[Coral-List] Live Marine Science Education Project: www.livingoceansfoundation.org

[Martin Callow]

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&A’s 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 
expedition’s progress.  Teachers could also suggest that pupils follow the 
expedition’s 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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