[Coral-List] Live Marine Science Education Project: www.livingoceansfoundation.org
Martin Callow
martinblondie7 at hotmail.com
Wed Apr 26 05:56:24 EDT 2006
Dear coral-listers,
Please find to follow details regarding an education component to the
Farasan Islands (Saudi Arabia) Marine Park Benthic Habitat Assessment and
Mapping research project.
Live Marine Science Education Project:
This project is a collaboration between the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans
Foundation (hereafter known as: The Living Oceans Foundation), the Saudi
Arabian National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development
(NCWCD), the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment
of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA), Lantra: the UK Sector Skills
Council (SSC) for the Environmental and Land-based Sector, the Trident
Trust, the University of Cambridge, the National Coral Reef Institute
(NCRI), and the University of Washington (School of Aquatic and Fishery
Sciences).
The project will create an educational component to a marine science
expedition in the Red Sea (Saudi Arabia, Farasan Islands Marine Protected
Area). The educational component aims to motivate, and enthuse, young
people about the exciting and rewarding career paths available through the
pursuit of an environmental-orientated education.
Schools are invited to join this Virtual Marine Science Expedition to the
Red Sea. From May 3rd to May 24th 2006, team members will be providing
near-real-time scientific educational input into the web-site of the
Living Oceans Foundation.
During the Red Sea expedition, and utilising the platform of the Golden
Shadow (a 67m motor vessel, equipped with modern scientific and
communications equipment), daily scientific diary entries will be
transmitted to the Living Oceans web-site. The research will map the
shallow marine habitats (using a sea-plane mounted sensor, coupled with
SCUBA diver observations), results of which will be used to create a
high-resolution paper and electronic Farasan Islands Marine Park habitat
atlas. Fish-census surveys will also be conducted to document a baseline of
fish types and populations. Research results will provide marine
ecosystem/biodiversity and conservation management guidance to the Saudi
Arabian Government.
Effectively, the field-team involved in this high profile and contemporary
science project has very kindly offered their services to communicate their
daily research activities direct to school classrooms.
To maximise the benefits for schools and students, in following the progress
of the expedition, a daily scientific diary will be recorded. This record
will be available to ALL schools via the web-site.
In addition to these daily scientific diary entries, the web-site will
also aim to host pages that outline:
- Key scientific personnel: highlighting their progression routes from
school to scientist.
- Virtual vessel: to show the working and living areas, and equipment, of
the vessel.
- Q&A sessions: 15 schools (UK, USA and Saudi Arabia) have been invited to
pose questions to the project via direct e-mail access to Martin Callow.
Interviews with the scientists/crew will therefore be possible, in
near-real-time. Q&As will be posted on the web site for all schools to
view.
- Scientific fact/observation of the day: contemporary observations from the
scientists/crew.
- Location, ship track logs, use of positioning equipment, weather systems,
sea state etc: information that relates to keeping the vessel on track and
safe in its passage [emphasising H&S aspects].
- Teacher resources: links to other web sites, books, videos of relevance to
marine sciences and conservation.
The wider audience will consist of pupils studying a science curriculum, but
could include geography and ICT pupils. The project creates the potential
for international school links to be developed.
A link to the Science in the Red Sea web site is available by visiting:
www.livingoceansfoundation.org >> follow the Red Sea link.
Daily scientific diary updates will be available during the field phase of
this project: May 3rd - May 24th 2006. During this time, it is suggested
that teachers provide curriculum time for pupils to be able to follow the
expeditions progress. Teachers could also suggest that pupils follow the
expeditions progress in their own time.
(Note: sea-state may influence the scientific itinerary, and hence the
frequency of the updates).
A Web-Log-Archive of a previous Live Marine Science Expedition
(Seychelles; 2005) can also be viewed on the Living Oceans Foundation
website.
Do log on to follow our progress!
Best Wishes,
Martin Callow (Lantra).
www.livingoceansfoundation.org >> follow the Red Sea link (May 3rd - May
24th)
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