The Ocean Project Blog

Fellowship, anyone?

2012-01-20T14:35:00.000-05:00

There have been a couple of fellowship opportunities that have come across our desk lately and we thought you might be interested to know about:

The TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program invests in promising and proven leaders who are committed to empowering others and to creating positive environmental change in their communities and organizations. Each TogetherGreen Fellow will receive professional development opportunities, a $10,000 grant to help support an innovative Conservation Action Project, and an opportunity to network with a cadre of committed leaders.

The Environmental Leadership Program targets emerging environmental and social change practitioners eager to connect their specialized work to larger environmental and social concerns. ELP offers intensive leadership and skill training, regional networking opportunities, and time for personal and professional reflection. Consisting of three retreats and additional optional trainings, their curriculum helps emerging leaders hone their leadership styles, improve their strategic communications, and strengthen their outreach to diverse constituencies.

Check them out and good luck!

Whales to Windmills: Inventions Inspired by the Sea

2012-01-13T15:33:00.001-05:00

Check out this TEDx presentation by Mike Chamberlain, Manager of Innovation for Guest Experience at the Monterey Bay Aquarium: "Whales to Windmills: Inventions Inspired by the Sea." (TEDx events are independently organized TED events in communities around the world.)

In the presentation, Mike highlights how different inventors have used biomimicry in designing new technologies. It focuses on solutions and opportunities that may be possible in responding to climate change, without directly discussing climate change as the impetus for these innovations.

Time for significant progress in 2012

2012-01-06T14:52:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all! The Ocean Project looks forward to working with you and our entire network of partners (now approximately 1,500 zoos, aquariums, museums, and other conservation organizations in 80 countries) to advance ocean conservation!

There is a lot on tap for this new year and we always welcome feedback on how better to help you do more for conservation.

For starters, please check out our new website! We've taken your input from our partner survey last year and tried to streamline the site and make it more useful for your purposes. It's definitely still a work in progress so let us know how we can make it better for you. Please email us directly with suggestions.

We are also improving the World Oceans Day website - organize your June event now! and redoing our Seas the Day website - this personal action resource for our partners to use will focus more on youth in 2012, with changes coming soon based on input from focus groups we are continuing to conduct with groups of youth around the US.

If you've not yet checked out our most recent market research update, please do. We're tracking awareness, opinions, and much more on a daily basis and will provide regular updates.

Thanks for your involvement and stay tuned for much more on a frequent basis through this blog, our Facebook site, Twitter, and, eventually, more on Linkedin.

Houston, we have impressive results to share

2011-12-21T14:11:00.001-05:00

For the last several years, The Ocean Project has been working closely with IMPACTS Research, using their cutting-edge market research and continually developing new methods for measurably increasing ocean awareness and conservation action with our partner zoos, aquariums, and museums (ZAMs).

Recently, we developed a beta online advertising campaign, to measure its effect on raising conservation awareness. Conducted in Houston during spring and summer 2011, this campaign marked one of the first times that a nonprofit organization has implemented a "placed media" strategy. The campaign used many of the same technologies and techniques that BP deployed (quite successfully) to obfuscate and mitigate the perceptual impacts of the Gulf oil spill–in this case to spark a positive wave of interest in ocean conservation.

The campaign goal was to raise awareness of plastics pollution and its effect on sea turtles. We directed the campaign at tweens, teens and young adults -- the audience the market research shows will provide the greatest conservation bang for the buck. We chose Houston as a test community in part because it has the lowest median age of major US cities, a high percentage of ESL households, and it is not a city known for its progressive conservation attitudes (figuring if it worked well in Houston we could achieve success in other cities).

We chose an online campaign to test this audience because it is the best method to effectively deliver enough impressions to the target audience with the budget available. It also allowed the campaign to reach the target audience through their preferred communication channel at their preferred hours of engagement, increasing the likelihood of successfully connecting with this audience. We selected plastics pollution as the campaign focus because our research indicates that of all the issues facing the ocean, pollution concerns people the most. We chose a sea turtle as it's a charismatic animal that helps visually and emotionally tell the story of plastics pollution. The ads were deployed for eight weeks through Facebook and Google; with Google we also ran an enhanced search campaign.

With this type of campaign, we expected positive results, but the breadth and depth of the impact on the target audience was much more significant and longer lasting than any of us anticipated.

From the start of the campaign to its completion, we saw a 14.8% increase in the belief that the world's ocean is endangered and an 8.9% increase in concern for the health of the ocean. There was also an increase in the belief that individuals’ actions affect the ocean: a 10.1% increase in agreement with the statement “The ocean is affected by the actions of people” and a 17.4% drop in agreement with the statement “My actions have little impact on ocean health.” And surprisingly, this increase of concern for the ocean moved beyond just the issues of plastics. By the end of the campaign, there was an 18.1% increase in agreement with the following statement: “Climate change threatens ocean health.”

Moreover, and most exciting, youth retained their increase in awareness and concern for the ocean following the campaign. Awareness levels did not significantly diminish in testing two months after the campaign. In a matter of a few months, we achieved truly significant changes with the youth of Houston, American's fourth largest city.

Based on the impressive results from the beta in Houston, the next step is to scale up this campaign to 5-7 more major cities over the next three years, working closely with our partner zoos, aquariums, and museums and focusing both on raising awareness and motivating personal action to help build a new movement of social responsibility and conservation action for our ocean.

Empowering youth to take meaningful conservation action

2011-12-08T17:41:00.000-05:00

Not only is our market research telling us that youth of today are the most socially conscious and environmentally aware generation, but also another recent study shows that “(not) since 1972 has generation played such a significant role in voter preferences as it has in recent elections”. This is great news for our efforts with zoos, aquariums, and museums (ZAMs) to encourage a youth movement for ocean conservation. They are clearly passionate and do not shy away from taking personal action, whether politically or in their personal lives.

Therefore, the question for us in our efforts to communicate for action is not “How can we make them care enough to act?” but “How do we empower them to take meaningful action for conservation?”

The Ocean Project has been working with a couple of our ZAM partners – Seattle Aquarium and North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher – on precisely this issue and seeing promising headway. Seattle’s P.S. We Love You campaign has already seen significant success in motivating teen volunteers to take action and inspire their friends and families to action, while NC Fort Fisher’s Beach Reach utilizes social media to “bring beaches back to life, pier to pier and peer to peer”. We are about to start working more closely with WCS and the New York Aquarium and look forward to sharing our findings with you, hopefully soon.

Have a successful program that is youth-driven that you would care to share? Let us know (leave a comment below or email us) about your experiences so we can share with the ZAM community. Together, we can figure out how to best provide guidance and empower youth to be the next wave for ocean conservation.

Small Grant Winners Announced

2011-10-28T09:41:00.003-04:00

Thanks to all who applied for a grant in the second round of The Ocean Project’s Small Grants Program!

We had an even more competitive pool of applicants this second round and lots of great ideas. Our Advisory Board had a challenging time deciding on the award winners.

After an extensive selection process, we are pleased to announce the following grant recipients:

• Gladys Porter Zoo, $15,000, for "Students Teaching Students: Champions of the Blue", which partners middle and high school youth with achievement-oriented university students to develop the groundwork for stewardship of the oceans. This program will focus on reaching at-risk, minority teens in Brownsville, which is only 25 miles from the Gulf of Mexico but where many youth know little about its life or threats, and how they can take positive action in their communities.

• The Florida Aquarium, $9,975, for "Instilling a Lifelong Conservation Ethic in Middle School Students" which will track classroom outcomes as a result of professional development workshops for middle school teachers who then mentor their students to lead conservation projects at their school.

• Fresno Chaffee Zoo, $15,000, for "Teen LEADERS (Lead by Educating with Activities and Demonstrations on the Environment, Resources and Sciences)”. Teen LEADERS will be trained in issues related to ocean and watershed pollution, age-appropriate conservation and stewardship actions and how to successfully facilitate water-focused activities with zoo guests. Training curriculum and activities are designed to 1) inspire first-hand behavior change, 2) create a "ripple effect" of those changes on friends, family and zoo guests.

• Lincoln Park Zoo, $15,000, for "Teen-Driven Climate Change Campaigns at Lincoln Park Zoo and Chicago Botanic Garden" to help LPZ and CBG launch youth-driven campaigns to carry climate change messages to a Midwest audience.

• New England Aquarium, $15,000, for "Live Blue Ambassadors: Environmental Service Learning for Teens." This service learning program will inspire and steer teens toward becoming "future ocean protectors" by 1) bringing teens from different backgrounds together to achieve common goals; 2) ensuring teens understand the science behind each project; 3) offering hands-on conservation experience; and 4) encouraging participants to promote environmental protection among their friends, families and communities.

For our next funding cycle of the Small Grants Program, we will send out an RFP in June, with proposals due by September 1, 2012.

U.S. Students' Entrepreneurial Energy Waiting to Be Tapped

2011-10-13T12:12:00.007-04:00

This Gallup poll talks more to the issue of job creation, etc. but echoes many of our research findings, and provides more good fodder for focusing on youth.

Among the implications:

Like U.S. adults, the Gallup-HOPE Index data suggest an important segment of the American student population demonstrates attitudes often ascribed to entrepreneurs. Previous Gallup research documents the notion that students may possess good ideas about the future. At the same time, focused efforts to transform these aspirations into reality are not as strong as they could be.

Let's get going on creatively and meaningfully engaging youth!

Please visit our Web pages, Youth in Action: Motivating Teens and Tweens to Protect the Ocean, and contact TOP if you would like help, advice, or more information.

Maui Jim Winners Announced!

2011-09-30T11:55:00.003-04:00

Thanks to everyone at the AZA 2011 conference who participated in our Maui Jim sunglasses raffle! The lucky winners have been announced:

Darcie Larson
Interpretation Coordinator
Seattle Aquarium

Amber Neilson
Education Coordinator
Sequoia Park Zoo

Brian M. Carter
Director, Communications
SeaWorld San Antonio

Megan Hudak
Volunteer Services Manager
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

We've mailed them their Maui Jim sunglasses and hope they're ready to look extra cool. Just in time for fall!

Thanks again for stopping by and talking with us at the conference. If you have any follow up questions or want to work with us on something, please don't hesitate to contact us!

And don't forget to send a lei on Facebook to support The Ocean Project and our work.

Hope to see you at AZA in Atlanta!

2011-09-09T15:42:00.002-04:00

The Ocean Project team, including Wei Ying Wong, Alyssa Isakower, and Bill Mott, and including consultants Douglas Meyer and Deb Kerr, will be in Atlanta at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' annual conference, September 13-17. We look forward to meeting with you!

In case you will be at AZA, here's a brief summary of some of what we are involved with and hope to see you at:

Exhibit Hall Roundtable (Thursday, Sept 15, 12:15pm-1:45pm) - come learn more about our market research initiative, World Oceans Day, our growing network of ZAMs (zoos, aquariums and museums), and how you can get more involved.
Panel: “Understanding Your Audiences in Climate Change Education: How to Turn the Tide in Climate Literacy and Action” (Friday, Sept 16, 10:00am-11:30am)
Poster Reception: “Motivating Audiences for Conservation Action and Climate Change through Market Research: Stories from the field” (Friday, Sept 16, 5:30pm-7pm)
Panel: “The Age of New Media: Engage Youth on Their Virtual Turf (with the Support of the Research)” (Saturday, Sept 17, 8:30am-10:00am)

ALSO, thanks to Maui Jim's generosity, we will be raffling off a few pairs of their famous sunglasses. For conference attendees who visit our roundtable and/or our poster session and leave a business card, you will be entered in the raffle to win a pair of Maui Jim Sunglasses!

See you in Atlanta!

Small Grants RFP Hurricane Irene Update

2011-08-29T13:30:00.002-04:00

We hope everyone affected by Hurricane Irene is safe and doing well. We, here in Rhode Island, are safe, but facing significant disruptions to power and communication.

On account of all the disruptions caused by the hurricane, we will be extending our RFP deadline by a week. Small grant applications will now be due next Thursday, September 8, 2011. We hope this will give everyone enough time to finalize their proposal. (We know we will be trying to get back to business as usual!)

Stay safe.

Last call for RFPs!

2011-08-25T16:40:00.001-04:00

Small Grants anyone? It's your last chance!

Have a project that you’ve always been wanting to try but there were always other funding priorities? Then you should check out The Ocean Project’s Small Grants RFP! We’re looking for projects that implement the findings of our market research, evaluate its success, and share the experience with other partners.

If you’ve got a smart/innovative/interesting project looking to shift the paradigm on communicating to inspire conservation action, we want to hear from you!

Act now! The deadline is Sept 1.

(The application isn’t onerous – there’s still time to pull the proposal together.)

The Ocean Project wants your Small Grants proposals!

2011-08-02T12:24:00.001-04:00

Small Grants Program Funding Opportunity

Deadline September 1^st

Click here to see the full RFP.

If you are a partner zoo, aquarium, or museum and with a great idea, let us help you! The Ocean Project Small Grants Program will grant up to $50,000 to ZAMs in 2011 and up to $60,000 in both 2012 and 2013, with no minimum and a maximum of $15,000 per ZAM a year. Check out the RFP to see if you qualify for funding.

To help us achieve our collaborative mission and expand our market research initiative, The Ocean Project was awarded a three-year grant in 2010 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with four major goals:

Measure changes in awareness and action on ocean and climate issues, expanding the market research, with three annual surveys and nine quarterly tracking survey updates;
Assist Ocean Project Partners—including zoos, aquariums, and museums—in integrating the research findings into their priorities and programs by providing in-depth analysis and actionable recommendations, while simultaneously providing the results to others in the broader conservation community;
Maximize the application of the research through professional development and other capacity building opportunities; and
Support and shape outreach efforts that connect climate change, the ocean, and individual action, especially as related to leveraging environmentally active youth to help build the core of a new movement of social responsibility for ocean conservation.

One of the ultimate goals of this initiative is to help our partners create an ocean literate and ready-to-act American public.

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are limited to ZAMs in the United States that are partners in The Ocean Project network (see all partners listed here) and are also AZA-accredited institutions. Other organizations seeking funds through this grant opportunity must work through one of these types of eligible organizations.

Click here for further information and application form.

Highlights from World Oceans Day 2011!

2011-06-28T14:05:00.001-04:00

See our post on the World Oceans Day blog for a look at some of the cool events held this year. If you have any more information don't hesitate to contact us.

TOP Partner Satisfaction survey raffle winners!

2011-06-24T15:47:00.000-04:00

We are pleased to announce our 4 winners for our Maui Jim sunglasses:

Megan Ennes

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, North Carolina

Lori Mellenbruch

Maui Ocean Center in Wailuku, Hawaii

R. Allard

Phoenix Zoo in Phoenix, Arizona

Cathy Lane

C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Virginia

Thank you to everyone for completing our survey! We received more than 400 responses and are working on making sense of them now!

Small Grants Program Funding Opportunity

2011-06-22T17:05:00.000-04:00

Have a great idea for advancing conservation? We just launched our latest round of Small Grants RFP for projects. In April, our advisory panel selected proposals from three organizations – Aquarium of the Bay, Detroit Zoological Society, and Utah's Hogle Zoo – which will be implementing projects that integrate The Ocean Project’s market research findings.

And now we’re looking for more! If you have a project with a focus on reaching out to youth and/or minorities to promote conservation action, we want to hear from you. Click here for more details!

World Oceans Day 2011 was a huge success!

2011-06-17T16:59:00.004-04:00

Thanks to people like you, approximately 400 events were held in 70 countries to celebrate World Oceans Day. World Oceans Day was also buzzing online this year! In the past month, it was mentioned in 3,759 web articles and 8,417 tweets. We also doubled our fans on Facebook, so more people around the world can connect for the ocean! There were write-ups and mentions on sites like Treehugger, The Huffington Post, Mother Jones, Washington Post, the Toronto Star, and many more! We know that next year is going to be even bigger and better!

Because of the importance of youth in helping with ocean conservation, the theme for 2012 remains the same:
Youth: the Next Wave for Change, so start planning your events for 2012 now. Visit this site often for new info, resources, and discussion about June 8th and ocean conservation.

We want your pictures and videos! The Ocean Project is preparing our annual World Oceans Day highlights and we want to hear from you. If you have pictures, video, press coverage, etc. of a World Oceans Day event please share with the community. You can post it on our Facebook wall or email it to us at aisakower@theoceanproject.org.

And don’t forget to send a Maui Jim lei on Facebook! It’s free, and once the Aloha-o-meter fills up, $10,000 will be donated to support World Oceans Day.

Happy World Oceans Day!

2011-06-08T15:11:00.000-04:00

Happy June 8th everybody! We hope you're joining the world in the globe's biggest ocean celebration today: World Oceans Day!

Don't forget the Twitter party at 7pm tonight:

Are you on Twitter?
Do you love the ocean?
Could you use some earth-friendly all natural and organic delicious free candies?

Join The Ocean Project and Surf Sweets at 7pm on today June 8th for a half hour of ocean discussion, Q & A, and chances to win fun prizes.

Starting at 7pm, join us by tweeting the hashtag #WOD (or #WorldOceansDay). Your tweets will enter you to win treats from our partners, and the conversation will stimulate your mind!

Surf Sweets is also holding a photo contest to celebrate World Oceans Day:

Whole Foods Market and Surf Sweets are celebrating our oceans the entire month of June. Grab Chewy Hughy and take him on an adventure involving water; the beach, zoo, aquarium, park or anywhere you have fun with water. Snap a pick with Chewy Hughy and submit it to info@surfsweets.com for your chance to win! Pick up Chewy Hughy in store or download here.

And the prizes are awesome! $100 gift card to Whole Foods, a year's supply of Surf Sweets, and more.

Complete contest rules are on the Chewy Hughy flier attached to this post. Enjoy!

Click here to view the flier

How are we doing?

2011-05-24T13:55:00.000-04:00

Shared your opinions yet?

Last week The Ocean Project launched its Partner Satisfaction survey, seeking to better understand the needs of our network partners in communicating conservation. The feedback is pouring in, and we already have more than 200 responses.

If you haven’t already done so, please give us your feedback at to http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TOPPartnerSurvey and stand a chance to win a pair of Maui Jim sunglasses and other exciting prizes.

Act soon! The survey closes on World Oceans Day, June 8!

Maui Jim Donates $10,000 to The Ocean Project!

2011-05-16T11:48:00.000-04:00

Vote with your Likes! Maui Jim Donates $10,000 to The Ocean Project

After just two weeks fans of The Ocean Project and Maui Jim,^® have sent over 10,000 virtual leis to their friends on Facebook! This is the first of what the company hopes will be several $10,000 contributions to The Ocean Project.

Click the Like button to add Maui Jim's app and help donate to The Ocean Project!

Maui Jim launched the promotion to prepare for World Oceans Day on June 8, and has decided to keep the promotion going all year due to its importance to the history of the company, which started in Hawaii.

This initiative by Maui Jim demonstrates how people, no matter where they live, can take action to protect the oceans. TOP and Maui Jim have some of the most loyal and active fans on Facebook; and they’re helping us make a real difference for our oceans!

The fundraising for the ocean is still going on! Head over to Maui Jim’s Facebook page or click the Like button above. All you have to do is click “Like” or “Send a Lei” to a friend to help fill up the Aloha-o-Meter! With your help, The Ocean Project aims to hire a full-time World Oceans Day coordinator so we can spread the Aloha spirit in an even bigger way next year.

Thanks for your support! Let's get this Aloha-O-Meter to the top again!

Public and Stakeholder Session of the National Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Workshop

2011-05-05T16:23:00.000-04:00

The National Ocean Council invites the public and stakeholders to join in a public session on Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) in Washington, DC on June 21, 2011.

This public session will take place on Tuesday, June 21, from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, in the Yates Auditorium at the U.S. Department of the Interior, located at 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC. Space is limited. To attend, register by clicking here http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oceans/cmsp-workshop

For those who cannot attend the session in person, it will also be available to the public through a live webcast on June 21 at www.doi.gov/live.

Seas the Day with an Hawaiian Lei!

2011-04-25T16:30:00.003-04:00

Put a smile on someone’s face and help the ocean by sending a virtual lei on Facebook! It’s free, fun, and will help protect our blue planet.

Click here to send one now!

The Ocean Project is partnering with Maui Jim,® in order to spread some virtual "aloha spirit" around the world. Visitors to the company's Facebook page through 2011 will have the opportunity to send a virtual Hawaiian Lei to their friends, along with some good vibes and well wishes.

The company will track the number of Leis sent worldwide, filling up the online "Aloha-o-Meter." Each time the meter fills to the top after 10K leis are sent, the company will donate $10,000 to The Ocean Project and reset the meter. So please help spread awareness about the ocean and help The Ocean Project raise funds to advance ocean conservation.

Tell your friends! We need 10,000 leis sent on Facebook to receive a $10,000 donation. Show your support and Mahalo! Thank you!

On this Earth Day we remember…

2011-04-22T17:41:00.001-04:00

The BP Oil Spill may be only a lingering memory for those of us not directly affected, but for those whose lives and livelihoods were halted and changed forever on that fateful Tuesday, they live with daily reminders of the catastrophe.

Destroyed habitats, lost oyster beds, dead wildlife, and contaminated seafood, leave no question that the capping of the oil well was not the end of the tragedy. Proud Cajuns O'Neil and Samantha Sevin have seen their business come virtually to a standstill, and their way of life made untenable; Rosina Philippe of the Atakapa-Ishak tribe – who have lived and subsisted in the region for centuries – wonders whether the oil spill is the final straw for imperiled cultures in the region; and the list continues. If it was not clear before, the BP Oil spill has certainly made explicit the need to take ocean health seriously.

On this day, let us remember that even though Earth Day was started 22 years ago, we still have a long way to go in protecting the us and our environment. Take a pledge to do your part today.

Remember the Deepwater Horizon!

2011-04-20T14:32:00.000-04:00

How did the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico affect Americans' opinions about environmental and ocean conservation?

A year ago, the Deepwater Horizon offshore oil drilling rig exploded, killing 11 men and starting a 3-month long flood of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, devastating the ecology, economy, and coastal communities for years to come. The resultant media frenzy captivated the public, with hundreds of thousands tuning in online and on air 24/7 to witness the heroic efforts and tragic failures to contain the oil spill.

The Ocean Project’s quarterly tracking data showed a spike in interest in ocean health in June 2010. In that quarter, the public not only had a heightened desire to protect the ocean, but felt that it should be a priority for the government.

Fig 1. Click for full-size. In June 2010 after the oil spill, the number of Americans who agreed with the statement “Protecting the ocean should be a priority for the

government” jumped considerably from 2009 and April 2010. However, by August 2010 fewer still felt this way.

Fig 2. Click for full-size. A similar jump can be observed in people who agree with the statements “Protecting the ocean is an important part of protecting the environment.”

The interest was short-lived, however. By the time the 3^rd quarter tracking data returned, interest was already declining.

This trend is mirrored in the searches conducted on the internet during these same months (Fig 3): Google Trends show related search terms such as “gulf oil spill,” “oil spill” and “Gulf of Mexico” spiked on April 20th 2010 and then declined over the next few months (reaching its peak in late April/early May). The search term frequency was down near baseline levels by October 2010.

Fig 3. Click for full-size. Google Trends.

Now, a year later, the sense of urgency has long since passed. The memory lingers, but for most Americans, it’s back to life as usual. For those living in and around the Gulf of Mexico, the consequences of this disaster have an impact on their lives daily.

In memory of this catastrophic event, we will be dedicating our blogs over the next week to the communities and ecologies that were forever transformed on April 20, 2010.

New World Oceans Day Site Launched for World Community

2011-04-14T11:12:00.000-04:00

Are you celebrating this June 8^th? Check out the new World Oceans Day website for event lists, promotional materials, interaction with others around the world, and more!

This new homepage is meant for the international World Oceans Day community to share their plans and ideas. The site features a brand new layout, easier navigation, and an emphasis on getting people around the world better connected to each other and the ocean. It is being translated into Spanish and French, and includes a Google translator widget on each page. We are looking for volunteers to help translate the site into other languages so please let us know if you can help.

Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll find on the new website:

Events – See the list of WOD events being held around the world. This is the most comprehensive WOD event listing on the web, organized by continent and country. Check out how the world is celebrating or submit your own event! We expect a surge in events listed in the coming weeks.
Ideas – No WOD events yet happening in your community? Organize your own! Get inspired with a list of celebration ideas and resources, then submit your event to the international listing.
Marketing Kit – Now that you have your event planned, you need to get the word out about it. The WOD marketing kit includes graphics for the web and print, in addition to documents like sample press releases. More items are being listed in the coming weeks. If you need any additional help with marketing materials, contact the WOD 2011 Coordinator, Alyssa Isakower.
Dr. Seuss materials – Celebrate with Seuss! If you’re a partner of The Ocean Project you can download One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish themed graphics and activity manual for free.
Blog – Stay updated on World Oceans Day news, organizing advice, and get involved with the WOD community through this blog.

Let us know if you encounter any problems, or have some suggestions so we can make the site even better. Don’t forget to ‘Like’ us on Facebook and "Wear Blue!" on June 8th!

Lots of information – how best to get it to people?

2011-04-04T14:09:00.000-04:00

What did we do before the internet came into our lives? Apparently most people can’t remember either. In Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism latest study “The State of News Media 2011”. For the first time, more people (46%) get their news online than from any other sources.

It’s becoming clear – if it wasn’t before –that the culture of information acquisition is shifting. Both “Knowledge of Climate Change Among Visitors to Science and Technology Museums” and The Ocean Project’s “America, the Ocean, and Climate Change” reveal that more people are citing the internet as their source of information (61% and 64.2% respectively).

For zoos, aquariums, science museums (ZAMs) in the 21st century to remain relevant, and with so many other competing purveyors of information on the internet (most notably corporations and industry lobby groups), it is critical that ZAMs (and other trusted conservation-oriented organizations) step up quickly to meet the information demand/supply gap for environmental news that The Ocean Project’s research has identified.

Initial information gathering and follow-up visits are more likely to take place in the cyberworld. The cyber portal is growing in importance, and individually and collectively as a conservation community we need to be able to provide web visitors with relevant information for fast and easy consumption.

What can we learn from the latest Six Americas reports?

2011-03-29T10:21:00.000-04:00

The recently released “Knowledge of Climate Change Among Visitors to Science and Technology Museums” report is reinvigorating the conversation about communicating climate change to the public. It corroborates The Ocean Project’s market research finding that ZAM (Zoo, Aquarium, and Museum) visitors are more likely to be concerned about climate change and express a willingness to act on behalf of conservation. ZAMs, if not already convinced by an earlier collaboration “Why Zoos and Aquariums Matter” that TOP was involved with, should now realize that the public trusts them (more than any other organization), and look to them for guidance on what to do to aid conservation efforts.

Both Six Americas and The Ocean Project findings reveal that guidance is critical given the significant misconceptions among the public. For example, the Six Americas report found that a third of the nation thinks that “stopping rockets from punching holes in the ozone layer (has a lot/some impact on reducing) global warming." Despite low scientific/ocean/climate literacy, however, we should not despair.

Six Americas also found that while information may “often (be) a necessary precursor of effective action”, action has been shown to be just as effective in advancing knowledge. And 68% of the US population considers themselves at the very least as “Cautious” (“believe global warming is a problem, but not urgent, and are unsure whether it is human caused”) if not “Concerned” or “Alarmed”. Within this, TOP research has revealed that teens and tweens, as well as ESL households are more likely to take action on behalf of the environment.

Reaching Millennials: Youth and the Internet

2011-03-08T10:45:00.002-05:00

Mom and Dad might set the curfew, but who has the most influence when it comes to environmental information in most homes? Research by The Ocean Project and others has shown that parents consider their teens and tweens to be the most knowledgeable and environmentally conscious members of the family.

Young people wield a great deal of control over environmental actions taken in most households, but their influence doesn’t stop there. Studies show that young people know and care more about ocean, climate change and other related issues and are more willing to take action on these issues than adults. They have the free time, passion, and information to make lasting change.

The two-year theme for World Oceans Day 2011 and 2012 focuses on Youth: the Next Wave for Change. Connecting with youth across a generational divide, however, can be difficult for some organizations. Below, we’ve gathered some of the best online resources for reaching out to and mobilizing this promising and action-ready group of people. To see a full list of our strategies for reaching youth, click here.

Reaching Youth over the Internet

Young people are using the internet more than ever, particularly for connecting with their peers through sites like Facebook. 73% of teens online have profiles on a social networking site.

An ongoing study by Youth & Participatory Politics indicates that even “extracurricular” (not explicitly academic or action-oriented) internet fosters later civic and political engagement in youth. Here are some great toolkits and whitepapers we’ve collected to help you utilize this exciting avenue of communication with young people.

· The Center for Communication & Civic Engagement Inventory of Online Youth Civic Engagement Resources
A guide for the wide range of online projects dedicated to youth engagement for civic practitioners and scholars.

· Civic Life Online: Learning How Digital Media Can Engage Youth — A MacArthur Study

This study investigates the participatory aspects of online digital media through case studies, discusses the connection between individual expression and public opinion, and outlines exercises for developing a public voice through online mediums.

· Hershey|Cause online guide outreach tools

A basic but informative toolkit summarizing the pros and cons of different internet outreach tools and how they may assist your organization.

If your organization wants to make lasting change through action, young people are a group you won’t regret reaching out to. The effort it takes to get young people involved will be more than repaid by the drive and energy they bring with them to climate and ocean conservation.

Announcing The Ocean Project Small Grants Program

2011-01-28T15:49:00.000-05:00

Grants are available to zoos, aquariums, and museums for demonstration projects that best integrate and test The Ocean Project's market research findings (available for download here).

Successful projects would clearly enhance meaningful participation in conservation action by youth and/or minorities.

Apply by March 15, 2011. Click here for more information.

Opportunity to comment on National Ocean Policy strategic action plans

2011-01-24T17:20:00.002-05:00

Today the US National Ocean Council announced that it is seeking public input as it develops strategic action plans for nine priority objectives described in the Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. These objectives seek to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes.

Public comments will be accepted through April 29, 2011. Draft strategic action plans will be released in the summer of 2011, and will also be available for public comment.

To provide comment, please visit this website and choose which of the nine action areas listed you wish to address. Three questions are posed to guide your input:

What near-term, mid-term, and long-term actions would most effectively help the Nation achieve this policy objective?
What are some of the major obstacles to achieving this objective; are there opportunities this objective can further, including transformative changes in how we address the stewardship of the oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes?
What milestones and performance measures would be most useful for measuring progress toward achieving this priority objective?

To submit your comments, please click here.

The Youth Effect: a toolkit for decision makers on engaging with youth

2011-01-20T11:19:00.005-05:00

Sometimes clichés ring true: The youth are our future; and they need to have a say in its direction. Unfortunately, youths are a disproportionately unengaged group by organizations that want to make a difference. Many organizations may think it too difficult or feel it is off-mission to add a youth component to their initiatives.

On the contrary, market research by The Ocean Project has shown that young people are the most knowledgeable and motivated segment of the population when it comes to the environment and its protection. Youth generally have the free time, familiarity with current issues, and the motivation to go out of their way to take environmental actions. Furthermore, the research shows that parents are increasingly looking to their tween and teenage children for information and advice on these issues.

Essentially, youth can be real agents of change. Based on The Ocean Project's market research, youth are the most promising members of the public to reach out to if you want to effect lasting change. Investing in getting youth involved with your organization, can be challenging, but there are resources out there to make the process much easier.

The Youth Effect is an online toolkit developed by the Youth Task Force of the Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum, as part of an effort to ensure that children and youth are an integral part of designing, shaping and creating a more sustainable future. The toolkit was developed to help you and other leaders of organizations across all sectors engage youth in a way that is successful for your organization, the youths involved, and our planet. It goes over questions to ask yourself about how your organization currently interacts with the next generation of leaders, and provides tips and case studies to improve your efforts.

You can view the toolkit pre-publication through this online e-reader at: http://www.youtheffect.org/.

Small Grants Program Funding Opportunity

2011-01-05T16:42:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! It's nice to start a new year with good news so here is some for our Partner zoos, aquariums, and museums (ZAMs).

To help us achieve our collaborative mission and expand our market research initiative, The Ocean Project was recently awarded a three-year grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). One of the ultimate goals of this initiative is to help our partner ZAMs create an ocean literate and ready-to-act American public.

As part of the award, and to help us maximize the application of our research, NOAA provided The Ocean Project with funding to create a national competitive small grants program. The Ocean Project will grant up to $50,000 to ZAMs in 2011 and up to $60,000 in both 2012 and 2013, with a maximum of $15,000 per ZAM in any given year. A major program goal of The Ocean Project Small Grants Program will be to enhance meaningful participation in conservation action by youth and/or minorities.

Next week The Ocean Project will post an RFP with many more details, so please stay tuned.

SEASons Greetings from The Ocean Project!

2010-12-22T18:20:00.000-05:00

It has been an eventful year for the health of our ocean planet. Devastating events such as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have reminded us of the vulnerability of our ocean, and our duty to take action and protect it.

At The Ocean Project we continued to provide our Partners with new and meaningful conservation communication insights to help them become more efficient and effective educators and communicators for conservation action. In 2011, we are launching a new three year initiative, which will significantly expand our market research capabilities and help our Partners to fully integrate and utilize these valuable resources and strategic communications tools.

Through an expansion of our market research initiative -- and other activities, such as providing ways to take tangible action focused on a new conservation theme each month -- we plan to engage and mobilize people for conservation action around the United States and in the 75 other countries where are Partners are based. Collectively, we hope to develop more of a conservation consciousness among all members of society.

Thank you for your interest, and your help working for the ocean and the health of our planet! Please consider making a year end ocean donation to The Ocean Project. With our small team, each contribution goes far for positive change! Thank you and have a wonderful holiday season!

The perfect gift for you and the ocean—a junk-free mailbox.

2010-12-10T15:38:00.003-05:00

Did you know? In the U.S. alone, the production of junk mail consumes 28 billion gallons of water and takes enough energy to power 2.8 million cars!

The Ocean Project is partnering with 41pounds.org, a nonprofit service which stops postal junk mail. With this service, you can help cut down on junk mail waste while treating your loved ones to five full years of a clutter free mailbox!

For $41, the folks at 41pounds.org do all the leg-work to reduce your junk mail by 80-95% for five years. This cost INCLUDES a $15 donation to one of their partner non-profit organizations you choose; such as The Ocean Project!

With 41pounds.org, you reduce household clutter, protect healthy forests and reduce global warming:

Paper manufacturing in the US and Canada releases well over 100 million kg of toxic pollution into the air and water each year.
More than 100 million trees are destroyed each year to produce junk mail.
The world’s temperate forests absorb 2 billion tons of carbon annually to help keep the planet cool and healthy.
Junk mail produces more greenhouse gas emissions than 9 million cars.

Save some stress, save the forests, and save the ocean by patronizing 41pounds.org with The Ocean Project as your donation of choice! Click here now to buy a gift certificate.

Taking action and changing minds, and vice versa

2010-11-23T17:20:00.001-05:00

As zoos, aquariums, and museums increasingly use market research from The Ocean Project and other sources to become more strategic and effective communicators and educators for conservation action with their audiences, it might prove helpful to see how the environmental movement is showing signs of shifting course in their messaging.

Although there are always exceptions, the traditional "end-is-nigh" messaging that many environmentally-minded individuals and organizations have used has been largely ineffective in galvanizing society to action; what this type of messaging has done to a large extent is succeed in stereotyping environmental activists as preachy and judgmental. Increasingly, however, environmentalists are more broadly embracing a basic tenet of successful communication: framing. Shifting away from indiscriminate dissemination of information, framing strategically communicates an issue by putting it into a context which is familiar and valid to the audience (for more information on framing, see the Framing Public Issues Toolkit by the Frameworks Institute).

How can this best be done?

Change the minds and actions will follow?
Common Cause, a report recently released by WWF-UK, proposes that cultural values provide motivation for action, and argues that a shift from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation is needed in Western culture to foster a sustainable society. Specifically, it advances that communication campaigns can support this change by publically challenging common self-centered and consumerist sources of motivation.

Take action and the minds will follow? Chris Rose, operator of campaignstrategy.org, thinks so. In his response to the report, Common Cause, Rose argues that rather than trying to change what people value, communicators should activate frames that their audience already cares about. For example, conservatives may not support renewable energy to fight global warming, but might be willing to support it to reduce reliance on foreign oil. Rose goes on to illustrate his point with real world examples where environmental action is taken for non-conservation-related reasons, but nevertheless results in a more environmentally conscious populous.

Perhaps these two are not opposed. Rose's point that problems must be accepted as a "social fact" before they can be solved (e.g. equality and civil rights, or health risks and smoking) is a corollary of Common Cause's claim that extrinsically motivated changes do not have cultural staying power. Both strategies depend on one another to foster a sustainable society for the future. History has shown that decisive action (e.g. activism during the civil rights movement) can vitalize a previously apathetic public; likewise, it has also shown that long-term value based campaigning -- such as changing smoking's public image from "cool" to "outcast" -- can be powerful.

Using both strategies in tandem seems to be the wisest move for a sustainable future.

Time to Take Action on Climate Change Communication

2010-11-19T17:12:00.001-05:00

In today's issue of Science, a leading a group of respected climate scientists, social scientists, economists, and others put forth a call for the science and funding communities to support a new initiative that will bring the public up to speed quickly on climate change. Concurrently, they launched ClimateEngage.org to have people from all walks of life endorse the call to action. Please consider signing on www.ClimateEngage.org.

NOAA Announces Environmental Literacy Grants for Science Education

2010-11-15T17:24:00.002-05:00

NOAA's Office of Education announced today that it has awarded grants totaling more than $8 million to seventeen institutions - including several TOP Partners - across the country to engage the public in science education activities that improve understanding and stewardship of the local and global environment. These seventeen grants will fund thirteen projects:

University of Wisconsin & University of Maryland; "A collaborative project: Interpretation of Real-Time Weather and Climate Data for Spherical Displays"; $1,159,887
American Museum of Natural History (N.Y.); "Exploring Earth Systems: Expanding Data Visualization Experiences for Museum Learners"; $826,112
Denver Museum of Nature & Science, California Academy of Sciences, University of Louisville; "A collaborative project: The Worldview Network: Ecological Literacy Programming for Digital Planetariums and Beyond"; $1,248,123
Colorado State University; "CoCoRaHS: Capitalizing on Technological Advancements to Expand Environmental Literacy through a successful Citizen Science Network"; $1,249,993
Nurture Nature Center, Inc. (Pa.); "Science on a Sphere and Flood Forums: Education to Action"; $341,274
College of Exploration (Va.), Literacy Volunteers of America (Fla.); "A collaborative project: Engaging ESL adult and youth learners in technologically facilitated outdoor experiential learning to improve environmental, ocean, climate and English literacy"; $400,000
Seacoast Science Center (N.H.); "Families by the Seaside: Building community-based outdoor ocean science learning experiences"; $489,574
Science Museum of Virginia; "Science on a Sphere--Earth Systems Display Center at Science Museum of Virginia"; $295,202
Science Museum of Minnesota; "Planet Earth Decision Theater"; $500,001
Miami Science Center; "Hurricanes and Climate Change: Local Impacts and Global Systems"; $499,559
Monterey Bay Aquarium; "Teen Conservation Leadership"; $450,000
Butler University (Ind.); "FLOW: an innovative educational toolkit for river awareness"; $257,492
Exploratorium (Calif.); "Embedding NOAA in a Public Learning Laboratory - The Environmental Scientist-In-Residence Program at the Exploratorium"; $517,900

A Decade of Discovery in the World's Ocean!

2010-10-06T09:38:00.011-04:00

Yoshihiro Fujiwara/JAMSTEC

A hydrothermal vent snail, a newly discovered species, is now part of a plethora of sea creatures cataloged in the Census of Marine Life

While World Oceans Day 2010 focused on "Oceans of Life", the theme of the great diversity of life continues throughout this International Year of Biodiversity, as designated by the United Nations. The Census of Marine Life recently made a major contribution when it culminated its decade-long international effort to assess the diversity, distribution, and abundance of ocean life.

The Census validated that there are 201,206 identified species in the ocean and likely more than one million different types of creatures living in the seas today. This first baseline picture of ocean life—past, present, and future—will be used to forecast, measure, and understand changes in the global marine environment, as well as to inform the management and conservation of the marine environment.

The massive undertaking, which was comprised of 2,700 scientists, more than 80 nations, and 540 expeditions, shed light not only on how many sea creatures exist, but also on how much diversity our ocean is truly composed of. From well known ocean creatures like the jellyfish to newly discovered creatures like the hydrothermal vent snail, the Census enabled scientists -- and now the public -- to further understand the connections between aquatic life, the ocean, and us!

Read the full Census press release or visit the Census of Marine Life website to access its image and video gallery, reports, and much more.

Expanding our Research Initiative to help our Partners

2010-09-22T11:48:00.001-04:00

The Ocean Project's market research initiative is already the largest such undertaking ever on behalf of the environment, and it's about to grow. Over the last three years with major support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and its Environmental Literacy Grants program, we have been able to conduct cutting edge research and get the findings and implications to our Partner zoos, aquariums, museums, and others in the greater conservation community. The market research shows low levels of environmental literacy overall but significant opportunities for advancing ocean and climate conservation.

Thanks to major funding from NOAA, we will be expanding this research initiative over the next three years.

We have four major goals:

1. Measure changes in awareness and action on ocean, climate, and related environmental issues by the American public, applying innovative, cutting edge market research to three annual surveys and nine quarterly tracking survey updates.

2. Integrate the research findings, in-depth analysis, and actionable recommendations to key staff directly into programs at hundreds of partner sites, while simultaneously providing the results to the greater conservation community.

3. Maximize the application of the research through professional development and other capacity building opportunities, focusing on 25 of the most influential informal education centers across the country.

4. Support and shape outreach efforts that connect climate change, the ocean, and individual action, especially as related to reaching youth, to help build the core of a new movement of social responsibility for ocean and climate conservation.

We update our Website weekly and are overhauling it to make it more current and easier to use. Please visit often to stay informed of the many opportunities available to you to help advance conservation action, including the latest market research updates as they arrive!

2010 Tracking Survey Available and 2 New Reports

2010-09-13T15:26:00.001-04:00

Here are a few things to be aware and some quick updates:

We've re-organized our Market Research page to make it easier to use.
Latest Tracking Survey available which shows the change in opinion between April - August 2010. This survey is especially interesting because it shows the change in US opinions before, during, and after the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.
We've also posted two short FAQ style reports on specific aspects of the market research you may find helpful in your work. These reports focus on Youth and Climate Change.

We will also be releasing a new edition of our Blue Planet News to Use newsletter soon, so keep an eye out! Thanks for reading, and be sure to check back soon for more information on our plans for the new grant.

New Web page on Reaching Kids

2010-08-27T16:36:00.002-04:00

The Ocean Project has developed new Web pages on Reaching Kids for our Partners. The new pages provide tips and resources for educators working with young children. Please use it to learn the highlights from recent research in place-based education, a body of research which suggests that when children spend time engaged in nature and outdoor activities, they are more likely to be long-term stewards for our planet.

It is important that serious topics such as climate change and deforestation not be introduced too early, so as to not overwhelm kids before they have a chance to appreciate their natural surroundings.

Instead, children benefit from immersion in their local environment: learning about plants and animals in their backyard, exploring a nearby park, and visiting a zoo, aquarium, or museum can lead to positive associations with nature.

Empathy, followed by exploration, should be the main objectives in establishing a connection between children and their environment. For tips to involve children in age-appropriate outdoor activities and to learn about ZAMs with effective children programs, check out our new pages!

Contribute to Planning the Next Decade for the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE)

2010-08-20T15:57:00.000-04:00

The National Science Foundation's COSEE will be holding a meeting in Washington, D.C. on November 3-4, 2010.  The meeting announcement (below) and link to the application can be found at (COSEE Community Meeting Announcement).

NSF encourages a broad range of participants, especially individuals who are not currently involved in the National COSEE Network. Meeting expenses (travel, lodging and meals) for participants not affiliated with the National COSEE Network will be covered.  Consider applying and help disseminate this information to others within your professional networks.

Community Meeting Overview: COSEE is an NSF-funded national network of Centers with the broad objective of connecting the ocean sciences research and education communities to develop innovative and catalytic activities in ocean sciences education and outreach. In August/September 2011, the COSEE program will undergo a Decadal Review by NSF.  The review will assess past accomplishments of the Network, the role that COSEE fills in the overall landscape of ocean science education, and the emerging opportunities on which COSEE can capitalize if NSF funding is continued. With an eye toward the future, COSEE is engaging in a range of activities aimed at eliciting community input into a strategic vision for the future of COSEE or a follow-on program.  Among these activities is hosting a COSEE Community Meeting in which members of the science and education communities come together to contribute their perspectives and ideas on how the Network might evolve over the next decade. A variety of disciplinary expertise is sought, including members of the learning science and ocean science research  communities, cyberlearning/cyberinfrastructure experts, ocean science educators, and education/outreach specialists at major NSF-funded facilities.  The outcome of the meeting will be a strategic vision document based on the recommendations formulated during the meeting.

The Community Meeting application deadline is September 10th, 2010.  Please feel free to contact Cheryl Peach, Chair, COSEE Community Meeting Steering Committee (cpeach@ucsd.edu) if you have any questions.

Water for Life!

2010-08-20T14:46:00.000-04:00

Question: What's special about 70%?

Answer: 70% of Earth is covered with water and water comprises 70% of your body

Without water neither we nor the planet’s vibrant ecosystems could survive. And yet approximately 1 billion people worldwide lack clean drinking water. This summer, an historic vote in the United Nations General Assembly brought attention to this striking global problem. The new declaration raises hopes for the future of water conservation on our “blue planet.”

Among the human rights declared by the UN in 1948 are food, health, and education. But until July 28, 2010 access to clean water and sanitation were not included in this list. The new declaration names access to safe and clean water and sanitation as a human right and lays out goals for righting this wrong for so many millions of our fellow world citizens who lack clean drinking water.

The Ocean Project invites you to celebrate this historic event with us and spread the word about the need to manage our water resources responsibly—from oceans and waterways on a global scale to the water cycle happening in your backyard! Learn more about freshwater issues on the ocean issues Web page.

With water demand expected to exceed supply by 40% in 20 years, the UN declaration lays out practical steps to reduce this wide gap. It is also a clear moral affirmation that water should be seen as a public trust rather than a commodity.

August is Water Conservation month on The Ocean Project’s personal action website. So next time you enjoy a steamy shower or turn on your lawn sprinkler this summer, be thankful for this necessary human right and think of the less fortunate on our planet. Together, by each doing our parts, we can help conserve valuable water resources and provide for a brighter future for all people and creatures on our planet.

Youth in Action

2010-07-27T14:08:00.005-04:00

The Ocean Project’s research has shown that youth (ages 12-17) are a key audience to target with the potential to have a huge impact on improving our ocean planet. Not only is this age group more concerned about environmental issues, they are also more willing to take action to help the environment than adults. Furthermore, youth exert a huge amount of influence within their households. Parents often view their children as more informed about current environmental issues than themselves. Youth already report more involvement with ocean conservation activities than any other age group, but their potential for taking action is far from being fully realized. Check our new youth page for more information and resources on reaching 12-17 year olds.

American Opinion on Climate Change Warms Up

2010-07-15T15:23:00.003-04:00

Researchers at Yale University and George-Mason University have released new studies, with data on Americans' views on climate change, and related issues. This is some of the most up-to-date research available and sheds some light on how the American public feels about environmental issues.

Perhaps as a result of the BP disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the good news is that public concern about global warming is once again on the rise, up four points since January. Importantly, the number of Americans who said that the issue is personally important to them rose five points, to 63%.

Climate Change in the American Mind: Americans’ Global Warming Beliefs and Attitudes is a general look at how, and why, Americans feel about climate change. This includes data on what Americans consider to be trustworthy sources of climate change information, how much they worry, and what they think will happen in the future. The study also shows opinions over time (June 2010, January 2010, November 2008).

Climate Change in the American Mind: Public Support for Climate & Energy Policies, polled Americans on the current and future energy consequences of climate change and how they think the government should respond.

The Climate Change Generation? Survey Analysis of the Perceptions and Beliefs of Young Americans provides insights from polling of relatively young Americans, between the ages of 18-34. The study found that this group is generally more disengaged and thinks less about climate change than their older counterparts. However, they are more likely to believe climate change is caused by humans, more optimistic about taking action, and more trusting of scientific experts on the subject.

To access these reports, please visit The Ocean Project's "Communicating Conservation" Web page with a comprehensive database of the latest research and resources for information on how to help communicate about climate change with your visitors and help motivate them to take personal action. Suggestions for additional resources to include are always most welcome!

Plan Now for our Planet on 10/10/10

2010-07-02T11:11:00.002-04:00

On October 10, 2010, you can help our ocean, our climate, and our world by hosting a Global Work Party!

While World Oceans Day 2010 is still fresh, the BP Deepwater disaster in the Gulf of Mexico expands, and momentum continues to build connecting the health of our ocean, the health of our climate, and the health of our cities and communities, you can help by planning an event for 10/10/10.

This Global Work Party provides an opportunity for zoos, aquariums, museums, nature centers, schools and all our 1,200 Partner organizations in 90 countries to organize something tangible in your local area that will celebrate climate solutions. Some examples of activities already planned include: bike repair workshops in San Francisco, school insulating teams in London, wasteland-to-veggie-gardens in New Zealand, and solar panel installations in Kenya. The ideas and opportunities are limitless!

Our Partners reach millions of people; with your active involvement, we can help this event create a huge impact!

You can learn more and sign up to host a local event at http://www.350.org/oct10.

Take Action in Honor of Jacques Cousteau

2010-06-11T11:50:00.012-04:00

Jacques Cousteau was born on this day 100 years ago. Probably more than any other individual, he has helped people around the world care and learn about the world's ocean and its incredible diversity of life.

In his honor on this centennial celebration, we urge all to take action to help mitigate the ongoing crisis in the Gulf of Mexico and help prevent this type of horrific disaster from happening in the future. The Ocean Project has a new action page that provides specific information on how to help immediately, and also some suggestions for helping in the longer term.

And remember, as Captain Cousteau once said, "The impossible missions are the only ones which succeed."

Happy World Oceans Day!

2010-06-08T00:00:00.000-04:00

Happy World Oceans Day to our Partners and Friends around the world!

This year's World Oceans Day event is bigger and better than ever, thanks to the involvement of hundreds of organizations in dozens of countries.

While today is a time to celebrate the world's ocean, and our personal connection to the sea, it is also a time to reflect on why the ocean's health is linked to our own personal health, and how what we do to the ocean, we end up doing, eventually, to ourselves. In short, it's a good time to help make taking care of the ocean a higher priority, personally and politically.

The ongoing environmental, social, and economic disaster in the Gulf of Mexico with the BP oil spill shows how vulnerable the ocean is to human pressures, and also serves as a terrible reminder as to how addicted to oil we are as a society. This year, let's all begin to work harder on weaning ourselves from our oil addiction, and make the world a healthier, and safer, place for all of us, including the diversity of animal and plant life in the ocean.

Each of us can really make positive difference and today is a great day to commit - or re-commit - to making a concerted effort to remember the ocean, not only today but as we move forward with our busy lives, and strive to protect and conserve the ocean for our generation and for future generations. There are many of small, and also bigger, ways we can help. Learn more about how to help and Seas the Day today and then spread the word!

Nine Months of Ocean Picture Of the Day

2010-05-20T10:34:00.004-04:00

As May 2010 comes to a close, The Ocean Project's Ocean Picture Of the Day service received its 270th contribution from ocean-loving citizens of the world. Contributions have come in from all continents including Antarctica. You can view a new picture every day at theoceanproject.org/opod, choose the prev link to access the archives, change the archive date in the address to see back to any day since September 1, 2009, or best yet, make your own contribution using the OPOD submission form.

Get out your cameras as you celebrate the ocean on or around World Oceans Day on June 8th. Feel one with the ocean. Then, submit a photo and let the world know about it. We'll be waiting to praise your contribution as an OPOD in the months ahead.

Oceans of Life

2010-05-07T16:41:00.003-04:00

World Oceans Day is approaching soon! You still have time to plan an event, and remember to list your event on the WorldOceansDay.org website!

2010-04-22T07:40:00.003-04:00

Happy Earth Day!

Today is a special day to celebrates our planet Earth. With nearly 3/4 of Earth actually Ocean, remember how much we depend on a healthy ocean and how each one of us can make a real difference, no matter where we live.

On our interconnected planet, everything that we do for Earth Day also benefits our world's ocean, which is downstream and downwind from all of us.

Keep our shared ocean in mind today and also think about how you can get more involved for World Oceans Day on June 8th!

2010-04-21T16:44:00.004-04:00

Earlier this Spring, Google launched biking directions with their maps. Great stuff to help us all get around with less carbon polluting means!

Learn more here and here.

You can add a biking directions gadget to your website to encourage visitors to get to your location without creating more carbon pollution. It's a great way for each of us to do our part!

Communicating Conservation resources

2010-04-21T14:42:00.003-04:00

The Ocean Project has made a major update to its “Communicating Conservation” Web pages.

From our ongoing monitoring of market and communications research, we have provided dozens of the best resources to help our Partners effectively educate for conservation action. Partners can search the extensive database through various categories including market research, communications strategies, as well as communication and education websites; it's also possible to search by author, year, and title.

The Ocean Project monitors the latest data on public knowledge, opinions, and attitudes about the ocean, climate change, the environment, as well as reviews communications tools and resources to help bring about behavior changes. We focus on both published literature and unpublished gray literature.

If you know about a study or report that you think we should include please let us know!

How about an Ocean or Aquatic Cleanup for Earth Day or World Oceans Day?

2010-04-12T12:22:00.004-04:00

With Earth Day coming up very soon and World Oceans Day 2010 about 50 days away, consider hosting a beach, river, lake, wetland, or underwater cleanup. It's a rewarding way to really make a difference in your community!

Find a bunch of ideas for how to take conservation action, including a three-page guide on how to organize a cleanup, at the World Oceans Day website.

Celebrate World Oceans Day with Dr. Seuss

2010-03-12T09:18:00.019-05:00

The Ocean Project is joining forces with Dr. Seuss to make a big splash for World Oceans Day 2010. The children's book, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and in honor of this great occasion, aquariums, zoos, museums, and other organizations will be hosting "Seussian birthday parties."

This offer is only for organizations that are Partners in The Ocean Project network, and not for individuals, so if your aquarium, school, citizens group, club, or other type of organization is not yet an Ocean Project Partner, please join the 1,050 (and growing) organizations involved in the network. Once you join, an email message to you will be generated that includes the password to download the materials.

Partners in The Ocean Project network can take advantage of this exciting opportunity: Download the Dr. Seuss manual and materials today!

Remember to post your WOD 2010 event at the World Oceans Day website and discover all the other tools and resources for you in planning a great event this year.

Fun for change

2010-02-23T16:10:00.000-05:00

All of us working on positive social change can get more creative and effective at communicating when designing and delivering new programs that entail any type of behavior change.

Community-focused social marketing is one of the most effective ways to go in bringing about positive change, and there are many examples to pull from around the world (e.g. Doug McKenzie-Mohr's Fostering Sustainable Behavior site), on recycling, waste reduction, energy efficiency, pollution prevention, transportation, and a host of other health and sustainability challenges that our institutions and communities all face.

Making it fun is also something to consider when trying to effect behavior change and certainly works for some people (e.g. Thefuntheory.com). Doing something along these lines might also have the added benefit of making people throughout our communities a little bit happier during these economically and otherwise challenging times.

Surf Sweets Launches Campaign

2010-02-11T09:16:00.000-05:00

Surf Sweets, a socially responsible company that makes naturally sweetened, gummy candies and jelly beans - and also joined last year with The Ocean Project to promote a children's art contest around World Oceans Day (second annual coming soon!) - recently announced a new campaign called Helping Hearts, which will benefit The Ocean Project and ocean conservation.

During the month of February, for any fan who joins its Facebook page, Surf Sweets will donate $1 to one of two charities (one being The Ocean Project.) Fans get to choose which charity they would like to Surf Sweets to donate to upon joining.

It’s easy to join the Surf Sweets Fan Club and help ocean conservation! Simply find Surf Sweets on Facebook, or go to the Surf Sweets website and click Find Us On Facebook. Once there, join the Surf Sweets Fan Club and then select the charity (hopefully The Ocean Project) that you’d like the $1 donation to benefit. And thanks!

Media and Internet in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds

2010-01-31T09:25:00.000-05:00

As The Ocean Project's national public opinion research found, young people not only care more about issues affecting our oceans and planet but are also more willing to act than adults. Young people are looked to by their parents as the most knowledgeable source of information in the households on environmental issues and can be very influential in environmental decision-making around the house and in their communities. By better understanding the dynamics of youth, zoo, aquarium, and museum (ZAM) staff can better motivate them for positive action.

Two other recent studies provide plenty of additional insightful data on youth. One comprehensive recent study regarding the use of media by teens and tweens demonstrates the powerful force of various media in young people’s lives. The report, Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds, by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, found that teens and tweens spend more time with media than in any other activity besides (maybe) sleeping—an average of more than 7½ hours a day, seven days a week.

In order to reach this huge and influential segment of our population our Partner ZAMs and others in the conservation community need to better understand the role of media in young people’s lives. This study includes much useful information including the types of media youth use, which they own, how much time they spend with each medium, which activities they engage in, how often they multitask, and how they differ from one another in the patterns of their media
use.

Another recent publication, Social Media & Mobile Internet Use Among Today's Teens and Young Adults, by the Pew Research Center, echos many of these findings. It is part of a PRC series of reports exploring the behaviors, values and opinions of the teens and twenty-somethings that make up the Millennial Generation.

This new report presents findings on 2000-2009 trends in the use of social networking sites, features, and applications such as Twitter; method of Internet access; frequency of use, and online purchases and other activities by age group, race/ethnicity, and gender.

According to the report, almost all Millennials (93%) go online, but there has been a decline in blogging among younger Americans. Millennials, however, are increasingly connecting to the internet wirelessly (81% are now) and nearly three in four of those who go online use social networking sites. Teens do not use Twitter in large numbers.

Let's make 2010 the best year ever for our world's ocean

2010-01-06T10:53:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

Start the year off on an ocean theme! The more you learn about our amazing blue planet, the more you will find that a healthy ocean is essential not only for the future of the fish, the coral reefs, and all life in the ocean, but also for our own future. No matter where you live, your actions impact the ocean and you can make a difference!

Remember to plan an event for World Oceans Day 2010 - it promises to be the biggest and best one ever. It seems far off but is only 150 days away so start planning an event soon!

Please visit www.WorldOceansDay.org to get ideas, inspiration, submit your event online, and connect with others. We also welcome feedback on how best to improve the website for our partners and other friends. A new design and new content is coming soon! Send your thoughts to Bill at bmott@theoceanproject.org. We are also looking for help in translating the site so please contact if you are able to help.

Helping our Partners advance conservation

2009-12-17T11:35:00.000-05:00

Thank you for your involvement in ocean and aquatic conservation and for being a part of our growing network of Partners around the world. Everything we do is for our Partners so please read on and make sure you are taking full advantage of your participation in this global network!

The past year we have invested heavily in a number of initiatives that we feel will significantly help our Partners to advance conservation:

• Provided Partners with cutting edge market research - the results from the single largest, most comprehensive public opinion research project ever undertaken on behalf of any environmental concern and the implications of this research are providing valuable insights for you as Partners to help you better understand your audience and develop meaningful and actionable messages related to climate change, the ocean, and related environmental issues. In 2010 we will continue our semi-annual tracking surveys, testing messages and measuring successes so make sure to visit the website to get the latest.

• Expanded World Oceans Day to a new level — after six years of The Ocean Project working with the World Ocean Network to promote and coordinate World Oceans Day, and to petition the United Nations to recognize this annual event, the UN officially designated World Oceans Day as June 8 of each year. WOD 2010 is already shaping up to the biggest and best yet!

• Improved the Seas the Day personal action initiative — as with all our work this personal action initiative is for you and our other Partners to use, customize, and provide tangible ways for your visitors and the public to help. The site provides you with fresh content each month focusing on a different conservation theme, a conservation action tip of the day, ocean picture of the day, and much more that can all be easily tailored for your institution's needs.

• Developed tool for a watershed visualization and community involvement — this exciting new conservation education and action tool will be available online soon (preview here) for all our Partners to customize. It is being produced to help your visitors (onsite or online) better understand their connections to their watershed and path to the sea, and help them take conservation action in their communities and regionally.

• Grew our global Partner network — you are part of the largest such effort for ocean conservation ever developed, with almost 1,000 Partners: aquariums, zoos, museums, and other conservation education centers, organizations, and agencies, in 49 US States and 85 other countries. Check them out and connect with them on the interactive international map.

• Significantly enhanced dynamic website for Partners — we are constantly updating our interactive site for you, with lots of valuable info, resources, tools, and inspiration — again, it's for you to use and customize.

Looking ahead, we have many initiatives and activities planned in 2010 and beyond to leverage our research results and other activities, both in the U.S. and, increasingly, internationally.

To help us help you and our other Partners, we would greatly appreciate a year-end, or year-starting, contribution. The Ocean Project receives voluntary contributions from time to time from our Partners, and we thank you very much — with extremely low overhead (small rented space in an old church, with our team of 1.5 paid staff and two interns) your contribution goes far.

Any amount, from $5 to $5,000 is most welcome! You can securely donate online or we can provide an invoice. For a contribution of $500 or more to The Ocean Project your institution or organization becomes a Supporting Partner; for a contribution of $5,000 or more you can become a Sustaining Partner — both types of contributors receive many benefits based on their level of giving, which you can learn about through the website links just highlighted.

Thank you for your involvement in this growing network and for making a donation now or budgeting for a contribution in the future! We look forward to working with you to achieve great outcomes in 2010, and beyond!

Opening Film from Copenhagen

2009-12-11T17:59:00.000-05:00

It's only 4 minutes and 13 seconds and well worth it!

Climate Scoreboard

2009-12-11T13:41:00.001-05:00

This Climate Scoreboard helps track progress in the ongoing negotiations in Copenhagen to produce an international climate treaty. The Scoreboard allows users to check, on a daily basis, whether proposals in the treaty process commit countries to enough greenhouse gas emissions reductions to achieve widely expressed goals.

This Scoreboard shows the score -- expected temperature in 2100 if current proposals in the global climate negotiations were fully implemented.

When country proposals to the UN change, a team in Copenhagen will immediately update the analysis using the C-ROADS simulator. In real time, around the world, wherever it is posted, the Scoreboard will automatically update – showing both the progress that has been realized and the effort still required to achieve the goal.

Use this tool to help inform your colleagues, friends, and/or visitors to your facility and website about the gap between what we want and where we are headed!

Link to the Scoreboard: http://climatescoreboard.org for more info and so you can also embed their widget easily on your site, blog, Facebook, etc. to help spread the word! Watch The Climate Scoreboard Video from Climate Interactive on Vimeo.

Coral and Climate Message for Copenhagen

2009-12-10T15:31:00.000-05:00

This powerful 12-minute video was developed for the Copenhagen summit. Coral reefs first appeared more than 400 million years ago. This film shows the devastating effect of climate change on the world’s incredible, diverse coral reefs. It paints a disturbing picture of a world that has lost its reefs forever - our world in 2065.

You can also watch a two minute version of this video, download and embed it where you can, and help spread the word!

The film was produced by Earth-Touch, and is a collaboration between Zoological Society of London and GLOBE International.

Powerful information tool for Copenhagen and global citizens

2009-12-10T10:46:00.000-05:00

The Climate Scoreboard Video from Climate Interactive on Vimeo.

How Understanding the Human Mind Might Save the World

2009-11-19T15:30:00.000-05:00

An article today by Annie Jia in ClimateWire and reporting from the recently-concluded third annual Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference, nicely summarizes what we need to stay focused on to create a culture change, and a better, healthier planet for all.

Understanding people is the key, and it's why The Ocean Project invests so much in market research and making the findings and implications widely known for our Partner network and the wider conservation community, to take advantage of to become most effective.

As the article states, "Thinking does not equal doing" and it discusses how critical it is to move beyond thinking that helping people understand the issues and changing people's attitudes will translate into action. Because it doesn't.

Doug McKenzie-Mohr, a guru in community focused social marketing, discusses how effective programs are designed to change behavior surrounding climate change and other issues, by first understanding and addressing the barriers to action. Knowing the exact barriers can help you tailor programs to address them.

One critical barrier is people not knowing what actions to take in order to help. This is also a key finding from our recent market research: It is clear that, zoos, aquariums, and museums (ZAMs) are trusted messengers for information on issues and increasingly the public is looking to our Partner ZAMs to provide solutions to the issues that people can incorporate into their daily lives.

The article also discusses how social networks are powerfully effective ways to affect people's behaviors.

You can read the whole article, reprinted here in the New York Times.

Results Available from First Ocean and Climate Change Tracking Survey

2009-11-18T14:56:00.000-05:00

The results from our first tracking survey are now available online. Also on our website are a couple of recent presentations from AZA that explain the findings, including America and the Ocean v2.0 — A Summary of Findings Developed by The Ocean Project, by the lead researcher for this initiative, Scott Corwon, with IMPACTS.

The Ocean Project is conducting ocean and climate tracking surveys every six months, to measure changes and test messaging. These tracking surveys nicely complement the comprehensive research that we completed in 2008 on public awareness, attitudes, and behaviors concerning the ocean, climate change, and related issues. This national survey is the largest ever on any environmental issue, with 22,000 American adults surveyed. We also have some data on youth, as well as Canadian adults.

To access the latest survey findings, click here.

Leadership on climate change from most vulnerable nations

2009-11-13T22:01:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, and just a few weeks before talks in Copenhagen, President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives, a nation facing the very real threat of being overwhelmed by rising seas due to climate change, gave an impassioned speech at the Climate Vulnerable Forum. In it he challenged the nations most vulnerable to climate change to demonstrate moral leadership, and join a "global survival pact" by committing to carbon neutral development. Read the speech via link above and/or watch some of it here.

International Day of Climate Action on October 24

2009-10-21T13:01:00.000-04:00

Hopefully by now you have heard about 350.org's efforts around the world this weekend and are planning to join an action to draw attention to climate change. As of today there are over 4,000 events planned in 170 countries.

The reason for the group's name? Scientists say that 350 parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere is the safe limit for humanity. Many believe it needs to be even lower. Regardless, we are currently at 387 ppm and we need to move faster on lowering that number.

Join an activity where you live (or start one) and take action this weekend!

Learn more about why 350 ppm is so important for coral reefs and our world's ocean.

Sigourney Weaver Takes on Ocean Acidification

2009-10-16T13:00:00.000-04:00

ACID TEST, a film produced by NRDC, was made to raise awareness about the largely unknown problem of ocean acidification, which poses a fundamental challenge to life in the seas and the health of the entire planet. Like global warming, ocean acidification stems from the increase of carbon dioxide in the earth’s atmosphere since the start of the Industrial Revolution.

View the film (22 minutes) and learn more about "the other CO2 problem."

Watch Sigourney Weaver deftly steer an interview on Fox News toward this important topic and film, rather than focusing on her upcoming (blockbuster-to-be, Avatar).

Then do more to help: Seas the Day!

A Blueprint for Restoring the World’s Oceans to Health

2009-10-16T11:52:00.000-04:00

Sylvia Earle - also known as "Her Deepness" and featured earlier this year in this blog when she won a coveted TED Prize - has written a book, The World is Blue: How Our Fate and the Ocean's Are One, published earlier this year and in which she discusses the huge changes in the world's ocean she has witnessed over the decades and offers her hopeful thoughts on how we can restore the health of our shared world ocean.

In an interview with Yale Environment 360, Earle provides her wise take on the state of our world ocean and what can be done, summarized nicely here: “We get to choose. We either get to choose by conscious action or by default because we are complacent... thinking somebody else will look after this. But nobody else will take care of these issues.”

Read the interview with Sylvia Earle, watch her on Colbert Nation (after the :30 commercial, you'll get a 5:47 interview by Stephen Colbert with Sylvia Earle) , and then remember to take action to help our world's ocean: Seas the Day!

NOAA Announces Ocean Education Grants to Aquariums

2009-10-15T10:03:00.000-04:00

On October 5, NOAA announced 11 grants totaling more than $9 million that will create new education projects in aquariums across the nation. The projects will educate visitors about the ocean and encourage better stewardship of the marine environment.

Read NOAA's full news posting.

Act now to improve environmental literacy

2009-10-12T10:20:00.000-04:00

The Ocean Project is working with a diverse coalition to secure broad bipartisan in Congress to help advance ocean conservation by improving environmental literacy and, as a result, American competitiveness in the global economy.

Representative Lois Capps (Democrat from California’s 23rd congressional district) recently introduced a bill, HR. 3644, the Bay-Watershed Education and Training Regional Program and National Environmental Literacy Grant Program Act. This bill authorizes and strengthens NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) existing Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) and Environmental Literacy Grants (ELG) programs.

These two programs - B-WET and ELG - have funded many valuable activities including The Ocean Project’s recent public opinion research – America, the Ocean, and Climate Change – made possible with support from the ELG program. Without NOAA funding, our Partners and other friends would not be receiving the latest - and ongoing - market research providing insights into how to more effectively reach and engage Americans for conservation.

How to Help:

We are collaborating with others to help secure more support for this bill by getting additional co-sponsors. The bill has been referred to the House Natural Resources Committee and on October 15, the relevant subcommittee, the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oceans, Wildlife, and Insular Affairs, is holding an important hearing.

Anyone in the United States - Ocean Project Partners and individuals - can help by letting your congressional representative know you care about this issue, and, ideally, asking them to co-sponsor the bill. Action in the Senate will be forthcoming and we will inform you of opportunities as they arise but certainly let your Senator know of your interest now to get it on their radar screen.

You can see a list of co-sponsors, learn more about this bill, and track its progress at the govtrack.us. The website has lots of valuable information and resources to improve civic involvement, including finding out whom your congressional representatives are in case you are not sure.

More info:

This effort is about how informal science can significantly supplement science education beyond what is being provided for in our schools.

As recommended by many, including the National Academy of Sciences, investments like these can greatly help to turn around America’s relative decline in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) when compared to other nations that are generously funding these types of educational programs.

It is important to now establish these programs – B-WET and ELG – in law, consistent with the education mandates provided to NOAA in both the America COMPETES Act (PL 110-69, Sec.4002) and the Omnibus Public Land Management Act (PL 111-11, Sec. 12304).

By passing this legislation with broad bipartisan support we can significantly improve STEM education and environmental literacy, will help enhance American competitiveness, and help create healthier communities and watersheds around our country. Ultimately, all this will improve the health and abundance of our shared world ocean.

The Ocean Picture Of the Day

2009-10-05T10:02:00.000-04:00

Due to the overwhelming success of both the Earth Science Picture of the Day (ESPOD) and Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) daily picture sites, The Ocean Project has rolled out the Ocean Picture of the Day (OPOD), available to you since September 1, 2009.

While the ESPOD and APOD sites connect us to scientific principles that indirectly bring out the awe in our respect for planet Earth and space, the OPOD is a place for world citizens to proclaim love for our world's shared ocean. Why don't you submit an ocean-related (or Great Lakes related) photo and tag the emotion that came along with participating in that photo shoot. The Ocean Project staff will contact you via the e-mail address you provide to let you know when your picture has been selected.

We can all be mindful of the ocean so we can consider its conservation more often in our day-to-day lives. Images have amazing power to stir individuals to action and by participating in the OPOD service, you can tell part of your story. Share your favorite ocean image to help remind everyone of why it's important to protect and conserve our oceans and coasts.

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity for our Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes

2009-09-21T11:25:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month The Ocean Project submitted comments to President Obama and the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force in order to help them develop the most effective national policy to protect and conserve our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. The Ocean Project’s letter focused on how it is critical to include a comprehensive federal strategy and plan for ocean and climate literacy in developing a national ocean policy and management and stewardship framework. We strongly urge the Administration to integrate environmental literacy (including ocean and climate literacy) as a critical component and goal of all agencies, departments, and strategies related to ocean stewardship and conservation.

Please contact The Ocean Project if you would like to read our comments.

During this important opportunity we urge all Partners and friends in the US to weigh in by submitting your own comments and attending the public hearings if possible. Turning up in person is best but you can also connect via live webcasts or call in to the listen-only pone line. Find out more on how to participate at their website.

In addition, the Task Force has just released an interim report that you can access and comment on here.

The Obama Administration is providing us with a great chance to help shape the future health of our oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. Please take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity!

American Psychological Association Task Force on Psychology and Climate Change

2009-09-09T09:57:00.000-04:00

Why do people continually say that issues such as climate change are important but people don’t feel a sense of urgency? Perhaps psychologists can help get people to act.

A recent press release from the American Psychological Association opens by saying:

While most Americans think climate change is an important issue, they don't see it as an immediate threat, so getting people to "go green" requires policymakers, scientists and marketers to look at psychological barriers to change and what leads people to action, according to a task force of the American Psychological Association.

The chair of APA’s Task Force on the Interface Between Psychology and Global Climate Change, Janet Swim, PhD, of Pennsylvania State University, says “What is unique about current global climate change is the role of human behavior. We must look at the reasons people are not acting in order to understand how to get people to act.”

The task force last month released a report with the primary aim of engaging members of the psychology community (teachers, researchers, those in practice, and students) in the issue of climate change. The task force examined decades of psychological research and practice that have been specifically applied and tested in the arena of climate change, such as environmental and conservation psychology. The report also provides research recommendations and proposes policies for APA to assist psychologists’ engagement with this critical issue.

The task force outlined numerous psychological barriers that are to blame (such as uncertainty, mistrust, denial, lack of control, and habit). They also highlighted some ways that psychology is already working to limit these barriers (such as getting immediate feedback from various devices that show people how much energy and money they're conserving; combining strong financial incentives, convenience, quality assurance, and strong social marketing is another way to spur action). The task force identified other areas where psychology can help limit the effects of climate change, such as developing environmental regulations, economic incentives, better energy-efficient technology and communication methods.

Some Ocean Project Partners and friends may be interested in reviewing their information:

Executive Summary (PDF)
Full Report (PDF)
Policy Recommendations (PDF)

A final version of the report, including images and formatted as a booklet, will be available in the fall of 2009 on the APA website.

2010 Seas the Day wall calendar now available!

2009-08-31T11:48:00.000-04:00

For 2010, The Ocean Project teamed up with Smithsonian to produce a special Seas the Day wall calendar. Once again, the calendar features the amazing underwater photography of Wolcott Henry, as well as monthly tips on ways to make a positive contribution to sustaining and safeguarding our ocean.

The 12"x12" images are stunning, and the Seas the Day website mirrors the calendar’s conservati on theme (e.g. water conservation, eating healthy and sustainably) each month throughout 2010, providing a ocean tip of the day, more ways to learn and take action related to the monthly theme, as well as information on the amazing animal featured.

Partners of The Ocean Project receive a wholesale discount on Seas the Day calendar orders, which can be shipped immediately. For more info on wholesale, please contact Bill Mott, Director, The Ocean Project at 401.709.4071 or bmott (at) theoceanproject.org

Individuals can order the 2010 Seas the Day calendar from any of the following sources:

Andrews McMeel (the calendar publisher)

Amazon

Calendars.com

Time to Help Shape National Ocean Policy

2009-08-18T11:45:00.000-04:00

President Obama established an Ocean Policy Task Force in June that is now seeking public comments. Anyone can comment and we encourage all to do so, even if you can only spend a few minutes submitting your thoughts online.

We encourage all our Partner ZAMs and others to take advantage of this opportunity to get more involved in important policy issues. As we blogged about last month, ZAMs can, and should, play more of an important role with policy issues.

Any comments are welcome. The Task Force asks that comments focus on any of the five key issues identified in the June 12 Presidential Memorandum including national ocean policy; a framework for policy coordination; implementation strategies; marine spatial planning; and emerging issues on ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes policy. But don't let these five identified issues scare you away from submitting comments. Much fits under "National Ocean Policy" that strives to protect and conserve the health of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes ecosystems and resource. One of the greatest threats to the health of the ocean, and our own health as a society, is an unaware and uninvolved public.

Advocating for expanded funding for educational programs on ocean awareness and education should be a top concern of the Administration but it's up to us to make sure they take this subject seriously.

Take a few minutes soon and click here to submit your comments

Looking for Volunteers!

2009-08-13T11:17:00.000-04:00

The Ocean Project is seeking volunteers around the world to help us achieve our mission.

Our network of Partners continues to grow, with nearly 1,000 Partners from 85 countries, and we manage our work with a relatively small team: one full time staff member and a couple of part-time staff and interns at this time...so we always appreciate volunteer help!

There are plenty of interesting opportunities - in our office as part of our formal internship program or helping remotely - and we also seek creative and entrepreneurial volunteers who may have their own ideas to help us advance our mission. Contact us today if you are interested in helping!

Largest-Ever Environmental Survey Released

2009-07-16T11:48:00.000-04:00

Just in case you missed it last month...In advance of World Oceans Day The Ocean Project released the results from a sweeping new national survey. America, the Ocean, and Climate Change: New Research Insights for Conservation, Awareness, and Action surveyed over 22,000 Americans on a comprehensive range of ocean- and environment-related topics. It is the largest environmental survey ever conducted.

Funding for the survey was provided through an Environmental Literacy Grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and through collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the National Aquarium.

The report indicates that Americans’ knowledge about the ocean is limited, and concern about environmental issues affecting the ocean is a low priority compared with issues such as the economy and national security. While the poll also finds that climate change is the single environmental issue of greatest concern to the public, people are largely unaware of the connection between climate change, carbon pollution and ocean health.

Despite low levels of ocean literacy, when asked, Americans say they support protecting the health of the ocean and the environment. In a significant shift from views expressed in a 1999 survey also commissioned by The Ocean Project, Americans now believe that their individual actions can have a positive effect on protecting the environment and improving the health of the ocean. They are ready to act but are not sure what to do. Likewise, the public expects zoos, aquariums, and museums (ZAMs) to communicate solutions to environmental and ocean issues while advancing conservation.

The survey has important implications for how ZAMs can be more effective in achieving their goals. Significantly, the public looks to ZAMs to be leaders for conservation action. People are looking to ZAMs to suggest practical steps that will make a difference for the ocean and our environment. Clearly, the research shows that ZAMs have a tremendous opportunity to make a difference, and the time is now.

Additional tracking surveys have been commissioned by The Ocean Project to provide updates every six months. The first tracking survey results will be available in September. More information about the survey including the summary report is available at: www.TheOceanProject.org.