1998 Year of the Ocean Marine Education U.S.A.: An Overview 



INTRODUCTION 



This document provides an overview of marine education in the United States in 1997. 

 For the purposes of this report, marine education refers to the education related to the ocean, 

 coastal waters, and the Great Lakes. Aquatic education is a broader term that includes all inland 

 waters (rivers, lakes, and wetlands). Environmental education is another term broader than 

 marine education. These are not directly covered by this report. Formal marine education is 

 carried out at schools, colleges and universities. Informal marine education occurs in the media, 

 at public aquaria, and by various public and private agencies and organizations. 



The Advisory Committee on Protection of the Sea's May 1997 report of the Oceans and 

 Security Conference, includes the "Potomac Declaration: Towards Enhanced Ocean Security into 

 the Third Millennium." : 



Recognizing that: 



Continuing intensification of human activity in coastal and marine areas will adversely 

 affect marine and coastal ecosystems world-wide and threatens the well-being of the 

 human population. The natural resource base of world fisheries is threatened by 

 overexploitation, habitat degradation, introduction of alien species and loss of biological 

 diversity. Human security is threatened by unsustainable food production, increased 

 public health hazard and unemployment, which may contribute to escalating human 

 conflicts. Humans themselves have entered into conflict with the very environment that 

 supports them. It is vital to take immediate action to strengthen environmental security if 

 global human security is to be sustained; 



Climate change threatens to affect ocean levels and temperature, the land and peoples 

 living in low elevation coastal regions, and species dependent on ocean and land touched 

 by oceans. The oceans play an essential role in the planet's climate, though the 

 mechanisms are poorly understood; and 



Sustainable development, including conservation of the marine environment, can actually 

 increase environmental, food and economic security and therefore provide a foundation 

 for political security. 



Recommendation 10 from the Oceans and Security Conference states: 



"Concerted national and international efforts should be undertaken to introduce 

 environmental studies into all levels of formal school curricula at a global level, in order 

 to eliminate environmental illiteracy, increase environmental awareness, and promote 

 deeper environmental ethics. Up-to-date scientific knowledge about the oceans should be 

 popularized and disseminated to the public through both formal education and creative 

 communication channels such as arts, music, and multi-media. In support of this effort, 

 the year 2000 should be declared as the "Year of Environmental Awareness" by the UN 

 General Assembly at its forthcoming Special Session." 



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