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Help us Build Our Network
Please
forward this email to friends and family who would want to be a part of The
Society.
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 Skates and Rays
SOS is in the planning stages of a new and exciting research /
conservation program. We are putting together a pilot project with Poolesville
High School to engage students in research of the Cownose Ray (pictured left),
Cownose Rays are seen by many as a pest in Chesapeake Bay. The rays
migrate into the bay in herds numbering in the hundreds and sometimes thousands!
The herd moves through the Bay eating shellfish such as scallops and oysters. In
some cases, entire populations of shellfish are consumed.
We are
designing a long-term study into the life history, diet preferences and
environmental effects of skates and rays in Chesapeake Bay. Participants will
have the opportunity to get involved in hands-on components of this exciting
research. We will gather data from the skates and rays and tag and release them
for future data collection.
We are currently seeking funding
opportunities for this program. Please contact us if you are interested in
sponsoring this program or collaborative
opportunities.
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 Mobile Touch Tanks
SOS has
formed a partnership with Wavespring Aquatics to offer a
sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to bringing the ocean directly
to the public. This partnership provides people with the opportunity to view and
handle tropical marine organisms typically found on a coral reef. All organisms
used in our touch tanks have been reared in captivity, leaving natural coral
reef habitats intact. If you are interested in us visiting your school, club or
daycare center please visit our website.
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SOS
becomes a member of the Coalition on the Public Understanding of
Science
The Society has become a member of COPUS,
the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science. COPUS seeks to engage
sectors of the public in science and to increase their understanding of the
nature of science and its value to society. A key objective of COPUS is to
create new forums for communication and to develop new opportunities for
engaging the public with science. As part of the COPUS Network, SOS plans to
celebrate the Year of Science 2009 by seeking ways to allow the public to
explore, be empowered by and engaged in ocean sciences. Claire Hudson,
Executive Director of SOS, explained "Partnerships with organizations such as
COPUS will help The Society to reach larger audiences in varied ways. We will
keep the public posted via the SOS web site on up-coming Year of Science events
as they are organized throughout the year."
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NOAA's Coral Reef
Conservation Program and the National Science Teacher Association present an
upcoming web seminar, Coral
Bleaching.
This FREE web seminar is an interactive session that
introduces educators to the basic science behind this climate change-related
threat that affect coral reef ecosystems worldwide. The Coral Bleaching
session will provide an overview of how elevated ocean
temperature
events can produce mass
bleaching events, and how coral reefs are
affected by them. This webinar is presented by NOAA
field experts who bring the latest
findings to educators who have limited to no
prior exposure to the issue.
Web Seminar
Date: Thursday April 30, 2009
Time: 6:30-8:00 p.m. Eastern
Topic: Coral Bleaching
Presenter: Dr. C. Mark Eakin
This FREE web
seminar is an interactive, real-time presentation by
field experts, and is available to the public. A free
registration at the NSTA website is
required prior to the event.
Register today
For questions
please contact:Paulo Maurin, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program, at
Paulo.Maurin@noaa.gov
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