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



prominent spokesperson is Sylvia Earle, who serves on the Board of Directors for Sea Web and 

 has served as Chief Scientist for NOAA. 



A recent spokesperson for the ocean, Jane Lubchenko, has gained prominence as 

 President of American Association for the Advancement of Science. As a marine biologist 

 studying coastal, rocky-shore ecology, she has raised the knowledge and awareness of many 

 about the vulnerability of the coastal zone to human impacts. 



There have been many modem books that have made major contributions to the 

 understanding of the sea by the public. Rachel Carson's books. The Sea Around Us and Under 

 the Sea Wind, were both best sellers and have served to educate and heighten the awareness of 

 the public about the sea since their publication thirty years ago. A recent best seller. The Perfect 

 Storm, by Sebastian Junger, gives a riveting account of men and women at sea struggling against 

 the sea and weather. This nonfiction account of three storms coalescing off New England in 

 October, 1991, is an excellent source of information about the sea. 



Newspapers and national magazines are increasing their coverage of environmental 

 issues, including the ocean. Global warming is a high-profile international issue which now has 

 frequent and comprehensive coverage. The predicted El Nino, 1997-98, has received similar 

 coverage. Many scientists have been quoted and the media has made a significant effort to 

 educate the public about the science involved. Many elements of the national media have 

 increased their coverage of such ocean-related issues as global climate change. El Nino, and 

 fisheries. Occasional disasters, such as Hurricane Andrew and the Exxon Valdez oil spill, have 

 also led to expanded media coverage of the ocean and subsequent education of the public. 



Federal Agencies 



Identifying the federal agencies involved in informal marine education is not entirely 

 straightforward. Determining how much these agencies spend on informal education is an 

 impossible task. The problem is that many agencies have a general responsibility for education 

 with no specific staff educators or budget. To a large extent, responsibility lies in a public affairs 

 office, as in the case of the U.S. Coast Guard. Then too, it also depends on the definition of 

 informal marine education. For example, if one includes boater education. The U.S. Coast Guard 

 plays a large role. For this report, agencies with a budget and legislative mandate for informal 

 marine education will be highlighted. 



In the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the Department of 

 Commerce, programs in three offices have specific informal marine education responsibilities. 

 Obviously, the National Weather Service is a major provider. With more than 50 percent of the 

 nation's population living within 100 miles of the coast, information about weather, tides, and 

 waves along the coast is of continuing interest to the public. The National Weather Service 

 maintains local forecast offices, provides information on the Weather Channel and other 

 broadcast outlets for television and radio, and has special severe storm watch centers. The 



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