NOAAs Role In Ocean Literacy

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NOAAs Role In Ocean Literacy

• Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S.
  Navy (Ret.)
• Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans
  Atmosphere
• NOAA Administrator
• July 28, 2006

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NOAAs Role In Ocean Literacy

• Ocean Literacy Campaign
• NOAAs Vision Mission
• NOAA Can Better Meet Its Mission If
• How NOAA Increases Ocean and Science Literacy
• The Aquarium of the Pacifics Role in Ocean
  Literacy
• AoP and NOAA Partners in Ocean Literacy
• The Science Education Continuum

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Ocean Literacy Campaign
www.coexploration.org/oceanliteracy.html
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NOAAs Vision
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NOAAs Mission
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NOAA Can Better Meet Its Mission

• If the Public has a basic level of ocean literacy
• Hurricane Isabel Assessment (2003)
• Detailed, accurate storm surge prediction but
  public does not understand how to react

Hurricane Isabel Storm Surge, Navy Safety Center
Hurricane Isabel SLOSH Model, Chesapeake Bay
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NOAA Can Better Meet Its Mission

• If farmers, resource managers, and others
  understand the oceans influence on drought,
  wildfires, and other weather-related phenomena

Oklahoma Farmer faces drought
Sawtooth Complex Wildfires, California
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NOAA Can Better Meet Its Mission

• If the Public understand the economic value of
  the ocean
• Ocean creates more than 13 M jobs in U.S.
• Water-borne cargo alone contribute more than 742
  B to U.S. GDP

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NOAA Can Better Meet Its Mission

• If the Public understands how commercial and
  recreational fisheries are managed
• Commercial and recreation fishing industries
  contribute 60B to U.S. GDP
• Seafood is one of U.S.s largest trade deficit
  8B
• Protecting marine habitats that are nurseries to
  these fisheries contributes to sustainable
  fisheries

Fish sorting and measurement
Aquaculture
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NOAA Can Better Meet Its Mission

• If the Public understands the value of exploring
  the ocean and its resources
• New discoveries can lead to advances in
  biotechnology and medicine
• Since the ocean remains largely unexplored the
  Public doesnt realize the number of potential
  resources it contains

Marine snail eggs
Undersea remote controlled submersible, Hercules,
surveys Titanic
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NOAA Can Better Meet Its Mission

• If the Public understands the role of the ocean
  in making Earth habitable

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NOAA Can Better Meet Its Mission

• If the Public understands their actions can alter
  ocean ecosystems
• Human behavior is the keystone to creating
  sustainable fisheries, reducing pollution,
  creating environmentally friendly coastal
  development

Marine Debris Cleanup
Sanctuary Education
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NOAAs Future Depends On An Ocean Literate Society

• By 2010, 61 of NOAAs oceanographers will be
  eligible for retirement
• NOAA needs students to pursue careers in science,
  technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)
• NOAA hopes to use the ocean as the hook for
  engaging students long-term interest in STEM
  careers

NOAA Kids DayCoral Reefs
Student Measuring Sea Salinity
Girl Scout DiveAquarius
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How Does NOAA Advance Ocean Literacy?Create
public access to our resources

• Allow public to be arm-chair ocean explorers
• Create new ways to visualize the ocean

Bubbles of liquid carbon dioxide from
hydrothermal vents at NW Eifuku volcanoROPOS
Hurricane Katrina visualized with Science On A
Sphere
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How Does NOAA Advance Ocean Literacy? GEOSS
Data Visualization

• Global Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS)

Sea surface temperatures along U.S. East Coast
Aerosol emissions over Mexico
Vertical temperature profiles in Gulf of Mexico
Soil moisture sampling
Hurricane forecast tracks
Seismic measuring
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How Does NOAA Advance Ocean Literacy? Natural
Laboratories

• NERRS and Sanctuaries
• Long-term Monitoring Program Experiential
  Training for Students (LiMPETS)
• Wetlands restoration

limpets.noaa.gov
www8.nos.noaa.gov/publicnerrs/training.aspx
Chloride sampling in Hudson Bay tributary
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How Does NOAA Advance Ocean Literacy?
Educational Materials and Programs
TAS Kimberly Pratt (2006) wearing survival suit
aboard McArthur II
TAS Nancy McClintock (2006) deploying ROV
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How is the Aquarium of the Pacific Advancing
Ocean Literacy?

• Using free-choice learning to advance public
  ocean literacy
• Teaching the Ocean Literacy Essential Principles
• Forming strategic partnerships and collaborations
  to help reach a larger audience

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How is the Aquarium of the Pacific Advancing
Ocean Literacy?

• Informing the public about the economic benefits
  the ocean provides to the State of California
• Explaining the ways the oceans drive weather and
  climate

Regional CoOL at the Aquarium of the Pacific
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Aquarium of the Pacific and NOAA Partners in
Ocean Literacy
Giving children and adults hands-on experiences
David Sweet at the NOAA Earth Day booth Aquarium
of the Pacific, 2006
California Ocean Awareness Campaign Sustain the
ocean, sustain life The ocean and humans are
interconnected
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The Science Education Continuum
Basic, integrated approach to science
Science study specialized,not integrated
Return to basic, integratedapproach to solving
problems
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Questions?

• Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S.
  Navy (Ret.)
• Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans
  Atmosphere
• NOAA Administrator
• July 28, 2006