideas. Denise is working with key individuals around the world to make WOD in ’06 better than ever!
2) Can we Tie Global Concerns to the Lives of Everyday People?
Just over a year ago, two committed environmental activists released a report proclaiming "the death of environmentalism." In so doing, they sparked a debate that continues to this day. While some have suggested that both the authors and their accusations emerged from nowhere, they in fact put a spotlight on some recurrent, yet seldom influential, criticisms leveled by minority voices within the movement. If these criticisms are correct, the environmental movement, and the progressive left of which it is a part, will need to be remade in ways that go beyond a mere tinkering with policies, personnel, or priorities. This critique demands changes not only in what environmental organizations do but also in what they are...
In summary, two sorts of change are needed. One is to elevate "politics" as a discussion about values and a constructive vision for the future. Another is to reconnect "environment" to the realm of everyday concerns with quality of life and livelihood. By pursuing both there are opportunities to build a more powerful movement to promote the well-being of communities and ecosystems together...
The full article in The American Prospect is well worth the read:
http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=ViewPrint&articleId=10310
3) US Congress to Continue Funding for Educational Initiatives at NOAA
Thanks to the hard work of many The Ocean Project Partners, specifically the Campaign for Environmental Literacy (CEL), Congress will continue to provide funding for new educational initiatives at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In light of the cuts that many line items in the NOAA budget took during the final budget reconciliation process, it is a strong testament to the persuasive powers of many dedicated people that this $6.45 million remained intact. The degree of bipartisan support demonstrated within Congress for ocean/environmental literacy during this process was especially encouraging. Additionally, the NOAA Administrator has agreed to fund much of the Office of Education and Sustainable Development’s (OESD) internal operating expenses in FY06 from another line item, thus freeing up an additional $1 million of the $6.45 million for program use. At CEL’s request, NOAA will be distributing this new $1 million to the ocean/environmental education community by increasing the budget of its environmental literacy competitive grants program from $2.5m to $3.5m. Senators Shelby (R-AL) and Mikulski (D-MD) and Representatives Wolf (R-VA) and Mollohan (D-WV) displayed tremendous dedication when they chose to restore and then defend this OESD budget item.
For more information, please see http://www.fundee.org/.
4) Movement in US Congress on Federal Fisheries Law
After several years of waiting, in December the U.S. Senate’s Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee “marked-up” legislation to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), the nation’s primary ocean fishery law. The bill is expected to be taken up by the full Senate as early as this month.
The MSA has formed the basis of U.S. fishery management in waters between three and 200 miles offshore, an area known as the Exclusive Economic Zone. The measure avoids language for ecosystems-based management recommended by the U.S. Ocean Commission but has won surprising praise from a wide spectrum of groups, most saying it’s not everything they wanted but commending it as progress. “Overall we think this bipartisan bill is moving in a positive direction, and we look forward to continuing to work with Congress to make it even stronger,” commented Lee Crockett of the Marine Fish Conservation Network.
There are many opportunities for The Ocean Project Partners to get involved. For more information visit: http://www.conservefish.org/site/ or contact Lee Crocket, Director, at: lcrockett@conservefish.org.
5) Report Released on Public’s Trust in Charities
The Charitable Impulse: Those who give to charities and those who run them talk about what's needed to keep the public trust. A Report from Public Agenda for the Kettering Foundation and Independent Sector by Ana Maria Arumi, Ruth Wooden and Jean Johnson with Steve Farkas, Ann Duffett and Amber Ott says that American donors are passionate and positive about the charities and nonprofits they support. But at the same time, according to focus groups, there are strong and spontaneous negative reactions when nonprofits adopt big-business type marketing and sales techniques.
Typical giving tends to be based on personal experience and emotional connections. But givers also have a long memory for scandal and waste. And the current congressional debate over accounting changes and increased regulation and reporting for nonprofits scarcely registers at all with this group. Donors also discussed their feelings on government regulations and marketing techniques, showing the most approval for charities when they behaved the least like big businesses.
Get the full report at: http://publicagenda.org/research/research_reports_details.cfm?list=94.
6) American Prospect Report on Environment
In October, the American Prospect released a special report on the environment. The report details issues such as Hurricane Katrina’s influence on America’s energy consumption and the fight to stop an urban asthma epidemic. To read the full report, go here: http://www.prospect.org/web/page.ww?section=root&name=Environment.
If you’d like a complimentary print copy, contact Dorian Friedman: dfriedman@prospect.org.
7) Fishing Industry’s Fuel Efficiency Worsens as Ocean Fish Populations Thin
If the fishing industry were a country, it would rank with the Netherlands as the world's 18th-largest oil consumer, a team of fisheries scientists is reporting in the current issues of the journal Ambio. In 2000, the scientists said, fisheries around the world burned about 13 billion gallons of fuel to catch 80 million tons of fish. And although the fish-per-gallon ratio varies widely from species to species, they said, it is getting worse over all
because boats must venture farther and farther out to sea in search of dwindling stocks. "This is the only major industry in the world that is getting more and more energy-inefficient," said Daniel Pauly, director of the Fisheries Center of the University of British Columbia and one of the report's authors. While other researchers have compiled fuel data for particular species of fish in particular regions, this article is the first to sum up the global picture, experts said.
But it also shows how vulnerable fishing is to increases in fuel costs, said Peter H. Tyedmers, an ecologist at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, who led the work. European experts predict that as much as 30 percent of Europe's fishing fleet may remain at the dock this winter because of fuel costs, he said, adding that the industry's sensitivity to fuel costs is alarming given the importance of fish in the world's diet. In the report, the scientists said fisheries accounted for about 1.2 percent of global oil consumption, and they use about 12.5 times as much energy to catch fish as the fish provide to those who eat them.
More information: http://ambio.allenpress.com/ambioonline/?request=get-abstract&issn=0044-7447&volume=034&issue=08&page=0635 or contact Peter Tyedmers at: Peter.Tyedmers@Dal.Ca.
8) Aquaculture Accounts for a Third of Global Fisheries Production
World aquaculture production now accounts for 32 percent of total fisheries production, according to 'The State of Food and Agriculture 2005,' a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Most of the expansion has been attributable to China, which is now responsible for more than two-thirds of total aquaculture production in volume terms (28.9 million tonnes in 2003). More than 38 million fishers and fish farmers gain their livelihoods from capture fisheries and aquaculture. Globally, fish provide about 15 percent of animal proteins consumed, with variations from an average 23 percent in Asia to approximately 18 percent in Africa and around 7 percent in Latin America and the Caribbean. Developments in the world supply of fish over the past decade have been dominated by trends in China, which has reported very strong growth in fish production, in particular from inland aquaculture, and has become the world's largest fish producer.
To download The State of Food and Agriculture 2005, go to: http://www.fao.org/es/esa/en/pubs_sofa.htm
9) Australia Presents Plans for First Major Deep-water MPA Network
Australia has unveiled plans to protect 171,000 square kilometers of southern seas in a network of designated marine protected areas (MPAs).The marine regions off southeastern Tasmania, Victoria, eastern South Australia, and far south New South Wales are the first major network of deep-water MPAs in the world. They are designed to protect undersea mountains and canyon systems and the wide range of unknown species they harbor. The network's launch follows years of scientific research and consultation with the commercial fishing, oil and gas industries, and members of the conservation movement. Forty percent of the proposed MPA network is to be highly protected, with a further 40 percent protected in areas where commercial fishing is prohibited.
More information: http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/mpa/southeast/index.html.
10) Marine Census Shows Diversity as Well as Declines
A massive census of all the fish and other marine life in the world's ocean has reached the halfway point, with new evidence of the rich diversity under the sea along with warnings about the alarming decline of many species. The 10-year international project that began in 2000 has already tracked the migration of tuna from Japan to California and back, along with the movement of endangered British Columbia salmon with implanted computer chips. "We're sending animals out with the equivalent of cell phones and they're telling us where they are," said Ron O'Dor, senior scientist for the Census of Marine Life. The data from the tracking program could help researchers and fishery managers conserve stocks of many species of large fish that have declined by about 90 percent over the last 50 years. Jane Lubchenco, an Oregon State University marine biologist and president of the International Council for Science, said the census will help raise awareness about the urgent need for international cooperation to preserve marine life. "I think there's definitely increasing recognition that we can no longer think about the ocean as infinitely vast, infinitely bountiful and infinitely resilient," Lubchenco said. "There are problems everywhere." But she said she was encouraged by the amount of biological diversity the census has found in the first five years. "The expectation was there would be new discoveries," Lubchenco said. "What's blown us away is how much there is out there that we didn't know about before. It's big stuff, it's little tiny stuff that's been coming in from this project. It's been pretty sobering."
More information: http://www.enn.com/today.html?id=9486.
For more on the Census of Marine Life, go to: http://www.coml.org/
11) Growing Concern Over Ecosystem Implications of Antarctic Krill Fishery
Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is central in the Antarctic food chain. The different components of the Antarctic marine ecosystem are made up of predators that rely, directly or indirectly, upon the health of the krill populations. Antarctic krill has a circumpolar distribution and is very abundant in the Southern Ocean.
The Antarctic krill fishery has been the largest fishery in the Southern Ocean since the late 1970s. In most recent years, almost all krill fishing vessels have been operating in coastal areas of the South West Atlantic region, where the catch rate has historically been higher. This fishery is the largest crustacean fishery in the world and it has prospects for becoming the largest global fishery. There is potential for a rapid expansion of the fishery in future years, as krill-processing technology develops and demand for krill products increases. This raises concerns about the future of the vulnerable and still little understood Antarctic marine ecosystem...
For this complete article and much more on krill, visit http://www.lighthouse-foundation.org/index.php?id=176&L=1 or contact Rodolfo Werner, Coordinator for the Forum for the Conservation of the Patagonian Sea and Areas of Influence at: coordforum@gmail.com.
12) Overfishing May Drive Endangered Seabirds to Lower-Quality Food
The effects of overfishing may have driven marbled murrelets, an endangered seabird found along the Pacific coast, to increasingly rely upon less nutritious food sources, according to a new study by biologists at the University of California, Berkeley. The results, to be published online by early March 2006 in the journal Conservation Biology, suggest that feeding further down the food web may have played a role in low levels of reproduction observed in contemporary murrelet populations, and has likely contributed to the seabirds' listing as an endangered species, the researchers said. "The dietary patterns of today's marbled murrelets might be artifacts of the profound changes that coastal marine ecosystems world-wide have undergone because of overfishing," said Steve Beissinger, professor of conservation biology in UC Berkeley's Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management and principal investigator of the study. "What better place to investigate this process than in Monterey Bay, where sardines once were king and Cannery Row formerly stood?" The researchers decided to embark on this study when they noticed that the population of 600 marbled murrelets they were studying in central California had very low levels of reproductive success. "You'd expect birds to nest every year, but we found that in some years, as many as 90 percent of the murrelets we were studying weren't nesting," said Beissinger. "Even in the good years, only 50 percent of the seabirds were nesting, and for those that did, many nests failed for a variety of reasons."
More information: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/12/051231180326.htm
13) World’s Second-Largest Freshwater Lake Drying Up
Over the recent years, and especially since 2003, there has been a marked drop in the water level of Lake Victoria, Africa's largest lake and a major source of fresh water, livelihoods, and aquatic life. At some points the receding shoreline is prominent. Most conspicuous is at the source of River Nile, where the old water-works concrete slabs are sticking out. Several years ago they were submerged by about a meter or two. "It has emerged that the dropping water levels will lead to extinction of marine life forms and affect breeding grounds of fish," said a report entitled "Study on Water Management of Lake Victoria," according to an article in Uganda's leading newspaper. The report said the wetlands and the bays where the fish, such as tilapia, migrate during the breeding season could be cut off from the lake as the water level continues to drop. "We could be harvesting the last stocks of fish from the lake because the breeding should have been reduced by lowering of the water,'" said a source.
More information: http://www.sundayvision.co.ug/detail.php?mainNewsCategoryId=7&newsCategoryId=132&newsId=473712
14) European Union Settles for Half Measure on Cod Crisis
The European Union (EU) has given fishermen permission to catch half of the present haul of cod in the North Sea next year. That is despite scientific advice for the fourth consecutive year that catches should be cut to zero to protect stocks from collapse. The EU decided against a total ban on cod fishing. The deal was reached after one of the bleakest assessments on record for fish stocks after over-fishing of deep sea species including plaice and blue whiting and last year's collapse of industrial fishing for sand eels.
Prof David Read, the vice-president of the Royal Society, said: "This is not the time for half measures to save cod. The scientists' warning is as stark as it gets: there needs to be a total ban on cod fishing in the North Sea. Yet, amid the horse trading that happens at the European Fisheries Council, ministers seem to have lost sight of the fact that unless they heed the independent scientific advice there will soon be no cod for them to haggle over, for fishermen to catch or to bequeath to our children."
SOURCE: Charles Clover, News Telegraph, 2 January 2006.
News link: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/12/23/ncod23.xml.
Link to the scientific advice: www.ices.dk
15) European Union States Face Legal Action Over Whales, Dolphins
The European Commission says that member states must do more to protect their dolphins, whales, and porpoises from dangers like pollution and illegal fishing or face legal action. Brussels has taken the first legal steps against eight countries after receiving numerous complaints from marine life campaigners that they are not doing enough to monitor and protect their marine mammals. The countries facing legal action are Belgium, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the UK. They could end up before the Luxembourg- based European Court of Justice if they fail to tighten up their monitoring. Under EU law, whales, dolphins, and porpoises are classed as "species of community interest," obliging governments to look after them. Member states must designate special conservation areas for the bottlenose dolphin and harbor porpoise, and they must monitor the conservation status of each species.
More information: http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/dec2005/2005-12-20-04.asp
16) Europeans Found to Prefer Responsibly Sourced Seafood
In the first-ever poll of European consumers, supermarkets, chefs and restaurateurs on attitudes toward seafood and the ocean, 79 percent said that the environmental impact of seafood is an important factor in their purchasing decisions. The new study, commissioned by The Ocean Project Partners, the Seafood Choices Alliance, in partnership with WWF, Greenpeace, the Marine Conservation Society, and the North Sea Foundation, reveals that 86 percent of consumers would prefer to buy seafood that is labeled as environmentally responsible. Consumers say that reassurance is more important than price, and 40 percent are willing to pay 5-10 percent more for seafood identified as eco-friendly. Conducted in the UK, Germany and Spain, the study also found an emerging activism for protecting the ocean through the choices that seafood buyers make: 95 percent of consumers and 85 percent of seafood professionals say they want more information about how to buy sustainable seafood. The study also highlighted great concern among Europeans about the state of the ocean, with 88 percent of seafood professionals and 85 percent of consumers saying they were quite or very concerned. Knowledge of specific threats to the ocean environment is also high, with 71 percent of professionals aware of overfishing and more than half of consumers acknowledging bycatch and overfishing.
More information: http://www.seafoodchoices.org/europeanmarketresearch/release.shtml.
17) Mangroves Saved Lives in 2004 Tsunami
Healthy mangrove forests helped save lives in the Asian tsunami disaster, a new report has said. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) compared the death toll from two villages in Sri Lanka that were hit by the devastating giant waves. Two people died in the settlement with dense mangrove and scrub forest, while up to 6,000 people died in the village without similar vegetation. Many forests in the past were felled to build prawn farms and tourist resorts. The IUCN report said this shows that healthy ecosystems acted as natural barriers. "It saved a lot of lives as well as properties," said Vimukthi Weeratunga, IUCN's biodiversity coordinator in Sri Lanka.
Coral reefs were also in the direct path of the tsunami. Fears for these ecosystems were allayed after initial surveys found that there had not been widespread, long-term damage. But they did not escape unharmed. Debris and silt from the shore was washed out to sea and covered the reefs. Twelve months later, the IUCN has found that reefs which were in good shape before the waves struck are recovering much more quickly than degraded sites.
More information: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4547032.stm
18) Audubon Nature Institute Post-Katrina Summary
Hurricane Katrina dealt a significant blow to several The Ocean Project Partner Institutions along the Gulf of Mexico coast, including New Orleans-based Audubon Nature Institute’s museums and parks. Audubon Aquarium of the Americas lost over 95% of its collection when back-up power systems failed; Audubon Zoo and Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species suffered severe wind damage; and Audubon Louisiana Nature Center stood in 5’ of floodwater for several weeks.
Pre-Katrina, Audubon was a major economic engine, an invaluable educational resource, and a provider of family education and fun. As the Gulf Coast slowly recovers, the Zoo, Aquarium and parks are more important than ever because they offer residents clean, safe environments for spending time with their families. Audubon is playing a vital role in New Orleans’ rebirth as it works to reopen Louisiana’s most popular attractions.
Audubon Zoo now welcomes guests on a weekends-only schedule; Audubon and Woldenberg Parks are open; and Research Center scientists are back in their labs. The Aquarium and Entergy IMAX Theatre will reopen Summer 2006. Because Audubon relies on proceeds from admissions, catering, gift shop sales, concessions and programs to operate its educational attractions, every day that a paid-admission facility is closed to the public means that no revenue is earned—but critical daily functions like feeding and caring for over 1,500 animals continue. Financial support from compassionate people everywhere helps Audubon provide outstanding care for its animals until its facilities are fully operational. The Ocean Project encourages you to learn how you can be part of Audubon’s recovery by visiting www.auduboninstitute.org and we will keep you informed regularly on how to help.
|
|
|
|
|
19) National Research Council Seeking Nominations
The Ocean Studies Board of the National Research Council is soliciting nominations of individuals to serve on its Committee on International Capacity Building for the Protection and Sustainable Use of Oceans and Coasts. The study will identify barriers to effective management of coastal and marine resources encountered in coastal nations, particularly in the developing world. The committee will examine current and past efforts to build the scientific, technological and institutional capacities required for countries to develop and implement effective coastal and marine resource policies. The committee will recommend ways in which the United States, working in partnership with governments, international bodies and stakeholders, can help strengthen the marine protection and management capacity of other countries. This will include recommendations on how capacity building activities can be translated into sustainable environmental and economic programs. The committee will be comprised of 12 individuals with expertise in the following areas: ecology, oceanography, geology, environmental toxicology, environmental engineering, public policy, and coastal and ocean resource management. Some individuals may be able to fill more than one category. Nominations of non-U.S. scientists, engineers, and managers are particularly encouraged. If you would like to nominate someone to serve on this committee, please contact Jodi Bostrom with his/her name, institution, area of expertise, contact information, and any other comments concerning their suitability for participation no later than February 15, 2006 to obtain a nominations form.
Contact Information: Jodi (Bachim) Bostrom, Ocean Studies Board, National Research Council,
National Academy of Sciences, The National Academies, 500 Fifth Street, NW, Room 709
Washington, DC 20001, (202) 334-2628, (202) 334-2885 Fax. Email address jbostrom@nas.edu
20) Bycatch Accounts for a Fifth of all Fish Caught; $25,000 Prize for Bycatch Innovations
Commercial fisheries in the United States kill a pound of fish for every four pounds intentionally caught, jeopardizing efforts to restore some struggling stocks, according to a new report (Wasted fishery resources: discarded by-catch in the USA; see http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/). A tally of the nation's yearly unintentional 'bycatch'--unwanted fish that are caught and, in most cases, die before being thrown overboard--was presented in a peer-reviewed study sponsored by the environmental group Oceana and published in the December issue of Fish and Fisheries, a scientific journal. "We can and should do better," said study co-author Andrew Rosenberg, dean of the University of New Hampshire's College of Life Sciences and Agriculture and member of a federal commission that studied ocean policy. "This sort of waste undermines efforts to recover those depleted resources." Most of the fish--such as skates, monkfish, swordfish, tuna, sharks, salmon and halibut--are snared by shrimpers' nets in the Gulf of Mexico or in the huge trawling nets that some vessels use to reach the ocean floor.
In response to the report, the National Marine Fisheries Service, also known as NOAA Fisheries, said that federal efforts to use newer fishing gear and new management techniques have cut bycatch by 50 percent in the Gulf shrimp fishery and by "substantial" margins in virtually all other U.S. fisheries. A major factor driving improvements has been the frequent use of government observers on fishing boats in Alaska, said Myers and Randy Rice, technical director for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.
As a result of the devastating consequences of bycatch, NOAA Fisheries Service has joined the World Wildlife Fund and other partners to launch the second International Smart Gear Competition. This contest seeks innovative fishing gear that reduces bycatch of marine mammals, birds, sea turtles, and non-target fish species. This unique collaboration among conservationists, fishermen, and scientists is designed to inspire new technologies for more sustainable fishing. Entries are due March 15, 2006.
For more information, go to: www.smartgear.org
21) Place-Based Education Second Edition Available
The second edition of David Sobel's book Place-Based Education—Connecting Classrooms and Communities has just been released by Orion Books. This is the most comprehensive review of place-based education yet to appear. Through academic research, practical examples, and step-by-step strategies drawn from classrooms throughout the United States, Sobel celebrates teachers who emphasize the connection of school, community, and environment. Place-Based Education uses the local community and environment as the starting place for curriculum learning, strengthening community bonds, appreciation for the natural world, and a commitment to citizen engagement.
For more information: http://www.oriononline.org/pages/ob/nls/index_nls.html
22) Get the Reef Fish Guide
2006 brings an exciting new coral reef conservation campaign through The Ocean Project partner, Reef Protection International (RPI). RPI has just released a beta version of their forthcoming "Reef Fish Guide;" a pocket handbook providing responsible buying choices for the saltwater home hobbyist. You are encouraged to download the RPI Reef Fish Guide at: http://www.reefprotect.org/fish_guide.htm. After reviewing the Reef Fish Guide, RPI would appreciate feedback from other The Ocean Project Partners. Please complete their survey at: http://surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=872871413393
If you would like your own version of the RPI Reef Fish Guide, feel free to contact RPI and they will mail you a copy. Contact Drew Weiner at: dweiner@reefprotect.org.
23) German Version of the MAC Hobbyist Kit Now Available
Adding to its English and French versions, a German language version of the Marine Aquarium Council’s (MAC) Hobbyist Kit is now available. The Kit is designed to raise awareness among marine aquarium keepers and clubs about the issues affecting the future of the marine aquarium hobby, as well as introducing MAC and creating an understanding of MAC Certification. German speaking hobbyists and clubs and others are invited to contact MAC at info@aquariumcouncil.org in order to receive a copy.
Clubs can use the kit to focus a meeting on MAC Certification and the role of hobbyists in ensuring the marine ornamental trade is responsible and sustainable. This kit includes a "PowerPoint" presentation about MAC and its programs, an accompanying narrative document, a MAC background file, a marine ornamental trade fact sheet, a FAQ on the MAC International Standards and a survey to be completed after the meeting. The MAC Hobbyist Kit is also available in English and French, upon request at info@aquariumcouncil.org.
24) New Guide to Dealing with “Intelligent Design” and Evolution
The Museum of the Earth, affiliated with Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, has developed a docent guide that addresses the issue of "intelligent design" and evolution as well as an accompanying training program and other resources. More information can be found by visiting: http://www.priweb.org/evolution.htm
25) Deep Sea Corals Conservation Legislation Workshop
The Ocean Project Partners, Oceana and Marine Conservation Biology Institute, are hosting a workshop and lobby days on deep sea corals conservation legislation on January 31 and February 1 in Washington, D.C.. Legislation to freeze the bottom trawl footprint and protect known deep sea coral sites was introduced last September in Congress. The lobby day activity will help highlight the corals issue for members of the House who need to be educated. At least 50 bipartisan cosponsors for the House bill will be sought in initial workshop and lobbying efforts. Invitees to the workshop include scientists, conservation advocates and representatives of zoos and aquaria.
If you are interested in attending, please respond as soon as possible. Contact: Ben Reid at breid@oceana.org or 202-467-1953.
26) World Ocean Conservatory Launches website
The World Ocean Observatory, a The Ocean Project Partner, is dedicated to information, education and public discourse about the ocean defined as an integrated global social system. The organization has just launched an interactive site, which includes four main types of information: The Physical Ocean, an encyclopedic survey incorporating the United Nations Atlas of the Oceans and other repositories of ocean information; The World Ocean Directory, a theme-indexed listing of over 5,000 ocean-related organizations worldwide; The World Ocean Forum, a news and media service, monthly electronic newsletter on ocean subjects, publications, meetings, and on-line exhibits; and The World Ocean Classroom, an education center and outreach program.
For more: http://www.thew2o.net/default.html or contact Peter Neill, Director, at: info@theW2O.net
27) Find Volunteers at Your Fingertips
The Ocean Project is working on a ways to help generate volunteers for our Partners, at least in the US at this time. In the meantime, if you’re looking for great volunteers, VolunteerMatch can help. VolunteerMatch is the leading online volunteer network dedicated to helping everyone find a great place to volunteer. The popular service welcomes millions of visitors a year and has become the preferred internet recruiting tool for more than 37,000 nonprofit organizations. With just the click of a button, volunteers can quickly and easily connect with your organization.
The service also makes it easy to manage volunteers with email, contact and reporting tools. You can register today: http://www.volunteermatch.org/post/
28) Third Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands
The Third Global Conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands: Moving the Global Oceans Agenda Forward will take place during January 23rd - 28th, 2006, at UNESCO in Paris, France. More information can be found at www.globaloceans.org.
29) International Meeting: Acting Together for the Future of the Blue Planet
The Third International Meeting of Acting together for the future of the Blue Planet will be held from January 29th - February 1st, 2006 at NAUSICAA, Centre National de la Mer. More information can be requested by emailing meeting@nausicaa.fr.
30) Plan to Participate at the 2006 Annual Conference of AZA
Busch Gardens, Florida Aquarium, and Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo will host the 2006 Annual Conference of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association on September 25th – 30th. The Conference Program Committee invites your proposals for the Conference Program. The deadline for submitting is April 7.
31) American Association of Museums Centennial
2006 marks the 100th anniversary of AAM. They plan to use this milestone to celebrate America's museums, the accomplishments of the past 100 years, the promise of the next 100, the enduring value of museums to communities, the nation, and the world. The 2006 annual meeting will be in Boston, from April 27-May 1, 2006. Learn more at http://www.aam-us.org/site/centennial.cfm
32) 2006 ASTC Annual Conference
The Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) is an organization of science centers and museums dedicated to furthering the public understanding of science among increasingly diverse audiences. The Ocean Project has been working more closely recently with ASTC members. The 2006 ASTC Annual Conference; Appropriate Growth: Sustaining Institutional Advancement, will take place from October 28-31, 2006. This conference is hosted by the Louisville Science Center in Kentucky. More information can be found at: http://astc.org/conference/index.htm
33) NOAA Environmental Literacy Grant
NOAA's Environmental Literacy Grant Announcement just went public and the deadline is close at hand. NOAA’s Office of Education (OEd) is requesting applications for environmental literacy projects. Approximately $3 million is available to fund roughly 5-10 projects in 2006. Funded projects will be between 1 and 5 years in duration and will (1) further the use and incorporation of the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts in formal and informal education and/or measure ocean literacy among the public; or (2) strengthen the capacity to develop a workforce knowledgeable about weather and climate.
Letters of interest are required and are due Wednesday, January 25, 2006. Full proposals are due Wednesday, March 1, 2006. For the full announcement and additional information: http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/funding_opps.html
34) Get Involved with Dive In To Earth Day
What comes to mind when you think of Earth Day? Most envision planting trees, picking up garbage in local parks, and children creating colorful arts and crafts to learn about the Earth’s ecosystem. Since its establishment in 2000, Dive In To Earth Day has been broadening people’s knowledge of Earth Day to include the education and conservation of our planet’s aquatic ecosystems. It has given communities an opportunity to voice their concern of the rapid degradation of their local aquatic environment and an opportunity to reverse this trend by organizing hands-on, educational conservation events such as underwater cleanups, reef restoration projects and snorkel tours for kids, among others.
The Ocean Project Partner, the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL), coordinates Dive In To Earth Day each year during the week of Earth Day (April 22nd) to ensure that the 72 percent of the planet covered by water is not forgotten during the annual Earth Day celebrations. For more information on Dive In To Earth Day, please visit: http://www.coral.org/divein
|
|
|
|
Help your visitors and members make a real difference in their lives! Featuring a new conservation theme each month, we have recently improved the dynamic online personal action center at www.SeastheDay.org. We encourage our Partners to link to the site and consider making it your organization’s online personal action center. We will do the monthly work to get the new theme and tip content online; we can also work with you to customize your own version of the Seas the Day website.
In addition to a new conservation focus (e.g. transportation, water conservation, energy efficiency, sustainable eating) each month of 2006, the site also includes the Seven C’s Pledge, Ocean Book of the Month, Action Tip of the Day, and links to all Partners. You can also purchase “Seas the Day Stuff” including organic cotton t-shirts, conservation calendars, and note cards, with more meaningful and responsibly produced items coming later in the year. Wholesale rates are available for Partners. We are now taking pre-orders for the 2007 edition of Seas the Day desktop calendar.
Please contact Bill Mott for more information: bmott@TheOceanProject.org.
|
|
The Ocean Project
Phone: +1.401.709.4071
PO Box 2506
Providence, Rhode Island 02906 USA
www.TheOceanProject.org – learn more
www.SeastheDay.org – take action today
www.WorldOceanDay.org – celebrate our ocean.
|
|
|
