Climate Change Webinars
The National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series provides educators, students, and the interested public with educational and scientific expertise, resources, and training to support ocean and climate literacy. A compiled list of climate related webinars can be found here featuring topics like coral, fisheries, sea level rise, and how climate change will have mass impacts on the sanctuary system and ocean as a whole.
Developing Offshore Wind in U.S. Waters Part 2: Offshore Wind Development and the Structure and Function of Marine Ecosystems
The pace, scale, and magnitude of offshore wind development in the U.S. and around the globe is increasing rapidly. Countries are committing to this new ocean use to decarbonize their energy systems and as a goal for economic growth. The scale of this development has moved from small turbines in shallow waters of the North Sea to new technologies that allow for large-scale industrialization in marine ecosystems. This webinar will explore the potential interactions of this growing industry with the structure and function of marine ecosystems and what science is still needed to better understand these interactions. This webinar is co-sponsored by the NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center and Open Communications for the Ocean (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network).
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: How Visitors Help Sanctuaries Monitor Climate Change
From severe storms to ocean warming to sea level rise, climate change poses a clear and present threat to treasured places, critical biodiversity, and cultural resources across the national marine sanctuary system. Sanctuaries need to monitor climate change's impact within their sites and on natural resources, so they can identify and respond to these impacts. Everyone who visits and uses sanctuaries can play an invaluable role in ensuring their continued prosperity by helping to monitor for climate change impacts. Join us to learn more about the importance of climate change monitoring in sanctuaries, and how all kinds of visitors - from divers, to teachers, to fishers - are helping to monitor and educate about climate change impacts in Stellwagen Bank and Florida Keys national marine sanctuaries.
Boiling Over: Marine Heatwaves, What are They and What Can We Expect?
Much like we experience periods of extreme and unusual heat in different areas on land, parts of the ocean can experience persistently high water temperatures, also known as marine heatwaves. These extreme events can have devastating impacts on marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. The dangerous effects of marine heatwaves have been seen in national marine sanctuaries and by sanctuary users.
Developing Offshore Wind in U.S. Waters Part 1: The Planning and Regulatory Framework
he deployment of offshore wind energy facilities in US waters has tremendous potential to help the country deliver on its climate change commitments and clean energy goals. It is also a reality beginning to take shape with the first commercial-scale facilities beginning construction in 2023 in the Northeast US. In Part 1 of our webinar series on ocean wind energy in US waters, we will explore the historical and policy background and framing behind the US wind energy transition, including an introduction to the planning and regulation processes and the players involved. This webinar will set the groundwork for future discussions exploring offshore wind energy, its future in US waters, and its compatibility and interactions with marine protected areas and other ocean uses.
Caretaking for Climate Resilience - Capitol Hill Ocean Week 2023
From coral reefs to coastal wetlands, those that depend on marine ecosystems are increasingly finding their livelihoods, physical security, food security, and cultural heritage under threat. In response, communities have partnered with local, state, and federal governments to protect vital marine spaces now, in the future, and in the context of a changing ocean. Watch this CHOW 2023 session on tools and approaches that national marine sanctuaries and our partners are using to advance this work and our understanding of caretaking for climate resilience.
The Ocean as a Carbon Sponge: why blue carbon is important
This engaging presentation covers the basics of blue carbon - what it is, why it's important - and will focus particularly on the role of marine plants, algae, and animals in sequestering carbon and keeping it out of the atmosphere. We'll also discuss actions that can be taken to ensure blue carbon is protected and, when necessary, restored.
Managing for Climate Change in MPAs: Stories and Tools from National Marine Sanctuaries and the National MPA Center
U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries and the National Marine Protected Areas Center are leaders in MPA management in a changing ocean. By leveraging the diversity of ecosystems, geographies, cultures, and experiences represented in the National Marine Sanctuary System, they have developed a suite of products that can help other MPA managers advance and accelerate climate-smart management of their MPAs. This webinar will highlight climate monitoring, assessment, and adaptation experiences from the National Marine Sanctuary System and share a number of new products and tools from the National MPA Center, including an MPA Climate Vulnerability Assessment Guide and Climate Adaptation Story Map, designed to help MPA managers accelerate and enhance climate monitoring, assessment, and adaptation within their own MPAs.
Discover the Climate Change and Ocean Acidification Resource Collections
As part of our 50th anniversary, we have been launching robust resource collections throughout the year. Explore each collection of NOAA videos, lesson plans, webinars, web stories, virtual reality, and much more. In this new era of ocean conservation, we encourage formal and informal educators and other interested people to take advantage of the robust educational materials available in each topically-based collection. During this webinar, we will be focusing on the Climate Change and Ocean Acidification Resource Collections.
Climate Change, Whales, and Kids: how science and education can protect species and fight climate change
Globally, whales and other megafauna play an important role in the carbon cycle and in reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide. In this webinar, the Climate Program Coordinator for Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries discusses the latest science on "whale carbon," and the critical efforts underway to rebuild whale stocks by reducing impacts, such as lethal collisions with ships. Recent engagement with school children on the subject made a big splash, resulting in a renewed commitment from the largest container shipping line to continue to go slow for whales, demonstrating the important role that community engagement plays in ocean protection.
Discovering Climate History in Coral Skeletons
The skeletons of massive corals grow in layers, similar to tree rings, that can be counted to determine the years of growth. Scientists can look at the chemistry of each of these layers to see what the water temperature was when that part of the coral skeleton was growing, as well as other indicators of environmental conditions. By stringing together these yearly skeletal records, scientists can chronicle how the ocean and the coral reef have changed over time.
Inspire your students to dive in as coral scientists-in-training! Introducing the Coral Check-up Lesson Series
Dive in and learn about the newly released Coral Check-up Lesson Series. This free, NGSS-aligned curriculum introduces middle school students to coral reef monitoring and ecology through virtual real world experiences focused in the Hawaiian archipelago. Students use NOAA and NOAA partner data and resources to assess coral bleaching impacts, immersing themselves in a worldwide effort to protect and conserve coral reefs.
Paradise Lost? Future Fisheries in a Climate-Driven Gulf
Climate change threatens key life support systems on our planet, especially our oceans. Even with drastic global actions to reduce emissions, changes in the ocean will grow more profound and accelerate. This interactive discussion will examine the interventions necessary for sustainable fisheries in a climate-driven Gulf of Mexico.
Managing National Marine Sanctuaries in a Changing Ocean
As a system of nationally significant places managed by NOAA, national marine sanctuaries are directly experiencing climate impacts, and serve as important assets for climate-informed management, science and education. This presentation will discuss how sanctuaries work with partners to use NOAA climate information in management, our role as climate educators, building a network of sentinel sites, and challenges in managing sanctuaries in a changing ocean.
Gardening Corals for Reef Restoration
As coral reefs decline globally, interest in using coral gardening techniques for reef restoration is increasing. This webinar presentation will review well-established and cutting-edge techniques for propagating and restoring corals, as well as experimental work focused on identifying corals that can survive future ocean conditions.
Holu Lalo: A strategy for enhancing resilience of French Frigate Shoals Atoll
In this webinar, Kiloaulani Ka'awa-Gonzales will discuss the efforts taken by monument staff and their climate collaborators to 1) identify priority climate-related stressors present at Lalo, 2) explore adaptive management options to address these climate-related impacts, and 3) establish a comprehensive and collaborative resilience strategy outlining innovative implementation of actions intended to maintain and enhance the resilience of terrestrial and marine habitats at Lalo.
Olympic Coast as a Sentinel: Resilience Actions for Tribal Community Well-Being in the Face of Ocean Change
Dr. Melissa Poe, a social scientist at Washington Sea Grant, works in partnership with the Olympic Coast Treaty Tribes to better understand the risks of ocean change to tribal community well-being, and identify actions that are rooted in Indigenous priorities for resilience.
A Changing Sanctuary: Current & Future Impacts of Climate Change on Olympic Coast
Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary protects a highly productive upwelling system that fuels a vibrant ecosystem home to seabirds, fish, and marine mammals, including culturally and economically important salmon, oysters, and mussels.
Sex Lives of Corals: From Spawning to Conservation
Corals exhibit some of the most fascinating reproductive behavior in the animal kingdom. Once a year they release their eggs and sperm into the water column for external fertilization. This life history strategy allows corals, which are usually stuck in one place, to disperse to new reefs. This spawning behavior also allows coral researchers to study a variety of different research topics to better understand coral symbiosis, dispersal, and responses to climate change.
Sea Level Rise: Around the World and Here at Home
Sea level rise is an impact of climate change and is of special concern to coastal communities around the world. Dr. Ian Miller will talk through the current state of the science as it relates to both observed and projected or future sea level globally, and in the waters around Washington State.
Every Calf Counts: Hawaii's humpback whale mother and calf pairs in a time of changing climate
Each winter, humpback whales from across the North Pacific Ocean head to Hawaiian waters to breed and raise their young. Within the islands, the nearshore waters along the western shoreline of Maui, Hawai`i are a favored nursery region for mothers and their young calves. Over the past twenty years—the Keiki Kohola Project—a small, grassroots research organization based on Maui, has been working to provide information to help ensure the well-being of mothers and calf pairs during this critical nursery period.
Submerged NC: Heritage in the Eye of the Storm – A Systematic Effort to Document Cultural Resources Damaged and Threatened by Hurricanes in Coastal North Carolina
The hurricanes of 2018 devastated coastal North Carolina. Not only did they cause significant damage to property and infrastructure, Florence and Michael also impacted coastal cultural resources, including archaeological sites and cemeteries. In response to these storms, the National Park Service is providing emergency supplemental funds to support preservation efforts, including surveys to assist in planning for future storms.
The World Does Not Stand Still - Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change in Papahānaumokuākea
Current and future impacts from climate change are considered to be the single greatest threat to the long-term integrity of Papahānaumokuākea. The effects of climate change are already being observed, with rising sea levels leading to shoreline retreat, increasing ocean heat content producing more frequent and severe coral bleaching events, and a more westward trajectory for tropical cyclones inflicting severe damage to certain atolls, notably Lalo (French Frigate Shoals).
Seagrass Meadows: Unsung Heroes in Combating Climate Change?
Seagrass meadows can be found from the tropics to the arctic circle, with over 60 species in total. These meadows form the foundation of many marine food webs, while also serving to improve water quality, stabilize sediment, and buffer storm surge. More recently, scientists are investigating seagrasses as a natural-based solution in combating climate change.
Tracking White Sharks! An Update on Population Changes off the West Coast of North America
This presentation will detail the latest developments in a long-term study of the northeast Pacific great white sharks. A combination of management practices and climate change have led to range shifting and population fluxes among juvenile and adult white sharks.
Hawaiian Honu take on Climate Change: Signs of a Fragile Recovery
The long-term sea turtle tagging study has produced a wealth of information about the status and trends of nesting females in the Hawaiian islands. There remains, however, limited data to assess the potential effects of climate change. Join Marylou Staman as she shares what we've learned so far, and what current research projects are building the foundation for understanding the population's resilience to climate change.
Presentation slide titled Revealing the Mysterious Coral and Sponge Gardens of Sur Ridge in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary with two humpback whales surfacing.
Countless mysteries exist in the depths of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS), including Sur Ridge – a deep-sea rocky outcrop off the coast of Big Sur that is roughly the size of Manhattan. Thanks to state-of-the-art marine technology developed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), the stunning deep-sea ecosystems of Sur Ridge are being revealed.
Why We Need to Protect More of the Ocean
Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, established in 2006, and today celebrating 15 years of protections, was the first remote large-scale MPA and protects one of the most intact coral reef ecosystems on Earth. This predator-dominated ecosystem harbors unique biodiversity, numerous threatened and endangered species, and serves as a baseline for understanding how natural coral reefs function in the absence of humans.
Bioluminescent Blooms
Join Dr. Steve Haddock, senior scientist at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and nature photographer Johnny Chien as we explore the phenomenon of Bioluminescence or "glowing waves" from two unique perspectives. The event will be a pairing of science and art, focusing on plankton blooms in Monterey Bay in a changing climate, and the light producing organisms that spark the firework blooms we witnessed in the crashing waves at night.
What orcas teach us: the southern residents' battle against extinction and the state of our watersheds
Over 18 months, the Seattle Times took a deep look at the southern resident orca extinction crisis to explore and expose the roots of why these animals, the top predator in our marine waters, are struggling to survive. Lynda Mapes, the lead journalist on the newspaper's award-winning series Hostile Waters will explain what the newspaper learned and solutions that will benefit people and orca alike. Lynda Mapes is the environment reporter at the Seattle Times.
How will the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands respond to climate change? A look at past, present, and future sea level change and storms within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
The future existence of low lying atoll islands is of global concern, as entire island nations and highly evolved ecosystems are projected to become uninhabitable in the next 30-50 years due to sea level rise. Despite this recognized vulnerability, most studies fail to account for the biological controls upon island resiliency.
Understanding El Niño - Using NOAA's New Educational Tools
As this year's La Niña subsides, join us for a science-based exploration of this powerful phenomena. In this presentation, participants will dive deep into Data in the Classroom's El Niño Module to examine decades of observations from Earth observing satellites and take a virtual tour of the new web-based curricular modules and data tools.
Communicating Climate Change: Resources for Making it Stick
Ever wonder the best way to talk about climate change? Felt unsure if your message is clear and connects to your audience? Effectively communicating complex issues involves sound science and an element of artistry. This webinar shares climate communication tools from the National Network of Ocean and Climate Change Interpreters (NNOCCI), as well as a way to get involved in the NOAA Climate Stewards Program.
Mission: Iconic Reefs - An Ambitious Plan to Restore 7 Sites in the Florida Keys
NOAA and partners have developed an ambitious approach to restore corals at seven sites in the Florida Keys. Join staff from Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to learn about Mission: Iconic Reefs, a 20-year restoration plan to save Florida's coral reefs.
Mission: Iconic Reefs, An Ambitious Plan to Restore 7 Sites in the Florida Keys
Over the last 40 years, coral reefs in the Florida Keys, like reefs worldwide, have suffered dramatic declines. Nearly 90 percent of the live corals that once dominated the reefs have been lost. Emergency action is required to change the trajectory of the health of coral reefs in the Keys. NOAA and partners have developed an ambitious approach to restore corals at seven ecologically significant sites in the Florida Keys.
Dive into a Changing Ecosystem: From Lush Kelp Forests to Urchin Barren
Tucked along California's coast is a vibrant underwater forest of towering kelp and diverse wildlife. In the last six years, unprecedented outbreaks of purple sea urchins have decimated kelp forests within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, lending several questions: What caused the urchin outbreak? How have sea otters responded? Will intervention and urchin culling enhance kelp recovery?
NOAA Planet Stewards Webinar Archives
In November 2017 the NOAA Climate Stewards Education Project changed its name to NOAA Planet Stewards. The program expanded its scope to include a wider range of NOAA topics related to understanding and protecting our environment including decreasing the impacts of marine debris, as well as conserving and restoring natural resources.