Join Oceanographic Research Vessel Alguita for a voyage studying plastic pollution in the North Pacific Ocean. This September the Algalita Marine Research Foundation research team set sail to one of the most remote regions of the Pacific Ocean to study human impacts on marine ecosystems.The voyage started on September 7th, but it is not too late to get involved! We invite students and teachers to join this voyage from the classroom or from home on the Internet by providing:
• Daily updates and images from the research vessel
• The opportunity to interact with the ship’s research team and other leading researchers to ask questions and share experiences
• Lessons, activities and creative ways to integrate the experience into the classroom curriculum
• A chance to interact with students from around the world to share information, perspectives and solutions to this global issue
For more information contact Holly Gray- vesselsupport@algalita.org or visit http://algalita.org/ship-2-shore-education.html

COASTSWEEP, the state-wide beach cleanup sponsored by the Massachuseets Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) and the Urban Harbors Institute at UMass Boston, will kick off its 22nd year on September 19 at Nantasket Beach in Hull. Thousands of volunteers throughout Massachusetts turn out each year for this event, which is part of an international campaign organized by The Ocean Conservancy in Washington, DC. Participants all over the world collect marine debris and record what they find. This information is then used to help reduce future marine debris problems. Cleanups will be scheduled throughout eastern Massachusetts in September and October. To participate or organize a cleanup, go to the COASTSWEEP website.

SEA Semester is currently accepting applications for our Spring 2010 programs. Based in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, SEA has educated students about the world’s oceans for nearly 40 years through a fully accredited study abroad program combining the sciences, humanities, social sciences, and public policy. Intense coursework during the shore component prepares students for the immediate application of newfound knowledge during the sea component. Significant financial aid & merit-based scholarships are available. Contact admission@sea.edu for more information or to request the new SEA Semester catalogue, and become a fan of SEA on Facebook!

This year, there are three Long Island Sound Mentor Teacher workshops to choose from, facilitated by Connecticut Sea Grant via funding from the EPA Long Island Sound Study. Each workshop costs only $10, and includes resources for each participant to take back to the classroom.

ISLAND CRUISE: How to have a blast with the science standards! Saturday, September 26, 2009, 8am-4pm, Outer Island, Stony Creek, CT All educators (grades six through eight) can spend a “day on an island” with Long Island Sound Mentor Teachers Beth Taylor and Ellen Dworkin on Outer Island, one of the Thimble Islands off the Southern coast of Connecticut.  Learn how to engage students in the exploration of a unique, natural area while still covering the science standards.  Contact Beth Taylor (etaylor@branford.k12.ct.us)

PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE WATERS: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Long Island Sound. Learn how to integrate Long Island Sound into your curriculum and excite your students about your discipline! Saturday September 26th from 8:45- 3:30 pm in New Haven, CT, led by Long Island Sound Mentor teachers Karen Beitler and Marge Drucker.  Free sail aboard the Schooner Quinnipiac and learn about New Haven Harbor and Long Island Sound.  Spend the afternoon receiving lesson plans, activities and resources for your classroom.  All disciplines are welcome.  We will have lessons & activities for grades 5-10 in Science, English, Reading, Writing, Math, History and adaptable to Foreign Language, Music and Arts.  Contact Karen Beitler

Karen.beitler@new-haven.k12.ct.us

TEACH AT THE BEACH! Friday, October 2 from 9AM – 3PM (rain or shine) at Hammonassett Beach State Park in Madison, CT.  Led by veteran Long Island Sound Mentor Teachers Donna Rand and Donna DuBaldo. Learn how to organize a field study on Long Island Sound, apply science inquiry skills,  learn science concepts! Take-home materials include the LIS Guide to Curricular Resources, seine nets, field guides, and more!  Open to all grade 5-12 formal and informal educators.  Contact Donna Rand, drand@crec.org

NOAA Learning Ocean Science through Ocean Exploration Workshop – Part I of II
From bioluminescent corals to deep vent worms, from tropical underwater volcanoes to the Arctic Ocean floor, bring the excitement of current ocean science discoveries to your students using the Ocean Exploration curriculum from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  Participants will receive a copy of the curriculum, “Learning Ocean Science through Ocean Exploration”, and CD-ROMs with additional tools for students to engage in learning about multidisciplinary ocean exploration. You can use these inquiry-based activities in biology, earth, physical, and/or marine science courses to connect your students to the excitement of NOAA Ocean Exploration as they travel from the Galapagos Rift to the Arctic Ocean, from Alaskan and New England seamounts to those in the Hawaiian Islands.

Grades: 6-12

Date:  Saturday, October 17, 2009

Time: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Location: New England Aquarium, Boston, MA

Cost: FREE!

Advance registration is required.
To register, email trc@neaq.org.

For questions, please call the Teacher Resource Center at 617-973-6590.

(Part II of this workshop will be held in May 2010.)

On Wednesday, September 30 join your colleagues for a fun, informative evening exploring the educational programs offered at the Aquarium and Simons IMAX Theatre.  Experience a Giant Ocean Tank Talk,  embark on a cruise of Boston Harbor,  catch a screening of Under the Sea 3D in our IMAX theater and more!

Time: 5:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.  (Early birds may arrive at 3:30 p.m. for free Duck Boat tours and a harbor cruise)

Location: New England Aquarium, Boston, MA

Cost: FREE!

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED by Monday, September 28. Space is limited, and events are on a first come, first served basis.

To register, visit www.neaq.org/educators.

Please note: This event is for educators only.  Please pass this information on to other colleagues.

For questions, please call Central Reservations at 617-973-5206.

This news release provides an excellent overview that is relevant to NEOSEC members as we plan the next Ocean Summit on ecosystem principles:

Fish in U.S. waters from Cape Hatteras to the Canadian border have moved away from their traditional, long-time habitats over the past four decades because of fundamental changes in the regional ecosystem, according to a new report by NOAA researchers. The 2009 Ecosystem Status Report, prepared by the Northeast Fisheries Science Center headquartered in Woods Hole, Mass., also points out the need to manage the waters off the northeastern coast of the United States as a whole rather than as a series of separate and unrelated components.

To learn more, go to:
http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/press_release/2009/SciSpot/SS0912/index.html

The RUSALCA mission set sail from Nome, Alaska on the Russian Research Vessel Professor Khromov on August 22, for a 40-day voyage into the Bering Strait and northwards to the Pacific side of the Arctic Ocean. RUSALCA stands for Russian-American Long Term Census of the Arctic, and also means mermaid in Russian.  RUSALCA is managed by NOAA¹s Arctic Research Program with contribution from Ocean Exploration and Research, and in Russia by Group Alliance. The public can learn more about this international expedition through blog posts, written by Reuters reporter Jeffrey Jones, who is onboard the first leg of the 2009 RUSALCA expedition.
Check out the expedition online

The Consortium for Ocean Leadership’s National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB®) is hosting its second annual Living on the Ocean Planet video competition in partnership with the Census of Marine Life (CoML), the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA), and the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL). The goal is to showcase student-developed original videos that educate the general public about marine technology and address the Essential Ocean Literacy Principles. Regional winners will be selected and announced on April 1, 2010. A National winner will be announced at the 2010 NOSB Finals Competition in St. Petersburg, FL on April 23, 2010.

Contest details