Ocean for Life brings together students of diverse backgrounds and cultures to discover marine science, conservation, and how the ocean connects us all. NOAA's national marine sanctuaries provide the optimal setting for this unique opportunity to enhance cross-cultural relationships, while creating a stewardship ethic for the ocean and the universal human experience.
The idea for the Ocean for Life Program has its roots in the tragedy of September 11, 2001
, when the plane carrying three DC public school students, their teachers, and National Geographic Society staff en route to an ocean field study in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of California was hijacked and flown into the Pentagon.
Since that tragedy, the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries has been seeking a way to unite the communities affected through an understanding of how we - like all life in the ocean - are all connected. The creation of the Ocean for Life program fulfilled that need with a vision and mission aligned with the sanctuary system's mandate for education, enabling young people to discover their connections to the ocean and each other.
The Ocean for Life program is designed around three main themes: a sense of place, interconnectedness, and ocean conservation and stewardship. These themes are highlighted through activities focusing on ocean science and exploration, cultural exchanges, and youth media projects.
Main Themes
Through Ocean for Life we seek to establish cultural connections that ultimately lead to better understanding and the strengthening of our global relationships. The main themes of Ocean for Life are: a sense of place, interconnectedness, and ocean conservation and stewardship.
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| (Photo: Bryanna Fiame, American Samoa) |
A Sense of Place
Developing a sense of place stimulates curiosity about the world and its diverse inhabitants and habitats. Students will explore the fascinating ocean and coastal areas found within the national marine sanctuaries and draw comparisons with their own unique local and regional environments.
Interconnectedness
Understanding the connections between Earth's physical and human systems is fundamental to comprehending one's own place in the world. Ocean for Life participants will learn about the interconnectedness of the world's ocean and understand that their local actions impact the ocean, no matter where they live. Students will also learn about the interconnectedness of people around the globe.
Ocean Conservation and Stewardship
Raising awareness of the importance of resources in the ocean, the current issues facing those resources, the research being done to address those issues, and the role of marine sanctuaries in protecting those resources are all part of the ocean conservation and stewardship theme, introduced through the context of the National Marine Sanctuary System.
For more information about the Ocean for Life program, please contact:
Claire Fackler
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
National Education Liaison
735 State Street, Suite 617
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Phone 805-963-3238, ext. 18
Email Claire.Fackler@noaa.gov
For information about sponsorship of the Ocean for Life Program, please contact:
Allison Alexander
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
8601 Georgia Avenue, Suite 501
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone 301-608-3040 ext. 3
Email Allison@nmsfocean.org
The Ocean for Life program is a partnership between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, The GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) Program and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. It is presented in collaboration with Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Futures Society and American University's Center for Environmental Filmmaking.
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