Central California Marine Protected Areas On Track To Help Ocean: Play Now | Download (93)
The first major study of California’s marine protected areas shows they are on track to help to improve ocean health. Scientists, fishermen, resource managers and environmentalists gathered recently to share results from the first five years of monitoring in the Central Coast region. We spoke with Liz Whiteman, Director of the MPA Monitoring Enterprise program at California Ocean Science Trust, who says monitoring is showing promising results for marine life and the ocean economy.
109-Year-Old Shipwreck George E. Billings: Play Now | Download (111)
Did you know that hundreds of historic ships and aircraft lie beneath the waves off of California’s coast? We talked with Bob Schwemmer, a NOAA maritime archaeologist, whose job is to explore and document shipwrecks like the wreck of a 109-year-old schooner discovered on the ocean floor. The George E. Billings once hauled timber in the early 1900s from the West Coast to Hawaii and Latin America. Bob tells us how it was found last year after two decades of searching in NOAA’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. And there’s more to the story!
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center is a state-of-the-art facility designed to foster stewardship of the region’s marine ecosystem. Just steps from the ocean, the two-story, 12,387 square-foot center, located in Santa Cruz’ famed beach area, functions as the sanctuary’s premier interpretive facility. Our guest, Lisa Uttal, Sanctuary Exploration Center Interim Director, describes how interactive exhibits connect people with the water, geology, ecosystems, and the extraordinary diversity of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Exhibits include the Exploration Theater, a walk through a kelp forest, intertidal touchpool, open-ocean mini-theater and a replica deep-sea canyon with a remotely operated vehicle.
We’re celebrating our 100th Thank You Ocean Report podcast in style–beach style! It’s summer, and more people enjoy the beaches than any other time. California’s beaches offer a variety of experiences, from quiet coves to broad expanse of sand to rocky crashing waves. You’re a part of the celebration as Thank You Ocean fans share some of their favorite beaches in a video montage ended with a summer beach message in English and Spanish. Here’s to 100 Thank You Ocean Reports and we look forward to hundreds more! Thanks for the support!
California Coast: Whale World! (Part II): Play Now | Download (300)
It’s a spectacular year for whale sightings off the California Coast, with blue whales and humpbacks in abundance. Why are they here in such large numbers, and how can we best experience them? We continue our discussion with Mary Jane Schramm, media and public outreach specialist for Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Find out what we can do to help whales survive—and thrive—for future generations of avid whale watchers.
One of the best shows of summer can be found right off the California coast with an abundance of whales visiting our shores. Mary Jane Schramm is co-author of the book “West Coast Whale Watching” and is media and public outreach specialist for Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. Find out about California’s whales, what brings them close to shore, and how you can be a good “whale watcher.”
Celebrate the Ocean on World Oceans Day: Play Now | Download (346)
World Oceans Day is our planet’s biggest celebration of the ocean, held every June 8. Our guest Bill Mott, Executive Director of The Ocean Project, talks about World Oceans Day 2012 with the theme “Youth: the Next Wave for Change.” This year, The Ocean Project is partnering with Dr. Seuss and NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Learn about World Oceans Day events, resources and information.
America’s ocean treasures are right off our coasts! National marine sanctuaries are special ocean places that have a unique ability to touch people. Thirteen national marine sanctuaries and one marine national monument make up the National Marine Sanctuary System. Four are in California: Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones, Monterey Bay and Channel Islands national marine sanctuaries. Dan Basta, Director of the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, talks about how “America’s ocean treasures” help people change how they think about our ocean and create a “community of the committed.”
Using the Power of Film to Protect the Health of the Ocean: Play Now | Download (720)
MacGillivray Freeman Films is the world’s largest independent producer of IMAX theatre films with an extraordinary track record and a new campaign to restore the health of the ocean.
Ocean for Life brings together students of diverse cultures and backgrounds to discover marine science, conservation, and how the ocean connects us all. NOAA’s national marine sanctuaries provide the optimal setting for this unique opportunity to enhance cross-cultural relationships, while creating a stewardship ethic for the ocean and the universal human experience.
