[Coral-List] Classroom Exploration of the Oceans 2006

[J. Michael Nolan]

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Ocean Exploration Program and National Geographic Oceans for Life
Virtual Teacher Workshop Series

October 9 - 20 and November 6 - 17, 2006

Register Free at: http://www.coexploration.org/ceo2006

Few of us realize it, but by one definition of what constitutes the 
United States, more of our Nation is under water than on land! Some 4.4 
million square miles of ocean floor lies within the Exclusive Economic 
Zone (EEZ) over which we claim jurisdiction and resources. That's 
compared to 3.6 million square miles of land. Our list of America's 
extraordinary places would likely include the Great Smokey Mountains, 
Grand Canyon, Yellowstone's geysers, the ancient forest of the Pacific 
Northwest, and Hawaii's volcanoes. Yet equally magnificent places exist 
beneath the waves:  seamounts, canyons, white towering hydrothermal 
vents, submarine volcanoes, and hydrocarbon seep areas with the strange 
life forms they support.

Join us as we explore these special places of America's little-known 
ocean realm during the upcoming Classroom Exploration of the Ocean 
Virtual Teacher Workshop Series. This professional development program 
is offered free to anyone who has access to the
World-wide Web. Leading and emerging scientists will present their 
research, explorations and discoveries in these unique ocean areas to 
you online through engaging keynotes which will be followed by 
opportunities for you to ask the scientists questions online about their 
work. The workshop also provides links to educational resources that can 
extend this exciting research into your classroom and all registered 
participants will receive a free copy of the newest National Geographic 
map, From Sea to Shining Sea, Exploring America's Ocean Realms. Lastly, 
the workshop acts as an 'educator network' in which you can discuss how 
you might use this information and materials in your classroom and how 
to promote ocean literacy everywhere. Graduate credit is also available.

The Classroom Exploration of the Oceans Virtual Teacher Workshop series 
will consist of the following:

Week 1: October 9 - 13: From Sea to Shining Sea: Exploring America's 
Ocean Realm. Drs. Elliott Norse, Lance Morgan and Jennifer Palmer from 
the Marine Conservation Biology Institute will discuss compelling 
ecological stories and conservation updates on little-known places in 
America's seascape, including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, the 
Beaufort Sea, the Gulf of Alaska seamounts, Monterey Canyon, George's 
Bank and the Gulf of Mexico.

Week 2: October 16 - 20: Exploring the Lost City Hydrothermal Field: A 
New Submarine Ecosystem. Dr. Kristin Ludwig, Emerging Scientist and 
Ph.D. Student, University of Washington School of Oceanography will 
focus on The Lost City Hydrothermal Vent Field discovered in December, 
2000, near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Spectacular 18-story tall limestone 
towers are the hallmark of the field, where the geology, chemistry, and 
biology are unlike any other known hydrothermal vent system known on Earth.

Week 3: November 6 - 10: Exploring Submarine Volcanoes: Taking the Pulse 
of the Earth. Dr. Robert W. Embley, Senior Research Scientist, Pacific 
Marine Environmental Laboratory, NOAA, will present his research on 
hydrothermal vent systems associated with submarine volcanoes, hosts of 
some of Earth's most extreme ecosystems.

Week 4: November 13 - 17: Life at the Edge, Real Animals in Extreme 
Environments. Dr. Charles Fisher, Professor of Biology at Pennsylvania 
State University, will bring to life his research on very long-lived 
tube worms that thrive at hydrocarbon seeps in deep waters of the Gulf 
of Mexico.

In addition to this program, Dr. Michael Libbee, professor at Central 
Michigan University, will join us starting November 6th, as a special 
guest to host an online tutorial on use of maps in the class room.

This project is funded by a grant from the National Marine Sanctuary 
Foundation to the National Geographic Society. This project also 
benefits from support and partnership between NOAA's Ocean Exploration 
Program, the National Geographic Education Foundation, The College of 
Exploration, the University of Southern California Sea Grant and 
California State University at Fullerton.

-- 

Cindy Renkas
Ocean Exploration Education Specialist
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Phone/Fax 910-452-0847
email:  cindy.renkas at noaa.gov
website: http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

All we do is touched by ocean, yet we remain on the shore of what we know.
                             -Richard Wilbur


Call weekdays, evenings and weekends. Leave your phone number/best time to return your call and/or your e-mail address if we are on another line or away from our phones. 

Sincerely,

J. Michael Nolan, Director
 
Rainforest and Reef 501 (c)(3) non-profit

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