EDUCATION

Education and outreach are a vital to improving the public's awareness and understanding of the Ocean Acidification.  This includes not only increasing the general awareness of ocean acidification, but also increasing the understanding of the scientific knowledge and impacts of the ocean's changing chemistry. There are many programs within NOAA that are active in educating a variety of audiences about this and other issues including NOAA's Office of Education, the National Sea Grant Program, the Climate Program Office, the Coral Reef Conservation Program, the National Marine Sanctuaries Program, and the various Fisheries Science Centers around the nation.

CURRENT EFFORTS

There are two efforts currently underway involving ocean acidification education within the OAP.  Approximately 90 educators, communicators, stakeholders and scientists convened at The Effective Practices for Ocean Acidification (OA) Communication and Education Workshop that was held immediately following the Third International Ocean in a High CO2 World Symposium in Monterey in 2012. A diverse group of educators including those from informal settings such as sanctuaries, parks and aquaria, as well as teachers and graduate students participated.  (A workshop summary highlighting the target audiences, key challenges in communicating this topic, and key messages and outcomes identified during the workshop will be available here shortly.)

Additionally, members of both NOAA's Education Office, the Ocean Acidification Program, National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS) and the Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) are drafting an Ocean Acidification Education Implementation Plan, in order to outline the next steps to implement NOAA ocean acidification education that were outlined in the OA Research Plan.