The National Geographic's Ocean Education Program aims to engage and collaborate with the marine recreation community with a shared goal of raising public awareness about ocean conservation and inspiring people to help protect the vital natural resources that the ocean provides. National Geographic, with the support of Oracle, created workshops for the ocean recreation community to share current marine science and conservation science and discuss how the ocean recreation community can educate, motivate, and inspire the public to be stewards of the ocean in order to ensure the future of ocean recreation. This toolkit page will aid educators and ocean organizations in planning and delivering their own workshop for the marine recreation community.
National Geographic Education Programs created and hosted one-day workshops for members of the marine recreation community, including wildlife watching operators, sport fishermen, scuba professionals, lifeguards, surf instructors, kayak guides, park rangers, and ocean educators. The workshops were held in Miami, Florida; Monterey Bay, California; San Diego, California; and Galveston, Texas. This planning guide offers tips and program suggestions for other organizations to create their own workshop for the marine recreation community.
Recruiting members of the marine recreation community to attend the workshop is key! We sent invitations via e-mail and Facebook, and visited the organizations face to face to share the program. Take a look at our sample invitation, and you can fill in your own event's information in the blank invitation template.
At our in-person workshops, a variety of experts spoke on local conservation issues, ocean species, and ocean science, and we ended the day with a communication strategies session. The samples here will help you organize your own lineup of speakers and topics, as well as clearly define the workshop goals and objectives.
A successful workshop leverages local community members, including local experts and scientists from universities, government agencies, and ocean organizations. These links and handouts offer scientists techniques and strategies for communicating to the public, and offer tips on effective PowerPoint usage.
Education & Public Outreach: A Guide for Scientists Web site and PDF
The program facilitator organizes the workshop and handles group discussion and dynamics. These handouts will help you plan and communicate effectively with fellow staff and participants.
Your workshop will feature regional content created by the host staff (you) and the experts you recruit. We created two PowerPoints, with scripts, to help you develop your presentations based on the two main science themes that the National Geographic Ocean Initiative promotes—increasing global Marine Protective Areas and promoting sustainable seafood. Also, each workshop ends with helping attendees identify what they have learned that day and craft their own ocean conservation message to share with the public. This PowerPoint will help you lead that important discussion.
Media can grab your audience’s attention while communicating important information. These two videos were part of our workshop introduction and conclusion. “Why the Ocean Matters” explains why we should care about the ocean and what it provides us in our daily life. “How to Care for the Ocean” can conclude the workshop with a reminder about the part we play in ocean conservation and what we each can do to promote ocean health.
The primary purpose of the workshop is to encourage the marine recreation providers in attendance to promote conservation activities among the public they engage. Many organizations provide handouts to help teach the public about their role in ocean conservation. This handout can be used by the marine recreation community to distribute to the public or as a discussion piece.
These links provide resources in responsible wildlife viewing, best practices, and responsible scuba diving, as well as ways to learn more about ocean conservation. All of these websites contain downloadable handouts with tips and programs for recreation providers, and ocean information and new media for the general public.
Many organizations have their own online toolkits for educating the general public and recreation providers. Project AWARE focuses on scuba divers and snorkelers and offers resources on sharks, coral reefs, and responsible diving. The Environmental Protection Agency has an extensive online toolkit on water quality with examples of nationwide campaigns and other resources on how to keep our waterways clean.
National Geographic has a variety of instructional resources about the ocean, from seafood guides to articles and lesson plans. Here are a few sites to share with workshop participants who want to learn more.
Program created by National Geographic Education Programs
Program funding provided by Oracle
10 Things You Can Do to Save the Ocean
Photograph by Sebastian Meckelmann
1. Mind Your Carbon Footprint and Reduce Energy Consumption
Reduce the effects of climate change on the ocean by leaving the car at home when you can and being conscious of your energy use at home and work. A few things you can do to get started today: Switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, take the stairs, and bundle up or use a fan to avoid oversetting your thermostat.
Global fish populations are rapidly being depleted due to demand, loss of habitat, and unsustainable fishing practices. When shopping or dining out, help reduce the demand for overexploited species by choosing seafood that is both healthful and sustainable.
3. Use Fewer Plastic Products
Plastics that end up as ocean debris contribute to habitat destruction and entangle and kill tens of thousands of marine animals each year. To limit your impact, carry a reusable water bottle, store food in nondisposable containers, bring your own cloth tote or other reusable bag when shopping, and recycle whenever possible.
4. Help Take Care of the Beach
Whether you enjoy diving, surfing, or relaxing on the beach, always clean up after yourself. Explore and appreciate the ocean without interfering with wildlife or removing rocks and coral. Go even further by encouraging others to respect the marine environment or by participating in local beach cleanups.
5. Don't Purchase Items That Exploit Marine Life
Certain products contribute to the harming of fragile coral reefs and marine populations. Avoid purchasing items such as coral jewelry, tortoiseshell hair accessories (made from hawksbill turtles), and shark products.
6. Be an Ocean-Friendly Pet Owner
Read pet food labels and consider seafood sustainability when choosing a diet for your pet. Never flush cat litter, which can contain pathogens harmful to marine life. Avoid stocking your aquarium with wild-caught saltwater fish, and never release any aquarium fish into the ocean or other bodies of water, a practice that can introduce non-native species harmful to the existing ecosystem.
7. Support Organizations Working to Protect the Ocean
Many institutes and organizations are fighting to protect ocean habitats and marine wildlife. Find a national organization and consider giving financial support or volunteering for hands-on work or advocacy. If you live near the coast, join up with a local branch or group and get involved in projects close to home.
8. Influence Change in Your Community
Research the ocean policies of public officials before you vote or contact your local representatives to let them know you support marine conservation projects. Consider patronizing restaurants and grocery stores that offer only sustainable seafood, and speak up about your concerns if you spot a threatened species on the menu or at the seafood counter.
9. Travel the Ocean Responsibly
Practice responsible boating, kayaking, and other recreational activities on the water. Never throw anything overboard, and be aware of marine life in the waters around you. If you’re set on taking a cruise for your next vacation, do some research to find the most eco-friendly option.
10. Educate Yourself About Oceans and Marine Life
All life on Earth is connected to the ocean and its inhabitants. The more you learn about the issues facing this vital system, the more you’ll want to help ensure its health—then share that knowledge to educate and inspire others.
Suckers on the tentacles of the giant squid, Architeuthis dux, the creature with the largest eyes on Earth.
Because so little is known about the deep sea, compared to habitats on land, scientists are continually discovering new things - some of them very surprising. Here are some facts from the deep ocean.
- The oceans cover two-thirds of the Earth's surface to an average depth of almost 4km. The deepest point discovered so far is almost 11km deep.
- The oceans provide about 190 times as much living space as all of the Earth's other environments - soil, air and fresh water - put together.
- Life on Earth almost certainly originated in the sea and was more or less restricted to the oceans for the first 3 billion years of evolution.
- The giant squid, Architeuthis dux, has the largest eyes of any animal on Earth. They are up to about 30cm across - the size of a dinner plate.
- The record for the deepest fish goes to Abyssobrotula galatheae, a member of Ophidiidae family. It was dredged from the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench at a depth of 8,368m in 1970.
- The largest known deep sea fish is the Greenland shark, Somniosus microcephalus, which grows to over 7m in length. However, it doesn't spend all its time in the deep sea. It also comes up to the surface to eat offal thrown overboard from fishing boats.
- Life in the sea is incredibly rich. There are creatures from 28 major groups of animals living in the sea, including sponges, crustaceans and molluscs, whereas only 11 major groups of animals live on land.
Amazing Facts
Of the estimated 500,000 to 10 million species living in the deep sea, the majority are yet to be discovered.
Approximately 98 percent of the oceans' species live in, on or just above the floor of the sea.
The estimated number of seamounts ranges from 30,000 to 100,000.
Seamounts are home to a breathtaking array of species (for example, over 850 species were recently found on seamounts in the Tasman and Coral Seas).
15 percent or more of the breathtaking array of species being found on seamounts may be endemic, meaning that they are unique to that area. Because of this, each unsampled seamount is a potential source of numerous undiscovered species. The Coral and Tasman Sea seamounts have endemism rates of about 30 percent
Two-thirds of all known coral species live in waters that are deep, dark, and cold — some live three miles deep and are able to survive in -2°C.
Some cold-water corals are 5,000-8,500 years old or more, and some grow into beautiful structures that rise up to 35 meters high.
Deep-sea corals, sponges and other habitat-forming organisms provide protection from currents and predators, nurseries for young fish, and feeding, breeding, and spawning areas for hundreds of thousands of species.
Commercially important deep-water fish and crustacean populations found in the high seas include crabs, shrimp, cod, Pacific cod, orange roughy, armorhead, grenadier, Patagonian toothfish (aka Chilean sea bass), jacks, snappers, porgies, sharks, groupers, rockfish, Atka mackerel, and sablefish.
Deep-sea species tend to be slow growing, late maturing and low in reproductive capacity. Many deep-water fish species live 30 years or more. Some, such as orange roughy, can live up to 150 years.
Because deep-sea species live in rarely disturbed environments and tend to be slow growing, late maturing and endemic, they are exceptionally vulnerable to extinction.
Deep-sea coral and sponge communities are largely untapped sources of natural products with enormous potential as pharmaceuticals, enzymes, pesticides, cosmetics, and other commercial products, for example:
- Gorgonian corals produce antibiotics; compounds found in certain deep-sea sponges are potent immunosuppressive and anti-cancer agents;
- some coral species contain the pain-killing compounds known as pseudopterosians;
- seafans contain high concentrations of prostaglandins (compounds used to treat asthma and heart disease).
Ancient deep-sea corals provide valuable records of climate conditions that may assist our understanding of global climate change.
More information:
24 Sep 2004 - Mysteries and Mountains of the Deep Sea - Conserving Deep-Sea Biodiversity and Habitats, pdf; 4 pages; 607 KB (English | English US standard | Spanish)
FACTS ABOUT THE DEEP SEA ENVIRONMENT |
- It's deep: average depth of ocean is 3,800 m; deepest trenches reach ~11,000 m.
- Ergo, hydrostatic pressures are high: pressure increases by 1 atmosphere for each 10 m increase in depth - pressures may reach ~1,100 atmospheres.
- Temperatures are low: only a few degree above 0 degrees Centigrade in most regions.
- Temperatures are low: only a few degree above 0 degrees Centigrade in most regions.
- Hydrothermal vent temperatures may be high, up to ~ 400 degrees Centigrade.
- It's dark.
- It may be very low in oxygen (oxygen minimum layers)
- But...despite all of this...life goes on there.
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