A program of the Lawrence Hall of Science that seeks to increase ocean literacy through informal and formal education initiatives

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WHOI News

Scientists Explore Roots of Future Tropical Rainfall

How will rainfall patterns across the tropical Indian and Pacific regions change in a future warming world? Climate models generally suggest that the tropics as a whole will get wetter, but the models don’t always agree on where rainfall patterns will shift in particular regions within the tropics.

New Robotic Instruments to Provide Real-Time Data on Gulf of Maine Red Tide

A new robotic sensor deployed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Gulf of Maine coastal waters may transform the way red tides or harmful algal blooms (HABs) are monitored and managed in New England. A second such instrument will be launched later this spring.

The Black Sea is a Goldmine of Ancient Genetic Data

When Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) marine paleoecologist Marco Coolen was mining through vast amounts of genetic data from the Black Sea sediment record, he was amazed about the variety of past plankton species that left behind their genetic makeup (i.e., the plankton paleome).

'Dark Oxidants' Form Away from Sunlight in Lake and Ocean Depths, Underground Soils

Breathing oxygen... can be hazardous to your health? Indeed, our bodies aren't perfect. They make mistakes, among them producing toxic chemicals, called oxidants, in cells. We fight these oxidants naturally, and by eating foods rich in antioxidants such as blueberries and dark chocolate. All forms of life that breathe oxygen—even ones that can't be seen with the naked eye, such as bacteria—must fight oxidants to live.

WHOI to Host Public Event on Fukushima and the Ocean

The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will host a free, public forum exploring the impact of Fukushima on the ocean and human health on May 9, 2013, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. in Redfield Auditorium, 45 Water Street, Woods Hole.

Publications

Check out MARE’s newest articles on ocean sciences education!

Farrington, J.W. and Feder, M.A., Editors, Committee for the Review of the NOAA Education Program. (2010). NOAA's Education Program: Review and Critique. National Resource Council.

MARE Director Craig Strang served on the Committee for the Review of the NOAA Education Program in this 2010 review and critique of NOAA's efforts to educate the public about the ocean, coastal resources, atmosphere and climate. 

 

Ocean Literacy Articles

Strang, C. & Tran, L.U. (2010). Introduction. NMEA Special Report #3: The Ocean Literacy Campaign, March, 2.

This article is an introduction from the editors of the NMEA Special Report on the Ocean Literacy Campaign featuring the Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence.

 

Schoedinger, S., Tran, L.U., & Whitley, L. (2010). From the Principles to the Scope and Sequence: A brief history of the Ocean Literacy Campaign. NMEA Special Report #3: The Ocean Literacy Campaign, March, 3-7.

This article provides a brief history about the collaborative and grassroots efforts of making the two essential documents in the Ocean Literacy Campaign: the Ocean Literacy Principles and the complementary Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence. The article is part of the NMEA Special Report on the Ocean Literacy Campaign featuring the Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence.

 

Halversen, C. & Tran, L.U. (2010). Scientist and educator partnerships and Ocean Literacy: Creating a new community of practice. NMEA Special Report #3: The Ocean Literacy Campaign, March, 17-21.

This is an article about partnerships between scientists and educators that have been created through various activities in the Ocean Literacy Campaign, and how these partnerships may be creating a new community of practice for scientists and educators to work in. The article is part of the NMEA Special Report on the Ocean Literacy Campaign featuring the Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence. 

 

Tran, L.U., Payne, D., & Whitley, L. (2010) Research on Learning and Teaching Ocean and Aquatic Sciences. NMEA Special Report #3: The Ocean Literacy Campaign, March, 22-26.

This article summarizes two literature reviews on research on children’s understanding of ocean sciences. The article is part of the NMEA Special Report on the Ocean Literacy Campaign featuring the Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence.

 

Strang, C., DiRanna, K., & Topps, J. (2010). Developing the ideas of Ocean Literacy using Conceptual Flow Diagrams. NMEA Special Report #3: The Ocean Literacy Campaign, March, 27-30.

This article provides a theoretical framework for the Ocean Literacy Scope and Sequence. The Scope and Sequence is an educational tool that complements the Ocean Literacy Principles, and was created by the Ocean Literacy community to provide formal and informal educators and curriculum and program developers with a “roadmap” that helps them build coherent and conceptually sound learning experiences for students from Kindergarten through 12th grade.

 

College Courses Articles

Halversen, C. & Tran, L.U. (2010). Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences: A scientist-educator partnership to prepare the next generation of scientists. The New Educator.

This article is an invited paper for a special issue, “Science Teachers Educated in Partnerships,” of The New Educator. The article reports on the successes, challenges, and impacts of creating partnerships between scientists and educators as a result of the Communicating Ocean Sciences courses, a major initiative of COSEE CA that has Network-wide impacts.

 

Tran, L.U. and C. Halversen. (2010). Helping Young Scientists Learn and Practice Public Engagement. ASTC Dimensions, November/December 2010. 

This article describes the Communicating Ocean Sciences courses in response to a call from the editor for contributions about how science centers can foster positive interactions, trust, and good communication between scientists and the public.

 

St. John, M., M. Phillips, A. Smith, P. Castori. (2009). Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences (COSIA): Final Evaluation Report. Inverness Research Associates, March 2009.

This is the final evaluation report and case studies of the Communicating Ocean Sciences to Informal Audiences (COSIA) college course, which was prepared by the external evaluation team of Inverness Research Associates.

 

Nevala, A. New class helps grad students communicate with the public. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

This article highlights the involvement of graduate students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)/ Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) graduate program of oceanography who are learning to become "more effective at conveying their oceanographic world" through the Communicating Ocean Sciences course.

 

Articles on MARE in Schools

"Park School has hats full of love for ocean," by Joyce Kleiner. Mill Valley Herald, April 13, 2011.

This article from the local Mill Valley, California newspaper describes Park Elementary School's Spring 2011 "Ocean Week," their version of an Ocean Immersion, complete with an appearance from the Banana Slug String Band and a habitat hat parade!

 

Apostol, N. (2009) MARE Trains Teachers to Become Inquiry-Based Marine Science Education Leaders. Southwestern Marine & Aquatic Educators Association Newsletter, Spring 2009.

This article provides highlights from the 2009 MARE Summer Leadership Institute, which immerses educators in ocean sciences content, pedagogy, and literacy integration as science teachers learn to become MARE site leaders at their school or institution. 

 

Articles from Current, the Journal of the National Marine Educators Association

Imamiya, N., C. Strang. (2009) American Innovation, Japanese Implementation: Using MARE to Increase Ocean Literacy in Japan; Current: The Journal of Marine Education Winter 2009.

The MARE Program of Lawrence Hall of Science, COSEE California, has been adapted and replicated in Japan through a partnership between Lawrence Hall of Science and the Center for Marine Learning in Okinawa, Japan.

 

Strang, C. (2009) Education for Ocean Literacy and Sustainability: Learning from Elders, Listening to Youth. Current: The Journal of Marine Education Winter 2009.

The author delivered the keynote address at the International Pacific Marine Educators Network Conference in Townsville, Australia. This article is the slightly modified text of that address, and describes the work of the US Ocean Literacy Campaign.

 

Strang, C., Decharon, A., & Schoedinger, S. (2007). Can You Be Science Literate Without Being Ocean Literate? Current: The Journal of Marine Education Winter 2007.

This article relates to COSEE CA’s efforts in the Ocean Literacy Campaign. The article discusses how the Ocean Literacy Campaign is changing the way educators and the public think about ocean sciences education, and discusses how teaching ocean sciences is not just enrichment, but is essential to science literacy.

 

Cava, F., S. Schoedinger, C. Strang, P. Tuddenham. (2005) Science Content and Standards for Ocean Literacy: A Report on Ocean Literacy. Current: The Journal of Marine Education Fall 2005.

This article relates to COSEE CA’s efforts in the Ocean Literacy Campaign. The purpose of this report is to give an historic overview of progress to promote ocean literacy in our classrooms; it highlights previous ocean literacy projects and shows how they have merged to provide a community vision for ocean literacy.