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



Sea Grant initiated a teacher- training program called "Operation Pathfinder," now in its 

 fifth year under the leadership of Dr. Sharon Walker at the Scott Marine Education Center and 

 Aquarium in Biloxi, MS. The project name derives fi-om the USN survey ship Pathfinder. Two 

 week summer workshops are held regionally for elementary and middle school teachers. In 1997, 

 six were held in Connecficut, North Carolina, Mississippi, California, Minnesota, and Ponape 

 Island (Mariannas). The following agencies were co-sponsors with Sea Grant: NOAA's National 

 Environmental Satellite. Data and Information Service, Office of Naval Research, U.S. Naval 

 Meteorology and Oceanography Command, and the Department of the Interior. Teachers were 

 trained in oceanography and coastal processes. They also had a shipboard at-sea experience. 

 About 300 teachers have been trained to date. "Operation Pathfinder" was the basis for an 

 expanded teacher training program called "COAST," which has been funded by the previously 

 mentioned NOPP. 



NOAA maintains a "Teacher-At-Sea" program. Teachers are invited to participate in 

 fishery cruises under the research program of the National Marine Fisheries Service. As many as 

 40 teachers participate annually. The National Undersea Research Program in NOAA funds an 

 "Aquanaut Program" which allows some teachers and students to go to sea to use remotely 

 operated vehicles in research projects. The U.S. Navy and the National Geographic Society run 

 Project Marco Polo which enables middle school teachers and students to go to sea on a Navy 

 oceanographic ship. 



Nationally, pre-service teaching and teacher credenfial programs rarely provide any 

 special instruction in oceanography. Some universities offer oceanography or ocean-related 

 courses as elecfives for those planning to teach. Teaching methods courses frequently provide 

 information about water, but rarely about the ocean specifically. Some colleges that train teachers 

 in dissection techniques do use fish as a vertebrate example; more generally however, teacher 

 training at universities ignores areas that pertain to the ocean. One noteworthy exception is 

 Oregon State University, which offers an MS degree in science education with marine emphasis 

 for teachers. The teachers go to Newport, Oregon, and take courses every summer for three years 

 at the Mark Hatfield Marine Science Center. This is the only degree program in marine education 

 in the United States and it graduates about five students per year while maintaining enrollment 

 at fifteen students. 



CORE led an education workshop on ocean sciences and K-12 education in 1996 

 sponsored by NSF. The participants included ocean scientists, classroom and informal science 

 education experts, and leaders in science education. The participants agreed on the following 

 general conclusion: 



"...the workshop participants strongly support the theme that the ocean agencies present 

 outstanding opportunities and untapped resources for K-12 education, and that 

 oceanographic processes and features are ideally suited for constructing and 

 demonstrating knowledge and science-based skills in the fundamental principles of 

 science across all disciplines, including the social sciences, and over a wide range of 

 levels of sophistication. The challenge is for the ocean sciences research community and 



K-15 



