This proposal will be awarded using funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).
The Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) and the National COSEE (Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence) Network propose an ocean science education program to promote public understanding of current issues in ocean science. The centerpiece is a lecture series that will bring top ocean scientists to DC to increase public awareness of ocean science research and how humans interact with and are connected to the ocean. Topics include climate change and the ocean, ocean biodiversity loss, the ocean and human health and coastal hazards. The lectures will be webcast and archived on the Smithsonian Ocean Portal (scheduled to launch in September 2009). The scientists will also participate in the "The Scientist Is In" program in the Sant Ocean Hall at the NMNH. This provides NMNH visitors an opportunity to meet with and learn from top ocean scientists in a casual setting. The final element to this program will be the incorporation of related COSEE education materials for NMNH use. The goals of this program are to increase public awareness of ocean science research and foster a deeper public understanding of how our actions and choices impact the ocean.
This project's broader impacts are advancing understanding of ocean sciences and promoting learning and decision-making based on sound science. The lecture series allows scientists to expand their research's impact by: 1) being part of a prominent lecture series at the Smithsonian; 2) having the lectures and "The Scientist Is In" programs recorded and archived on the Ocean Portal where they can be used beyond the initial presentations. The project's intellectual merit is in the science content provided to the public in terms that they can understand. The Smithsonian Institution and the National COSEE Network propose this project to promote an ocean-literate society able to make informed decisions regarding the health of the ocean.
