Archived Webinars
The National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series provideseducators, students, and the interested public with educational and scientific expertise, resources and training to support ocean and climate literacy. This series generally targets formal and informal educators that are engaging students (elementary through college) in formal classroom settings, as well as members of the community in informal educational venues (e.g. after school programs, science centers, aquariums, etc.). However, the series is open to anyone interested in the topics listed below.
For distance learning programs about marine mammals and other protected species in the wild, please visit our Wildlife Viewing Guidelines and the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources' Marine Life Viewing Guidelines to ensure you are aware of the regulations.
Tracking The Honda’s Hammers: Great Hammerhead Shark Recreational Fishery Interactions and Migratory Patterns in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
October 2, 2024
Dr. Grace Casselberry, Former Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar
Great hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna mokarran) are arguably one of the most iconic shark species to call Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary home and are globally classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List. Despite this, we know very little about what habitats are important to hammerheads while in the Keys and where they may go when they leave. Increasingly, recreational anglers are reporting interactions with great hammerhead sharks eating their hooked fish, an interaction called depredation, especially in the Atlantic tarpon (Megalops atlanticus) fishery in Bahia Honda. Rising tensions surrounding shark-angler interactions make understanding shark depredation and the spatial ecology of great hammerheads in the Florida Keys increasingly important to ensure continued viability of the tarpon fishery and shark conservation success. Join Dr. Grace Casselberry to learn how she used acoustic telemetry to explore the secret lives of The Honda’s Hammers.
2024 Ed Ricketts Memorial Award and Lecture
Beyond Pacific Tides: How Technology Has Provided a Window into the Secret Life of Marine Mammals
September 25, 2024
The 2024 Ricketts Award recipient Dr. Daniel P. Costa (University of California Santa Cruz) will provide a lecture on how technology has provided insights into the behavior and physiology of marine mammals in nature.
The Ed Ricketts Memorial Lecture was created to honor scientists who have exhibited exemplary work throughout their career and advanced the status of knowledge in the field of marine science. The first award was presented in March 1986. Recipients are selected by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Research Activity Panel.
For lecture abstract and history of the Ed Ricketts Memorial Award, please visit this website.
The Wooden Bridge to France: The Life of One of the Mallows Bay Ghost Fleet Vessels
August 20, 2024
Join Allyson Ropp, a maritime archaeologist and a Ph.D. candidate at East Carolina University, to learn about one of the 100 abandoned World War I vessels in Mallows Bay. Mallows Bay, within the Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary, hosts one of the largest ghost fleets in the Western Hemisphere, which holds stories to the United States’ shipping efforts during World War I.
The United States Shipping Board Emergency Fleet Corporation built a thousand wooden steamships to “build a bridge to France.” While many of these vessels failed to sail the seas, one in the bay, Aowa, defied the odds and sailed. This presentation tells the story of Aowa and its life from conception with the wooden shipbuilding program to its final abandonment in Mallows Bay. It further discusses the research project underway on Aowa to understand the stability and preservation of the shipwreck.
Teaching Hope: Blue Carbon and Climate Change
August 22, 2024
Sara Hutto, Conservation and Climate Program Coordinator and Jennifer Stock, Education and Outreach Coordinator, Greater Farallones Association and Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries
Drought, fires, floods, bleaching corals...as impacts from our changing climate become increasingly publicized, and with climate anxiety on the rise among our youth, it's critical that educators bring messages of hope into their classrooms. In this webinar, you'll learn from a NOAA educator and scientist about the inspiring role the ocean plays in mitigating the climate crisis as a carbon sponge. You'll learn about the role of "blue" carbon - the species and habitats that absorb and store carbon in the ocean - and how NOAA is working to better understand and protect these vital resources. You'll also hear about the new Blue Carbon Education and Communication Toolkit, so you can bring these messages into your classroom (or wherever you interact with young people!). Please join us to explore messages of hope in a time of a changing climate.
Catch and Release: Large Whale Entanglement Response and the Science that Goes with it
August 7, 2024
Ed Lyman, Large Whale Entanglement Response Coordinator, NOAA’s Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Join Ed Lyman, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s Large Whale Entanglement Response Coordinator, to learn about the risks posed by entanglement threat to one of our large whale species – the humpback whale, and the authorized network response to free them and other whales from life-threatening entanglements. Ed has been responding to entangled large whales for 30 years and has been involved in over a hundred entanglement response efforts. The talk will focus on sanctuary and nearby waters that are the humpback whales’ principal breeding/calving grounds in the North Pacific. Discover how trained and experienced responders free 40-ton entangled whales using cutting-edge tools, techniques and technologies through some exciting imagery. While freeing a whale is beneficial and rewarding, it is the science associated with the effort, such as the use of telemetry, drones, AI image recognition, and photogrammetry, that facilitates the response and helps us better understand the threat as to reduce it in the future for whales and humans alike.
Community-Based Exploration: Discovering The Mysteries of the Deep Pacific With Everyone
June 27, 2024
Daniel Wagner, Chief Scientist, Ocean Exploration Trust
Join Ocean Exploration Trust Chief Scientist as he describes the upcoming deep ocean exploration season. Between July-December 2024, the Ocean Exploration Trust and partners will conduct several multi-disciplinary expeditions aboard E/V Nautilus to explore never-before surveyed deep-sea habitats around Jarvis, American Samoa, Howland, Baker and Palau. This webinar will provide an overview of the science objectives of these expeditions, and outline how everyone can participate in these exploratory missions via telepresence technology.
This presentation is hosted by the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
NOAA Ocean Guardian Dive Club
June 12, 2024
Claire Fackler, National Education Liaison, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Do you want to introduce a young person to ocean conservation and stewardship? Are you interested in giving your child a head start on safe diving techniques? You’re in luck! NOAA is re-launching the NOAA Ocean Guardian Dive Club, a program aimed at teaching young divers safe diving techniques, ocean and climate literacy concepts, and ocean stewardship. Dive in to learn more about this unique program and the free materials available online.
Diving into the African American History of Eastern North Carolina— The Underwater Archaeology of Cape Fear Rice Plantations
April 23, 2024
Join underwater archaeologist Dr. Emily Schwalbe as she presents research on the submerged archaeology of rice plantations in Brunswick County, North Carolina. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Cape Fear region was the only place in North Carolina that had the environment for commercial rice agriculture. Rice plantations were operated by enslaved Africans, who also used the local creeks and rivers to travel and, in some cases, escape enslavement. Much of the archaeological evidence of these activities is now underwater, but Emily’s recent work alongside local North Carolina organizations has identified and recorded sites that tell new stories about plantation histories. Be sure to register for this webinar to learn about African American history, plantations, and the underwater archaeology of North Carolina rivers!
What's Washed In: Seabirds, Marine Debris, and Citizen Science
April 23, 2024
Dr. Julia Parrish, Executive Director of the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST)
Since the first surveys began in 1999, Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) has steadily expanded from a nucleus of five beaches along the southern outer coast of Washington State to nearly 450 beaches spread across northern California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. Learn more about this West Coast citizen science program involving hundreds of participants collecting monthly data on the identity and abundance of beach-cast birds and marine debris, with the goal of creating the definitive baseline against which the impacts of any near-shore catastrophe could be measured.
This webinar is co-sponsored by NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Feiro Marine Life Center.
Plants Get Sick Too: Monitoring Seagrass Wasting Disease in a Changing Climate
March 19, 2024
Serina Moheed, Ph.D. Candidate at the University of California, Davis and a Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar
With climate change, disease outbreaks are increasing in our ocean and it's crucial to understand how they are affecting foundationally important marine species such as seagrasses. Seagrass meadows provide habitat for an extraordinary number of different organisms, can protect coastlines against storms, and have the ability to store harmful greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere into the soil. Tomales Bay estuary in northern California holds an estimated 9% of the state's seagrass population, and while disease is present in the area, not much is known about if there are different pathogen strains within seagrass meadows. Join Serina Moheed as she talks about how she monitors seagrass wasting disease in the field (spoiler- it's muddy!), methods for analyzing the effects of the disease, and how in her opinion growing a marine pathogen in the lab can be much harder than taking care of a houseplant.
Heroism and Heartache: USS Cumberland’s Last Stand at Hampton Roads
March 6, 2024
Join John Pentangelo, director of the Hampton Roads Naval Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, for a discussion on USS Cumberland. Launched as a frigate in 1842 and later converted to a sloop-of-war, USS Cumberland fought at the Battle of Hampton Roads during the American Civil War.
Most people know this battle for the famous duel between the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia on March 9, 1862. But on March 8, Virginia destroyed both USS Cumberland and USS Congress, leading to the U.S. Navy’s worst defeat since its origins in 1775. This discussion will focus on Cumberland’s sinking, the crew’s response to the attack, public memory of the ordeal, and the recovery of artifacts from the wreck.
The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is an official department of the Navy museum administered by the Naval History and Heritage Command. The museum interprets the history of the U.S. Navy in and around Hampton Roads, Virginia, from the Revolutionary War to the present day, for service members and the general public. Co-located with Nauticus in downtown Norfolk, the museum recently installed a new exhibit on the Battle of Hampton Roads as phase one of an exhibit on the Navy during the American Civil War.
We invite you to learn more by visiting our website.
Chasing Microbes: Diving into the Mystery of Coral Disease
February 28, 2024
Adrienne Correa, University of California, Berkeley, Laura Mydlarz, University of Texas Arlington, and Dan Holstein, Louisiana State University
Just like any other animal, coral can get sick. Coral diseases can harm whole ecosystems when they spread across reefs. In 2022, a mystery disease appeared on the magnificent reefs of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Join scientists in their efforts to identify the mystery disease, to predict how diseases may arrive at Flower Garden Banks, and to understand how the reef responds to pathogens, with invaluable lessons drawn from the outbreak of stony coral tissue loss disease in Florida and the Caribbean. Explore the latest data on the Bank’s mystery disease as we dive into the depths of coral health research.
Washington CoastSavers: Working Together to Remove Marine Debris from our Beaches
February 27, 2024
Megan Juran, Washington CoastSavers Coordinator
Join Washington CoastSavers Coordinator, Megan Juran, to hear about the work that partners and volunteers have been doing to clean marine debris off Washington’s Pacific Coast and Strait of Juan de Fuca beaches. Learn about the successes of “Salish Synergy,” a recently completed NOAA Marine Debris Program grant that included an innovative international recycling component. Also, learn about an exciting new grant, “Clean Coast Quest!” made possible through Sea Grant/NOAA funding. She’ll also share CoastSavers’ latest projects, which include expanding cleanup efforts into the remote beaches of the Quinault Indian Nation, outreach with Taholah School, marine debris mapping of Olympic Peninsula beaches along with supporting annual cleanup efforts.
This webinar is co-sponsored by NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Feiro Marine Life Center.
All Along the Waterfront: Archaeological Investigations of Chesapeake Bay Oyster Boats
February 20, 2024
Discover how maritime archaeology reveals a new understanding of North Carolina’s historic oyster industry, which remains a significant part of the state’s cultural, environmental, and maritime history. In this webinar, look back at the industry during the 19th and 20th centuries and learn how fishers from northern states changed the industry when they entered North Carolina sounds.
Join Patrick Boyle, a doctoral student in the Texas A&M University Nautical Archaeology Program, to gain insight into North Carolina’s historic oyster industry. Learn about the bugeye, a regional type of boat built in Maryland shipyards, and why its construction was perfect for North Carolina waters. Discover the influence of Chesapeake Bay oysterers on the industry, and explore several oyster boat shipwrecks in the region as he talks about his archaeological research.
Fish, with Chips: Tracking Fish Movement at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
February 21, 2024
Marissa Nuttall, Research Specialist, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Understanding where fish spend their time on the reef is a critical part of effective resource management. This study examines how fish are using the reefs and banks across the sanctuary, at both large and fine scales, using underwater acoustics. Come learn about how a network of instruments is being used to track fish around the sanctuary and some of the interesting findings so far!
Exploring Ocean Mysteries: From Dynamic Shores to the Deep-Sea
February 20, 2024
Rick and Krista Reynolds of Engaging Every Student and Tracy Hajduk of the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
What do world-traveling plastic toys, biodiversity in the deep sea, climate change and the last great unexplored area on Earth have in common? The critical need for ocean literacy! Learning about the ocean is often neglected in our schools, yet it comprises 71% of Earth's surface. Life on Earth evolved in and depends on our global ocean.
Learn more about the new curriculum, Exploring Ocean Mysteries: From Dynamic Shores to the Deep Sea. The lessons focus on the seven Ocean Literacy Principles, Climate Literacy, and use the National Marine Sanctuary System as an engaging backdrop that helps students understand their importance for exploration, research, Indigenous cultures, and more. The lessons and supporting resources have been created by NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in collaboration with Engaging Every Student, supported by funding from the National Geographic Society and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.
Climate Monitoring in Flower Garden Banks and Florida Keys
February 7, 2024
Nicole Besemer, Oceanographer, NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic & Meteorological Laboratory Coral Program
With record high ocean temperatures in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico in 2023, there was a lot of coral bleaching. Just about everyone realizes coral bleaching is not good for our coral reefs, but exactly how is it affecting them and what can we expect in the future? Climate monitoring helps us understand these impacts. Join us for a look at monitoring efforts of the reefs at the Flower Garden Banks, as well as the Florida Keys, and see what we’ve learned from the 2023 mass bleaching event.
Coconut Palms, Seabirds, Coral Reefs and Sea Level Rise
January 23, 2024
Dr. Alex Wegmann, Lead Scientist, The Nature Conservancy of California
As a Lead Scientist for The Nature Conservancy, Alex Wegmann, PhD. works in thematic areas of land-sea connectivity, invasive species, seabird restoration, natural climate solutions, coral reef resilience, pelagic conservation, sustainable fisheries, and the application of biotechnology-based solutions to conservation challenges. His responsibilities include advancing cutting-edge science to inform investment and actions at Palmyra Atoll, throughout the Pacific region, and at global scales. Alex organizes and participates on multilateral teams to drive scientific research agendas focused on The Nature Conservancy’s priority conservation challenges. Join Dr. Alex Wegmann as he takes us to a remote island in the Pacific Ocean and shares how connected we are to it.
This webinar is co-sponsored by NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Feiro Marine Life Center.
Mallows Bay - The Ghost Fleet and Beyond
January 16, 2024
At Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary, the synergy of history and nature provide a truly unique experience with something for everyone. Join Susan Langley, Maryland’s State Underwater Archaeologist, to learn about the maritime cultural heritage of Mallows Bay. Hear about the history of this half-mile wide embayment that is crowded with diverse heritage resources. Dive deep into understanding that although the World War I wooden steamship fleet forms the nexus, there are many other facets to the jewel that is the sanctuary.
The sanctuary not only protects and interprets the remnants of more than 100 World War I ships, referred to as the Ghost Fleet, it is also a place where the synergy of thousands of years of history and nature come together and provide a truly unique experience for all who visit. Co-managed by the state of Maryland and Charles County, Maryland, the resources of Mallows Bay-Potomac River are easily accessed by shore and water, and offer a living laboratory for people of all ages to learn about its history, heritage, and connected ecosystem. We invite you to learn more by visiting our website.
Engaging the Next Generation of Marine Scientists with Storytelling and Culturally Relevant Media
November 14, 2023
Dr. Tammy Silva, Research Marine Ecologist at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and Ben Gilbarg, Director of STEAM the Streets
How can we help build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive Marine Science workforce? How can we help youth see it so they can be it? Reaching youth in culturally relevant, creative ways that they can relate to, is essential for accomplishing this.
STEAM the Streets specializes in producing unique content that promotes career paths in STEM and the Arts (STEAM), and through their experience as educators and youth developers, have a proven recipe for keeping youth engaged.
NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Marine Ecologist, Tammy Silva, partnered up with STEAM the Streets to create videos and a learning module to reach, engage, and educate youth about the triumphs and challenges of a career in Marine Ecology. The learning module and videos are included in the free STEAM the Streets mobile app, and the content can be utilized outside of the app to educate students in a classroom setting. In this webinar, educators will hear about the career module content, learn about the app, and receive access to the free materials so that they can implement the app or the lesson with their classes.
2023 Ed Ricketts Memorial Award and Lecture
Presenters: Tim Thomas and Linda Yamane, Monterey area cultural historians who have made significant contributions to the field of historical ecology
November 8, 2023
The 2023 Ed Ricketts Memorial Award will be presented to Tim Thomas and Linda Yamane, Monterey area cultural historians who have made significant contributions to the field of historical ecology.
The Ed Ricketts Memorial Lecture was created to honor scientists who have exhibited exemplary work throughout their career and advanced the status of knowledge in the field of marine science. The first award was presented in March 1986. Recipients are selected by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Research Activity Panel.
Tim Thomas (Maritime Heritage and Fisheries Historian) will speak about early collections of the White Abalone by the young Japanese American abalone diver Roy Hattori, and the unresolved history of its scientific name.
Linda Yamane (Rumsen Ohlone Artist, Historian and Culture Bearer) will share her journey of discovery of her Native heritage culture, through language, songs, baskets, boats, dance regalia, and material harvesting; all of which reflect the richness of the Monterey Bay area, the relationship its indigenous people have always had with the land, and the depth of their resourcefulness and esthetic values.
For lecture abstracts and history of the Ed Ricketts Memorial Award, please visit this website.
Unique Ways to Connect Kids and Teens to the Ocean and Engage Them as Science Communicators
October 18, 2023
Presented by:
- Nora Nickum, Senior Ocean Policy Manager at the Seattle Aquarium and author of Superpod: Saving the Endangered Orcas of the Pacific Northwest
- Patricia Newman, award-winning author of Planet Ocean: Why We All Need a Healthy Ocean, Plastic, Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Sea Otter Heroes: The Predators That Saved an Ecosystem , and A River’s Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn
- Tressa Arbow, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region as the Education & Outreach Coordinator
- Esteban Camacho Steffensen, international muralist with major works created throughout the Pacific Northwest, Costa Rica, China, and Spain
How do we connect kids and teens to the ocean and empower them to act? Story–in all its forms. Humans are hard-wired to spin tales to create emotional connections that help us better understand the world. Join nonfiction storytellers Nora Nickum and Patricia Newman, artist Esteban Camacho Steffensen, and educator Tressa Arbow, who each have ways of translating their passion for ocean conservation and complicated ocean science into forms that entice kids and teens to ask questions, dig deeper, and engage with their communities. Together we will discover new ways to visualize concepts like climate change, ocean acidification, pollution, habitat loss, food web disruption, and underwater noise using an interdisciplinary approach that includes science, art, writing, and speaking.
Developing Offshore Wind in U.S. Waters Part 2: Offshore Wind Development and the Structure and Function of Marine Ecosystems
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Presenter: Jon Hare of the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center
The pace, scale, and magnitude of offshore wind development in the U.S. and around the globe is increasing rapidly. Countries are committing to this new ocean use to decarbonize their energy systems and as a goal for economic growth. The scale of this development has moved from small turbines in shallow waters of the North Sea to new technologies that allow for large-scale industrialization in marine ecosystems. This webinar will explore the potential interactions of this growing industry with the structure and function of marine ecosystems and what science is still needed to better understand these interactions. This webinar is co-sponsored by the NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center and Open Communications for the Ocean (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network).
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: How Visitors Help Sanctuaries Monitor Climate Change
September 19, 2023
Presenters: Dr. Tammy Silva, Research Marine Ecologist, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Brenda S. Altmeier, Maritime Heritage Coordinator, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and Dr. Zachary Cannizzo, Climate Coordinator, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Marine Protected Areas Center
From severe storms to ocean warming to sea level rise, climate change poses a clear and present threat to treasured places, critical biodiversity, and cultural resources across the national marine sanctuary system. Sanctuaries need to monitor climate change's impact within their sites and on natural resources, so they can identify and respond to these impacts. Everyone who visits and uses sanctuaries can play an invaluable role in ensuring their continued prosperity by helping to monitor for climate change impacts. Join us to learn more about the importance of climate change monitoring in sanctuaries, and how all kinds of visitors - from divers, to teachers, to fishers - are helping to monitor and educate about climate change impacts in Stellwagen Bank and Florida Keys national marine sanctuaries. Solving the climate crisis is going to take all of us working together, how can you support climate monitoring at your local sanctuary?
Nesting Waterbirds of Coastal North Carolina
September 12, 2023
Presenter: Lindsay Addison, Coastal Bird Biologist, Audubon North Carolina
Birds are everywhere and bird watching is a great way to connect with nature and enjoy the outdoors. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, about 50 million Americans are bird watchers! Join Lindsay Addison, Audubon North Carolina's Coastal Biologist, as she talks about some of North Carolina's most iconic wildlife and introduces you to some of the state's more recognizable avian residents. Learn some fun natural history facts and how Audubon North Carolina is working to conserve and study these different species.
The Search for USS Monitor – 50th Anniversary of the Discovery of Monitor!
August 31, 2023
In the early morning hours of New Year's Eve 1862, the Civil War Ironclad, USS Monitor, sank beneath the ocean waves during a terrible storm off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. That morning, 16 men went down with the ship, and although numerous people searched for it for over a century, the Monitor’s final resting location remained a mystery until 1973.
Join John Broadwater, president and founder of Spritsail Enterprises and former superintendent at Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, to learn about the search for the USS Monitor. Discover why the shipwreck was difficult to locate and learn about the expeditions to find it. Go back in time to August of 1973, when John G. Newton led a team of scientists in search of the elusive shipwreck. Learn why it continued to be difficult to identify once they thought they found it and what finally convinced the team it was indeed the USS Monitor.
This webinar is one of the first in our 50th anniversary celebrations of USS Monitor. Stay tuned for more, as we commemorate the confirmation of the location of Monitor in 1974 and the shipwreck becoming our nation's first national marine sanctuary in 1975.
Extending our Ocean Reality: Bringing Ancestral and Contemporary Ocean Voyaging and Exploration to Life with Extended Reality (XR) Technologies
August 17, 2023
Daniel Kinzer, M.S. Biomimicry from Arizona State University
Lead Community Technology at Purple Mai’a Foundation, Lead Science Communication Fellow with Ocean
Exploration Trust, and Crew member with Polynesian Voyaging Society
Dr. Brittany Kamai, Ph.D., Physics from Vanderbilt University
Director of Integrity and Innovation for the next-generation gravitational wave experiment, Cosmic
Explorer and Crew Member with Polynesian Voyaging Society
The ocean is vast and mysterious, yet Hawaiians and other ocean peoples have been voyaging across and into the ocean for thousands of years. Contemporary ocean science and exploration utilizes cutting edge technologies to sense, image and map the ocean from the deepest and most remote parts of the ocean and collect amazing amounts of data about these environments and our Planet Ocean. Communicating about these incredibly complex, significant and sacred environments is a challenge, and few, if any, people can access them directly, including both experienced and younger would-be ocean scientists, explorers and cultural practitioners. Join Daniel Kinzer and Dr. Brittany Kamai as they present live from Leg 6 of Hōkūle’a’s Moananuiākea Voyage, and are joined by other collaborators and partners from Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) and Polynesian Voyaging Society (PVS), and beyond to share about building extended reality (XR) ocean voyaging and exploration learning environments with Native Hawaiian youth that can inspire and empower the future ocean scientists, protectors and stewards. This exciting project was funded through the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and the NOAA Office of Education, and was led by Purple Mai’a Foundation, in collaboration with OET, PVS and Professor of Virtual Design, John Anderson at University of Idaho.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Boiling Over: Marine Heatwaves, What are They and What Can We Expect?
August 10, 2023
Presenters: Dillon Amaya, Climate Research Scientist, NOAA Physical Sciences Laboratory; Michael Jacox, Research Oceanographer, NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center
Much like we experience periods of extreme and unusual heat in different areas on land, parts of the ocean can experience persistently high water temperatures, also known as marine heatwaves. These extreme events can have devastating impacts on marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. The dangerous effects of marine heatwaves have been seen in national marine sanctuaries and by sanctuary users. Interested in finding out more? Take a break from the heat this summer and join us online to learn what marine heatwaves are, why we should care about them, and what we can expect from them in the context of a changing climate and warming ocean.
Developing Offshore Wind in U.S. Waters Part 1: The Planning and Regulatory Framework
July 19, 2023
Presenters: Brian Hooker of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Office of Renewable Energy Programs, Betsy Nicholson of the NOAA Office for Coastal Management, and Joy Page of the US Department of Energy Wind Energy Technology Office
The deployment of offshore wind energy facilities in US waters has tremendous potential to help the country deliver on its climate change commitments and clean energy goals. It is also a reality beginning to take shape with the first commercial-scale facilities beginning construction in 2023 in the Northeast US. In Part 1 of our webinar series on ocean wind energy in US waters, we will explore the historical and policy background and framing behind the US wind energy transition, including an introduction to the planning and regulation processes and the players involved. This webinar will set the groundwork for future discussions exploring offshore wind energy, its future in US waters, and its compatibility and interactions with marine protected areas and other ocean uses.
This webinar is co-sponsored by the NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center and Open Communications for the Ocean (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network).
Discover the Coral Reef and Kelp Forest Ecosystem Resource Collections
June 5, 2023
Claire Fackler, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Chloe McKenna, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Consultant
The new topical resource collections that include NOAA videos, lesson plans, webinars, web stories, virtual reality, and much more are a great one-stop-shop for educators interested in topics, such as climate change, ocean acidification, ocean sound and the impact of noise. This webinar will dig into the collections for coral reefs and kelp forest ecosystems so that you can start using these educational materials right away to bring the ocean into your classroom or facility.
Hawaiian Monk Seals - Working to Recover the Endangered Seal of Hawai‘i
May 18, 2023
Stacie Robinson, Research Ecologist (with NOAA's Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program)
Hawaiian monk seals, ʻilioholoikauaua, are the world's only tropical seal and one of the most endangered marine mammals. These unique seals are native to, and only live in the Hawaiian Archipelago. The biggest segment of their population resides in the remote islands and atolls of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. NOAA’s Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program works throughout the populated main Hawaiian Islands and the Monument to understand the biology of monk seals, what they need to survive, what threatens their survival, and how to help. Join one of the program's ecologists, Dr. Stacie Robinson, as she shares the latest status updates and research.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The Ocean as a Carbon Sponge: why blue carbon is important
May 11, 2023
Sara Hutto, Conservation and Climate Program Coordinator, Greater Farallones Association and Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries
This engaging presentation will cover the basics of blue carbon - what it is, why it’s important - and will focus particularly on the role of marine plants, algae, and animals in sequestering carbon and keeping it out of the atmosphere. We’ll also discuss actions that can be taken to ensure blue carbon is protected and, when necessary, restored.
Managing for Climate Change in MPAs: Stories and Tools from National Marine Sanctuaries and the National MPA Center
April 27, 2023
Presented by: Lauren Wenzel of the NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center, Zac Cannizzo of the NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Sara Hutto of the Greater Farallones Association and Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries, and Jillian Neuberger of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and National Marine Protected Areas Center
U.S. National Marine Sanctuaries and the National Marine Protected Areas Center are leaders in MPA management in a changing ocean. By leveraging the diversity of ecosystems, geographies, cultures, and experiences represented in the National Marine Sanctuary System, they have developed a suite of products that can help other MPA managers advance and accelerate climate-smart management of their MPAs. This webinar will highlight climate monitoring, assessment, and adaptation experiences from the National Marine Sanctuary System and share a number of new products and tools from the National MPA Center, including an MPA Climate Vulnerability Assessment Guide and Climate Adaptation Story Map, designed to help MPA managers accelerate and enhance climate monitoring, assessment, and adaptation within their own MPAs.
Shipwreck Ecosystems – Ecology and Conservation
April 26, 2023
Ever wonder what happens to ships after they wreck? Join Cady Breslin, an educator with the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island to discuss how shipwrecks, over time, evolve into an oasis ecosystem. Learn about the harsh environment off the North Carolina coast known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic, and discover how it affects the biodiversity found in these treacherous waters. Learn how the North Carolina Aquariums work with NOAA to conserve the native species utilizing these unique spaces.
Community-Based Exploration: Discovering With Everyone
April 20, 2023
Daniel Wagner, Chief Scientist, Ocean Exploration Trust
Join Ocean Exploration Trust Chief Scientist as he describes the upcoming deep ocean exploration season. Between May-December 2023, the Ocean Exploration Trust and partners will conduct several inter-disciplinary expeditions aboard E/V Nautilus to explore never-before surveyed deep-sea habitats throughout the Central and Eastern Pacific. This webinar will provide an overview of the science objectives of these expeditions, and outline how everyone can participate in these exploratory missions via telepresence technology.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Dynamics of kelp forests, salmon, and forage fish
April 18, 2023
Dr. Anne Shaffer, Executive Director and Lead Scientist of the Coastal Watershed Institute
Join Dr. Anne Shaffer as she describes the fascinating details of our region's nearshore coastal ecosystems, including kelp forests, and how our iconic species such as salmon and forage fish depend on them. Human interactions with these zones will also be discussed as will the results of several of their large, ecosystem scale restoration projects.
This webinar is co-sponsored by NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Feiro Marine Life
Center.
The View from Destruction: One Island, Twelve Thousand Birds or So, and the Futures
March 21, 2023
Dr. Eric Wagner is a researcher at the Center for Ecosystem Sentinels at the University of Washington
Every spring, more than ten thousand rhinoceros auklets arrive at Destruction Island, off the outer coast of Washington, to breed. And for more than ten years, a small team of biologists has visited Destruction to monitor how the auklets are faring. The northeastern Pacific where Destruction Island sits is one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet, but this part of the sea-world has of late experienced a variety of shifts and upheavals. Are all these shifts and upheavals abnormal? Or are they the new normal? In this talk, biologist Eric Wagner will discuss the ongoing research on the rhinoceros auklets of Destruction Island (and beyond), and talk about what these furtive birds can show us about the larger world in which they try to make their living.
This webinar is co-sponsored by NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Feiro Marine Life Center.
Every Kōlea Counts: The Pacific Golden-Plover Census Project
March 16, 2023
Because so many facts about Hawaii's remarkable Pacific Golden-Plovers, Kōlea, are still unknown, and so many Hawaiʻi residents and visitors watch and enjoy our plovers, the Hawaiʻi Audubon Society created a citizen science project that allows us to record our observations of these birds. Join us to hear Susan Scott, President of the Hawaiʻi Audubon Society and longtime plover lover, talk about Hawaii's Pacific Golden-Plovers.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
A New Toolkit for Engaging Youth in Ocean Health and Conservation
March 15, 2023
Presenters: Ajay Sawant of Apollo College of Veterinary Medicine, Julia Lara Navarrete of Autonomous University of Baja California, Rebecca Allen of Western Washington University, Serag Heiba of Chinese University of Hong Kong, Summer Snell of Brookes University, and Frances Lang of The Ocean Foundation
With support from The Ocean Foundation and National Geographic Society, a group of young writers between the ages of 18-25 are creating a "youth ocean action toolkit" focused on the seven ocean literacy principles and marine protected areas (MPAs). This toolkit – written by youth for youth – provides community examples of how youth can take action to conserve their ocean; demonstrates the benefit of MPAs for ocean conservation; includes links to resources and multimedia content; and features a strong social media component. The toolkit will be available this summer in English and Spanish. This webinar featuring some of the toolkit's youth authors will provide an overview of the content and techniques to engage and empower young people around the world.
This webinar is co-sponsored by the NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center and Open Communications for the Ocean (MPA News, OpenChannels, EBM Tools Network).
Discover the Climate Change and Ocean Acidification Resource Collections
March 8, 2023
Claire Fackler, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Chloe McKenna, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Consultant
As part of our 50th anniversary, we have been launching robust resource collections throughout the year. Explore each collection of NOAA videos, lesson plans, webinars, web stories, virtual reality, and much more. In this new era of ocean conservation, we encourage formal and informal educators and other interested people to take advantage of the robust educational materials available in each topically-based collection. During this webinar, we will be focusing on the Climate Change and Ocean Acidification Resource Collections.
Wrecked on Chicamacomico: A Look at the Shipwrecks of Wimble Shoals, North Carolina
March 7, 2023
Join Allyson Ropp, Maritime Archaeologist with the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology, to learn about the ships that wrecked along the northern portion of Hatteras Island. Like many places on the North Carolina coast, there lies a set of submerged shoals, Wimble Shoals. These shoals have been agents of destruction in the area for centuries, playing a role in the wrecking of ships sailing the Atlantic shipping lanes. Many of the wrecking events led to harrowing rescues by passing ships or by the U.S. Life Saving Service units stationed along the island.
This presentation explores the histories of some of the vessels lost along Wimble Shoals and northern Hatteras Island. It further examines the overall near shore and offshore wrecking trends of the area to understand various dynamics to the loss of vessels. You won't want to miss these great stories of heroic adventures.
Tufted Puffin Natural History, Research and Conservation Status
March 6, 2023
Dr. Scott Pearson, Senior Research Scientist at Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
The Tufted Puffin is an iconic seabird that nests on offshore islands along Washington's outer coast and on two islands in the Salish Sea. Recent analyses suggest that the puffin is declining from the Gulf of Alaska south to California, with more dramatic declines at the southern end of its breeding range. Scott will describe the species' natural history, information on its status in Washington and beyond, and on research and conservation efforts to benefit the species locally.
This webinar was co-sponsored by NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Feiro Marine Life Center.
Coral Forensics in the Deep Flower Garden Banks
February 22, 2023
Luke McCartin, Graduate Student, Lehigh University
Like all marine animals, corals leave behind genetic traces in their environment. Scientists refer to these genetic traces as environmental DNA or eDNA. Similar to forensics, marine biologists can sequence this eDNA to determine what animals have passed through an area, or are nearby but not easily seen. Learn how Luke McCartin sequences eDNA to better understand the corals that live in the deepest waters of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, even when he can't see them!
Pilina, Indigenous Literacy, and ʻĀina Momona: Healthy and Thriving Communities of People and Place
February 16, 2023
Pelika Andrade, founder and Executive Director of Na Maka Onaona, a Hawaiʻi based non-profit, Extension Agent for the University of Hawaiʻi Sea Grant College Program
This presentation will introduce participants to a philosophy and pathway of ʻĀina Momona: thriving and productive communities. On behalf of Nā Maka Onaona and many partnerships, Pelika will introduce two tools that address how relationships and the growing awareness of indigenous literacy can support our engagements and understandings of ourselves, our communities, and the world around us. This is a collective journey to help guide, inform, and advise the decisions and contributions we collectively make to support the ability of our people, places, and akua (natural world) to thrive.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday by The Bay webinar series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
In celebration of Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, we invite you all to learn how ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi is one of many elements embedded in ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiian) knowledge systems, values, and practices to support ʻŌiwi communities in creating adaptive biocultural resource management across Hawai'i PaeʻĀina (Hawaiian Archipelago) including Papahānaumokuākea.
Exploring a Future Sanctuary
February 15, 2023
Tom Bright, retired Director of Texas Sea Grant
For three decades, between 1960 and 1990, researchers explored the reefs and fishing banks off Texas and Louisiana using scuba tanks and submarines. They even contemplated installing an underwater habitat that would allow them to live and work underwater for extended periods of time. All this was done largely to satisfy their curiosity, but also to protect and conserve. The end result? Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary! Join us for a trek down memory lane with Tom Bright, father of the Flower Garden Banks.
Connecting Ancestral Memory Through the History and Archaeology of the São José Paquete de Africa and the Clotilda Slave Shipwrecks
February 13, 2023
On December 27th, 1794, the slave ship São José Paquete de Africa crashed into the rocks off Clifton Beach in Cape Town, South Africa, 212 of more than 500 captured Africans lost their lives. In June 2015, the Slave Wrecks Project, a partnership between the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American Culture (NMAAHC), Izeko Museums of South Africa, George Washington University, and Diving With a Purpose (DWP), announced the discovery of the São José Paquete de Africa shipwreck. It represented the first slave shipwreck ever discovered that sunk with captured Africans on board.
On July 9, 1860, the Clotilda sailed into the Mobile Bay, ending an illegal mission as the last slave ship to bring captured Africans into the U.S. to be enslaved. There were 110 imprisoned human souls from present day Benin in its cargo hold. In June 2018, the wreckage of the Clotilda was located in the Mobile River.
Join Kamau Sadiki as he talks about his participation in the underwater archaeological work on the wrecks of the São José Paquete de Africa and the Clotilda as a strategic partner with the Slave Wrecks Project, SEARCH Inc., and NMAAHC. The presentation will highlight the work of DWP, a non-profit organization of SCUBA divers whose primary mission is to bring back into memory the stories of shipwrecks involved in the commodification and enslavement of Black bodies. He will also explore the intersectionality of transoceanic slave trade systems and the making of the modern world through the histories and wrecking events of the São José Paquete de Africa and the Clotilda shipwrecks, two critically important ships of the 18th and 19th centuries. Additionally, the meaning of memory and cultural heritage in the context of the Transatlantic Era of African Enslavement will be discussed, along with highlighting a few other significant slave shipwrecks of importance during this period.
Reconstructing the Flower Garden Banks from the Inside Out
February 8, 2023
Bill Precht, Director of Marine and Coastal Programs, Dial Cordy and Associates, Inc.
Who knew, that hidden beneath the beautiful reefs we know and love, lay ancient reefs of a different nature? In 2006-2007, while conducting annual long-term monitoring activities at the Flower Garden Banks, researchers discovered remnants of a fossil reef comprised of elkhorn and staghorn corals, species almost non-existent on our reefs today. This discovery has dramatically altered our understanding of reef development at the Flower Garden Banks and the response of coral communities to changing climate through time.
The Best Job Ever!
February 1, 2023
Steve Gittings, Chief Scientist, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
The modern history of the Flower Garden Banks is a series of transitions--a Mystery Era that lasted for nearly 30 years, the Discovery Era in the 1960s, the Enlightenment Era in the 1970s and early 1980s, then the Sanctuary Era. Steve Gittings was fortunate to be part of the last two, working on the banks starting in 1980, then being selected as the first sanctuary manager in 1992. His mentor, Tom Bright, called it “a plum job.” It was even better! Let Steve take you back to that time and tell stories about the best job he will ever have.
Submerged NC: Raising the USS Monitor Turret – The U.S. Navy's Role in MONITOR Expedition 2002
January 31, 2023
Join us for a snapshot of the overall Monitor story, telling the role that the U.S. Navy played in the salvage and recovery operations during MONITOR Expedition 2002. As told by CAPT Bobbie Scholley, the Navy's On Scene Commander for the operation, you will hear how the Navy partnered with NOAA and The Mariners' Museum to plan and execute a historic diving operation off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, 240 feet below the surface, to recover the unique revolving gun turret from the wreckage of USS Monitor.
Hear about the technical, environmental, and sometime emotional challenges that the team had to overcome to lift the 200-ton turret successfully to the surface and move it to The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia. Learn how the Navy used two different types of deep ocean diving systems, Surface Supplied Mixed Gas and Saturation Diving, to accomplish the tremendous amount of work required to prepare the turret for lifting. Discover how the U.S. Navy's diving procedures were modified and evaluated during this operation and then ultimately approved for future use by the Navy.
See how over 150 Navy divers, led by Capt. Bobbie Scholley, worked with NOAA, The Mariners' Museum, the Wotan barge crew, and contractors to form a strong, cohesive team. Learn how this team quickly came together in hazardous conditions during the 45 days and nights of operation to beat the approaching hurricane season to ultimately recover the turret from the "Graveyard of the Atlantic."
Conversations with the Sanctuary Superintendent on Current Issues
January 24, 2023
Kevin Grant, Superintendent for NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
Join us for a conversation with the superintendent of Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary to learn about current topics and the upcoming Management Plan Review. The sanctuary, with offices in Port Angeles, Washington, is managed by NOAA and was designated in 1994. It encompasses nearly 3,200 square miles off the Washington coast, extending from Cape Flattery to the mouth of the Copalis River. Significant natural and cultural resources include 29 species of marine mammals, as well as large populations of nesting seabirds, shipwrecks, and some of the last remaining wilderness coastline in the lower 48 states.
This webinar is co-sponsored by NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Feiro Marine Life Center.
Holomua: Marine 30x30 – Our nearshore aquatic resources management plan for Hawai‘i
January 20, 2022
Lunalilo Kekoa, Community-based Subsistence Fishing Area (CBSFA) planner
In 2016, Governor David Ige announced the Sustainable Hawai‘i Initiative, now known as Holomua: Marine 30x30. The initiative aims to effectively manage the nearshore waters of Hawai‘i, with at least 30% established as marine management areas by 2030. Join Lunalilo Kekoa as he describes a broad range of new strategic marine management measures aiming to sustain, conserve, and enhance our marine resources so communities can continue to benefit from abundant nearshore waters now and in the future. The initiative creates an opportunity for Hawai‘i residents to work with the Division of Aquatic Resources and its partners to achieve a shared vision of a healthy nearshore ecosystem with abundant resources, where the people of Hawai‘i can enjoy our coastal waters, support our local livelihoods, and feed our families.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This State of the Monument lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Hawaii's Hidden Gem: Nihoa Island and Its Imperiled Biota
January 19, 2023
Sheldon Plentovich, Ph. D., USFWS Pacific Islands Coastal Program Coordinator Nihoa
Island is the tallest and most biologically diverse island within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The 63-ha volcanic remnant is steep and rocky with sheer cliffs reaching heights of almost 1,000 feet. Nihoa's biota is remarkably intact and includes over 40 species (3 plants, 2 songbirds and over 35 arthropods) found nowhere else in the world. At least 16 species of seabirds breed on the island and the vegetation is dominated by plants that are endangered and difficult to find elsewhere in the Hawaiian Islands. The island is also home to a variety of fantastical arthropods like the Nihoa trap door spider, Conant's giant Nihoa Tree Cricket and a terrestrial snail that is the last surviving member of its genus in the Hawaiian Islands. Despite regular trips to the island, very little is known about the natural history of Nihoa's arthropods and many species remain undiscovered or undescribed by scientists. Although limited in number, invasive plants and invasive arthropods, especially ants pose a significant threat to the island's biota and support for control and eradication of these species is necessary for the continued existence of Nihoa's curious and incredibly diverse biota. Join Sheldon Plentovich as she shares her work on Nihoa and what lies ahead for this hidden gem of Hawaiʻi.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Submerged NC: The Art of USS Monitor
December 6, 2022
Witness the power and drama of USS Monitor's story, the iconic battle, its sinking, and its recovery as told through a selection of artworks from the collection of The Mariners' Museum and Park. The story of "the little ship that saved the nation"; is a powerful one that has captured the fascination of millions both during its short, revolutionary life and in its legendary rest after its sinking. Its multifaceted story is one of technology, innovation, people, power, loss, and discovery and is one that has inspired many artists in the 160 years since its launching.
Join Kyra Duffley, creator and host of The Mariners' Museum's monthly art series, Beyond the Frame, as we take an interpretive look at these paintings that bring history to life in a new way! We'll examine the stylistic choices the artists made in their works and how those work together to each tell a part of USS Monitor's story in its own unique and inspired way.
Catch Up and Keep Up: A Strategy for Marine Debris Mitigation in Papahānaumokuākea
November 17, 2022
Kevin O'Brien, President, and James Morioka, Executive Director, Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project
Last month, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project (PMDP) wrapped up their 2022 field season, successfully removing over 200,000 pounds of marine debris from the reefs and shorelines of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Despite being one of the most acute problems facing the monument, marine debris is fortunately one of the most easily mitigated problems, given enough time and resources. As federal government cleanups dwindled in the second decade of the 2000's, a backlog of marine debris (particularly derelict fishing gear) began to accumulate in this sensitive environment. Since its inception in 2019, PMDP has been working hard to increase the cadence of removal efforts in the monument to address this. Under PMDP's nonprofit leadership, 2022 marked year #1 of a strategic five-year plan to "catch up" with backlogged accumulation and "keep up" with new annual influx. Through intensive removal, this ambitious goal aims to reduce the impacts of marine debris to their lowest practicable levels, giving the wildlife of Papahānaumokuākea the best long-term chance of survival. Join us for an hour of stories from the field highlighting the challenges and successes of this remote and difficult work.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
What Have We Learned? The Last Year of Deep-Sea Explorations of Papahānaumokuākea
October 20, 2022
Allison Funds, Chief Operating Officer, Ocean Exploration Trust, Hōkūokahalelani Pihana, Executive Director Nā Waʻa Mauō Marine Stewardship Program, and Daniel Wagner, Chief Scientist, Ocean Exploration Trust
In 2022, the Ocean Exploration Trust and partners conducted three telepresence-enabled expeditions aboard E/V Nautilus to explore never-before-surveyed areas within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Throughout the planning and execution of these missions, the team worked closely with NOAA, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and educators to co-develop culturally-relevant science, outreach and education products, particularly those targeting communities in Hawaiʻi and across the Pacific. This webinar will provide an overview of the partnership between the Ocean Exploration Trust and key Monument stakeholders, as well as summarize scientific discoveries of the recent deep-sea explorations of Papahānaumokuākea.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Celebrating 50 Years of Ocean Conservation and Stewardship
October 19, 2022
Claire Fackler, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Chloe McKenna, NOAA affiliate with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
50 years ago, the U.S. ushered in a new era of ocean conservation by creating the National Marine Sanctuary System. These spectacular ocean and Great Lakes treasures aim to inspire ocean and climate literacy and conservation. Discover what our national marine sanctuaries have to offer, and how these educational materials bring the ocean and Great Lakes into your classroom, home, facility, or wherever you learn best. You'll also learn more about our new USPS forever stamps, Reyn Spooner Aloha shirt collab, Sherman's Lagoon comics, and an exciting new partnership with National Geographic Society.
As you are now, so once was I: The Historic Cemetery Landscape of the North Carolina Coast
October 18, 2022
North Carolina's coast has some of the oldest historic cemeteries in the state. From death's heads to grave houses to Gullah Geechee influences, this region has a multitude of unique and special funerary traditions visitors can explore. Unfortunately, these landscapes face their own challenges as well.
Join Melissa Timo, Historic Cemetery Specialist for the NC Office of State Archaeology, as she discusses cemetery traditions along the North Carolina coast from the 18th through early 20th centuries. Also, learn how the NC Office of State Archaeology is documenting and preserving these cemeteries in the face of adverse effects from climate change, sea level rise, and development.
Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary – An Ocean Oasis off the Georgia Coast
September 27, 2022
Just 19 miles off the Georgia coast lies a stretch of live-bottom reef that teems with marine life, including the calving grounds of the endangered North Atlantic right whale. This hard or rocky seafloor supports high numbers of large invertebrates, such as sponges, corals, and sea squirts. The rocky ledges can rise up to six feet, but lie 60 to 70 feet below the surface of the ocean. With their nooks and crannies, caves, and bumps, these complex ledges offer habitat for invertebrates to thrive, which in turn provides food for the many fishes that also shelter in the reef.
Join Ben Prueitt, Outreach and Social Media Coordinator, to learn more about the reef and how its beauty invites scuba divers and anglers alike to explore its wonders. Dive into the reef's unique diversity and learn how ongoing research studies the sanctuary as it transforms from winter to summer and back again.
Be the first to learn how you can soon visit the sanctuary without ever getting your feet wet! In October 2022, Gray's Reef Ocean Discovery Center will open inviting residents and visitor to the area to come explore. No boat is required, and the center will be open to the public free of charge.
Climate Change, Whales, and Kids: how science and education can protect species and fight climate change
September 21, 2022
Sara Hutto, Conservation and Climate Program Coordinator, NOAA Affiliate, Greater Farallones Association; Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries
Globally, whales and other megafauna play an important role in the carbon cycle and in reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide. In this webinar, the Climate Program Coordinator for Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries will discuss the latest science on "whale carbon," and the critical efforts underway to rebuild whale stocks by reducing impacts, such as lethal collisions with ships. Recent engagement with school children on the subject made a big splash, resulting in a renewed commitment from the largest container shipping line to continue to go slow for whales, demonstrating the important role that community engagement plays in ocean protection.
Utilizing a Biocultural Lens to Build Pilina (relationships) to the Kai Lipo (deep sea ecosystems)
September 15, 2022
Hōkūokahalelani Pihana, M.S, Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, Executive Director Nā Waʻa Mauō Marine Stewardship Program
Kainalu Steward, M.S, Tropical Conservation Biology & Environmental Science University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, Ph.D. student, Arizona State University
J. Hauʻoli Lorenzo-Elarco, Kumu Aʻo ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Instructor of Hawaiian Language) at Honolulu Community College, Ph.D. student, Ka Haka ʻUla o Keʻelikōlani, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Increasing indigenous participation in STEAM, ocean sciences, and maritime careers is critical for building equitable and inclusive biocultural ocean science. Join Hōkū Pihana, Kainalu Steward and Hauʻoli Lorenzo-Elarco of the Papahānaumokuākea Native Hawaiian Cultural Working Group as they share their experiences developing a partnership with the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) during deep ocean mapping and exploration within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and Johnston Atoll. From 2021-2022, Kānaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiians) participated as Science & Engineering Interns, Science Communication Fellows, and Cultural Liaisons on OET's Exploration Vessel Nautilus. This partnership has led to the creation of Hawaiian names for each expedition, promotional videos in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language) for live ship-to-shore interactions with kula kaiapuni (Hawaiian immersion schools), and a current effort to create culturally-grounded ocean science curriculum in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. Come learn more about efforts to transform ocean science through a biocultural lens.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday by The Bay webinar series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Holu Lalo: A strategy for enhancing resilience of French Frigate Shoals Atoll
August 18, 2022
Kiloaulani Ka'awa-Gonzales: E. Gordon Grau Fellow, Contractor with UH Sea Grant in support of NOAA Pacific Region Executive Board
Located within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (monument), the tiny islets of Lalo (French Frigate Shoals) serve as critical terrestrial nesting and resting habitat for Hawaiian green sea turtles, Hawaiian monk seals, and seabirds. With nearly 1,000 square kilometers of coral reef, Lalo supports the greatest variety of coral species in the monument; more than 600 species of invertebrates, many of which are endemic; and more than 150 species of algae. In this webinar, Kiloaulani Ka'awa-Gonzales will discuss the efforts taken by monument staff and their climate collaborators to 1) identify priority climate-related stressors present at Lalo, 2) explore adaptive management options to address these climate-related impacts, and 3) establish a comprehensive and collaborative resilience strategy outlining innovative implementation of actions intended to maintain and enhance the resilience of terrestrial and marine habitats at Lalo.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday by The Bay webinar series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
We Rescued the Monitor: How a NOAA-led Team Recovered USS Monitor's Most Famous Components
August 2, 2022
Join Dr. John Broadwater, former Superintendent of Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, as he recounts the efforts of NOAA, the U.S. Navy, The Mariners' Museum and Park, and other agencies to recover the most famous and important components of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor.
Monitor was discovered in 1973, lying 16 miles off the North Carolina coast. In 1975, the wreck was designated America's first national marine sanctuary. A series of scientific expeditions revealed that the wreck had begun to deteriorate rapidly, due to saltwater corrosion and storms. NOAA responded by developing a plan to recover as much of the Monitor's hull and contents as possible.
Beginning in 1998, a series of deep-water expeditions recovered Monitor's propeller, steam engine, and the famous rotating gun turret that was the prototype for all naval armament up to the present day. NOAA could not have accomplished these groundbreaking feats without the participation of the U.S. Navy, which conducted most of the recovery work, and The Mariners' Museum and Park, which assumed responsibility for conservation and display of recovered material.
John retired from NOAA in 2010 as the Sanctuary Office's Chief Archaeologist.
Tracking North Pacific Albatrosses to Understand Fishery Interactions
July 28, 2022
Rachael Orben, Assistant Professor (Senior Research), Oregon State University, Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences
Understanding what drives the interactions between albatross and fisheries operations can offer resource managers new perspectives on strategies to reduce negative encounters, thereby promoting ocean management and albatross conservation. Albatross populations worldwide have been severely impacted by mortalities from long-line fisheries interactions where birds consume bait, become hooked, and then drown. Although albatross can be attracted to fishing vessels, simple overlap between albatross and fisheries distributions does not equate to negative interactions for all birds. Thus, individual-based perspectives can offer insights into the conditions under which albatross approach fishing vessels. Our team is using novel radar detecting biologging devices to identify albatross-vessel encounters within and surrounding the Papahānaumokuākea to better understand the impacts of fisheries on albatrosses in the North Pacific.
This presentation is part of the Monthly Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The Trouble with Lionfish
July 21, 2022
Steve Gittings, Ph.D., Science Coordinator for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
A lot has changed since lionfish were first seen in the Atlantic Ocean nearly 40 years ago. It became an unprecedented, and perhaps unstoppable invasion, but it also rallied people of many stripes to the cause of protecting the places they loved, but saw being destroyed. Find out why the invasion has been so concerning, what we've learned about lionfish impacts and control measures, and what the future holds for the invasion and the people who have become such a rich part of its history. They're good to eat, will never be endangered, and if you need a pair of shoes, I know a guy.
Shivers in the Graveyard of the Atlantic – Sharks!
July 12, 2022
Join Dr. Carol Price, Conservation Research Coordinator for the North Carolina Aquariums, as she dives into learning more about sand tiger sharks and the research used to study these iconic inhabitants off the North Carolina coast.
Waters off the North Carolina coast are important for sand tiger sharks year-round. It is known that many of the shipwrecks in the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" are gathering spots for sharks. Importantly, pregnant sand tiger sharks are found here during summer, fall and winter, suggesting a key role of this habitat in their reproductive ecology.
The NC Aquariums' citizen science research program - Spot A Shark USA – enlists the help of scuba divers, who photograph sand tiger sharks that they encounter on their adventures and then post their images to the Spot A Shark USA website. A team of aquarium scientists and students use Wildbook® software to map the unique spot patterns visible along the sides of the photographed sharks to identify individual animals. To date, there are over 2,000 individual sharks in its photo library, with more than 100 sharks that have been photographed on more than one date. Repeat records of even more individual sand tiger sharks will help track their movement and behavior over time.
Join us to learn more about how important the North Carolina coast is for this iconic and beloved shark
Pride in the Ocean Career Panel
June 23, 2022
During the month of June, the National Marine Sanctuary System will be celebrating Ocean Month and LGBT Pride Month through our #PrideInTheOcean campaign. Our goal is to raise the visibility of LGBTQ+ ocean scientists, athletes, appreciators, and more. Our ocean is for everyone, no matter who you love, and we want to know how you take pride in this blue planet. This event will be hosted by Olympic Coast and Mallows Bay-Potomac River national marine sanctuaries and will celebrate the careers of accomplished marine scientists on the panel.
Panelists
Dylan Titmuss (they/them) works as a research assistant for Wood Hole Oceanographic Institute currently stationed at the Shoals Marine Laboratory.
Leon Wang (they/ki) is an (Auto)Catalyzing Connector, Exploration Facilitator, and Networks Weaver that works with many impact organizations including Sustainable Ocean Alliance, One Point Five and more!
Matthew Stout (he/him) is the Chief of Staff for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.
Liz Weinberg (she/her) is an author and science communicator, and the engagement director for the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee.
National Marine Sanctuaries: Where We've Been and Where We're Headed
June 16, 2022
John Armor, Director, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Nearly fifty years ago, a new era of ocean conservation was born by creating a system of national marine sanctuaries. Since then, the National Marine Sanctuary System has grown into a nationwide network of 15 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments that conserve more than 620,000 square miles of spectacular ocean and Great Lakes waters, an area nearly the size of Alaska. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the System, we're taking time to look back on all that's been accomplished, celebrate where we've gotten to, and plan for the future, to elevate national marine sanctuaries and their effectiveness (as well as other types of MPAs) as part of a future strategy for ocean and Great Lakes conservation.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Discover NOAA Resource Collections: Coral Reef and Kelp Forest Ecosystems
June 1, 2022
Claire Fackler and Chloe McKenna, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
As part of our 50th anniversary campaign, we have been launching a new robust resource collection each month. Explore each collection of NOAA videos, lesson plans, webinars, web stories, virtual reality, and much more. In this new era of ocean conservation, we encourage formal and informal educators and other interested people to take advantage of the robust educational materials available in each topically-based collection. During this webinar, we will be focusing on the Coral Reef and Kelp Forest Ecosystems Resource Collections.
Underwater Photography with Jesse Cancelmo
May 25, 2022
Jesse Cancelmo, underwater photographer and former Advisory Council member for Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Have you ever wondered how to capture amazing photographs of marine life? Are you interested in improving your photography skills or trying something new? Jesse Cancelmo is here to help. An accomplished diver and underwater photographer, Cancelmo made his first scuba dive in 1969 on a coral reef in Bermuda. Since that plunge, he has stoked his passion by diving around the globe from World War II wrecks off the New Jersey coast to the coral reefs of Papua New Guinea. Cancelmo's photography and articles have appeared in leading wildlife, diving, and news publications including Dive Training magazine, BBC Wildlife, National Geographic, USA Today and Newsweek. Cancelmo is the author of four books: Diving Bermuda, Diving Cayman Islands, Texas Coral Reefs, and Glorious Gulf of Mexico, which features images of the coral reefs and marine life of the three countries with shorelines on the Gulf—Mexico, Cuba, and the U.S.
A longtime supporter and advocate for Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Cancelmo will share his experience and expertise diving and taking photographs in the sanctuary and beyond. Whether you are brand new to underwater photography or an advanced photographer, Cancelmo will provide tips and information to help you enjoy your diving and photography, and have you ready for the 2022 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest.
Mission: Iconic Reefs - An Ambitious Plan to Restore 7 Sites in the Florida Keys
May 19, 2022
Marlies Tumolo, Education & Outreach Team Lead, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
The coral reefs of the Florida Keys were some of the world's most iconic reefs. Over the last 40 years reefs worldwide have suffered dramatic declines. Nearly 90 percent of the live corals that once dominated our reefs have been lost. Emergency action is required to ensure the health of coral reefs in the Keys for future generations. NOAA and partners have developed an ambitious approach to restore corals at seven sites in the Florida Keys. Join staff from Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary to learn about Mission: Iconic Reefs, a 20-year restoration plan to save Florida's coral reefs.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This State of the Monument lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Virtual Field Trip to the Channel Islands
May 18, 2022
Julie Bursek, NOAA's Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Claire Fackler, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
In celebration of Kids to Parks Day, join staff from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on a virtual outdoor adventure from Ventura Harbor in California across the Santa Barbara Channel in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary to Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands. The channel crossing will be full of marine life experiences, such as humpback whales breaching, common dolphins surfing the wake of the Island Packers vessel, and sea lions darting in and out of kelp forests. You'll also have a chance to see the largest animal to have ever existed on planet Earth—the elusive blue whale. As you approach the islands, you'll learn more about this special marine protected area that is located in a major upwelling zone where nutrient rich waters rise from the deep-sea to the surface and feed over 28 species of whales and dolphins. Once on land, you'll take a quick hike and then cool off while snorkeling in the lush kelp forests and kayaking in sea caves surrounding the island. Following your exhilarating adventure to the Channel Islands, you will have an opportunity to ask questions about this special national treasure and collect your virtual ParkPassport Badge!
Exploring Underwater Sound in our National Marine Sanctuaries
May 17, 2022
Leila Hatch, Ph.D., Marine Ecologist, Science and Heritage Division, Claire Fackler, National Education Liaison, and Chloe McKenna, Education Intern, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
SanctSound is a three-year project, managed by NOAA and the U.S. Navy, to better understand underwater sound within our national marine sanctuaries. The goal of the SanctSound project is to understand how sound varies in the ocean by collecting the same information in sanctuaries around the United States. SanctSound combines sound data with the other types of observations we make throughout the National Marine Sanctuary System in order to better understand and protect these special places. The SanctSound web portal allows users to explore the sonic features of each sanctuary, and to make comparisons among locations to better understand how similar or different they are from each other. Take a tour of this new portal and the new Ocean Sound and Impact of Noise Resource Collection.
Discover NOAA Resource Collections: Ocean Sound and Whales
April 26, 2022
Claire Fackler and Chloe McKenna, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
As part of our 50th anniversary campaign, we have been launching a new robust resource collection each month. Explore each collection of NOAA videos, lesson plans, webinars, web stories, virtual reality, and much more. In this new era of ocean conservation, we encourage formal and informal educators and other interested people to take advantage of the robust educational materials available in each topically-based collection. During this webinar, we will be focusing on Ocean Sound and Impact of Noise and the Whales Resource Collections.
Olympic Coast as a Sentinel: Resilience Actions for Tribal Community Well-Being in the Face of Ocean Change
April 12, 2022
Dr. Melissa Poe, Social Scientist, Washington Sea Grant
Indigenous people have depended on Olympic Coast marine species for their livelihoods, food security and cultural practices for thousands of years. Today, these species—and the tribal communities that depend on them—are at risk from ocean changes including ocean acidification. Dr. Melissa Poe, a social scientist at Washington Sea Grant, works in partnership with the Olympic Coast Treaty Tribes to better understand the risks of ocean change to tribal community well-being, and identify actions that are rooted in Indigenous priorities for resilience.
This presentation is part of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Feiro Marine Life Center co-hosted Speaker Series for 2022 which focuses on resilience and adaptation in the face of climate change.
Valor in the Atlantic Telepresence Expedition
April 12, 2022
Join NOAA and partners as they discuss the upcoming Valor in the Atlantic telepresence expedition due to launch in May of 2022. Learn how NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and the National Center for Coastal Ocean Science, along with partners from the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration (GFOE) and the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology will use cutting edge technology to bring North Carolina's oceanic wonders to all.
Using GFOE's Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and satellite capability, the Valor in the Atlantic telepresence expedition will explore USS Monitor, natural reefs, and the maritime cultural landscape surrounding Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. The NOAA ship Nancy Foster will act as the project's research platform streaming ROV video live, while narrated by national experts to showcase these nationally significant sites and their biological communities to the public. The mission will investigate historic shipwrecks from the U.S. Civil War, World War I, and World War II's Battle of the Atlantic. These sites serve as a uniquely accessible underwater museum and a memorial to generations of mariners who lived, worked, and fought off our shores.
Join us as we discuss how these weapons of war transformed into islands of life and learn how to join in the expedition by visiting a museum or from the comfort of your home, school, or office.
Living Between a Rock and Hard Place: Microbial Life in the Deep sea and Potential Impacts of Deep-sea Mining
March 17, 2022
Dr. Beth N. Orcutt, Senior Research Scientist, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences
The global market for rare minerals is growing rapidly, which is driving interest in mining these resources from the seafloor as part of the emergent deep-sea mining industry. The recent National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) prioritizes mapping, exploration and characterization of seafloor resources, including those enriched in critical minerals. In partnership with the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) and Ocean Exploration Trust, Dr. Orcutt is characterizing mineral and microbial resources of unexplored seamounts within the Monument. She recently had the great honor to participate in the Luʻuaeaahikiikapapakū expedition to explore the Voyager Seamounts in southwestern PMNM, and in April she will be the Lead Scientist on E/V Nautilus expedition Luʻuaeaahikiikekumu to explore seamounts of the Liliʻuokalani Ridge in the northwestern PMNM. While the Monument is protected from deep-sea mining activities, this research contributes to the conservation and management of these marine resources within the US EEZ, provides a comparison baseline for similar habitats just outside the US EEZ that might be targeted for resource exploitation, and improves general knowledge of microbial resources and ecosystem services in seamount habitats. In this talk Dr. Orcutt will review what is known about microbes eking out an existence in the deep sea "between a rock and a hard place", highlight recent discoveries from the deep sea of the Monument, and discuss what the potential impacts of deep-sea mining could be.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This State of the Monument lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
And the Winner Is... Who Won the Battle of Hampton Roads?
March 9, 2022
Join historian John V. Quarstein as he dives into the 160-year-old question, "Who Won the Battle of Hampton Roads?" The first clash between ironclad vessels was over by mid-day on March 9, 1862. Both North and South claimed victory; neither side admitted the battle was a draw. USS Monitor declared victory because it had stopped the Confederate ironclad from destroying any more Union wooden warships. And CSS Virginia also claimed success because it had damaged Monitor, destroyed five ships, and remained the defender of Norfolk and the James River during the first two months of the 1862 Peninsula Campaign. This engagement changed naval warfare forever, proving the power of iron over wood.
John is director emeritus of the USS Monitor Center at The Mariners' Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia, home of the award-winning Ironclad Revolution exhibition. A noted Civil War historian John is the author of A History of Ironclads: The Power of Iron Over Wood, The Monitor Boys: The Crew of the Union's First Ironclad, and CSS Virginia: Sink Before Surrender.
A popular lecturer, John hosts the Mariners' Civil War and Hampton Roads History Lecture Series, presented in person and virtually.
Sims versus Gleaves: The Battle Over How to Convoy During the First World War
March 8, 2022
Join Dr. Sal Mercogliano to discover the internal naval battle between admirals as they fought over how best to protect Allied ships during World War I.
The German use of unrestricted submarine warfare in early 1917 resulted in the tremendous loss of shipping off the Western Approaches to the English Channel. The attacks included several American vessels and contributed to the nation's decision to join the First World War. Rear Admiral William S. Sims arrived in England and learned of the desperate situation facing the Allies due to the loss of merchant vessels. Admiral Sims, as Commander U.S. Naval Forces in Europe became a staunch advocate for the large-scale convoying and escorting of merchant ships as they entered the war zone.
Back in the United States, Rear Admiral Albert Gleaves saw his force of destroyers sail east to join Admiral Sims and leaving him without mission. When the Army decided to ship the 1st Infantry Division to Europe, he was assigned as Commander Convoy Operations in the Atlantic. This appointment would place Gleaves into direct opposition with Sims in how to conduct convoy operations, the proper allocation of warships, and the concern about a potential submarine attack on the East Coast of the United States.
Their struggle led to the deployment of nearly all U.S. destroyers to Europe, leaving the U.S. East Coast and North Carolina open to U-Boat attacks in 1918.
Inspire your students to dive in as coral scientists-in-training! Introducing the Coral Check-up Lesson Series
February 24, 2022
Justin Umholtz, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Educator with Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Dive in and learn about the newly released Coral Check-up Lesson Series. This free, NGSS-aligned curriculum introduces middle school students to coral reef monitoring and ecology through virtual real world experiences focused in the Hawaiian archipelago. Students use NOAA and NOAA partner data and resources to assess coral bleaching impacts, immersing themselves in a worldwide effort to protect and conserve coral reefs. Our goal is for students to come to view themselves as reef stewards, budding scientists, and active agents for change.
How Humpback Whales Feed Hawai`i
February 23, 2022
Jeannine Rossa, NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
The waters around Hawai‘i are low in important nutrients for life, like iron and phosphorus. As a result, the plankton biomass is low, and less plankton means less food for fishes. Enter the humpback whales! Whales boost the entire food chain by shedding their skin, which is made up of proteins and fats, perfect for zooplankton to eat. More zooplankton means more fishes, octopus, and coral. But, that's not all. Join us to hear the rest of the story!
Building Relationships to Papahānaumokuākea through Kānaka ‘Ōiwi (Native Hawaiian) Oral Traditions
February 17, 2022
Huihui Kanahele-Mossman, PhD, Executive Director Edith Kanakaʻole Foundation
Kānaka ʻŌiwi (Native Hawaiians) have long documented and transmitted ancestral knowledge, values, and practices over generations through an extensive body of oral traditions. As NOAAʻs Office of National Marine Sanctuaries celebrates 50 years, we invite our global community to engage with ‘ōiwi oral narratives and cultural protocol that perpetuate traditional knowledge systems today. These compositions help to inform methodologies and build relationships to place for researchers working within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and World Heritage Site. The mele (songs) and oli (chants) that will be highlighted bridge the ancient and the contemporary and inspire deeper understanding of our responsibilities to care for the world around us.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This State of the Monument lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Discovering Climate History in Coral Skeletons
February 16, 2022
Kristine DeLong, Louisiana State University
The skeletons of massive corals grow in layers, similar to tree rings, that can be counted to determine the years of growth. Scientists can look at the chemistry of each of these layers to see what the water temperature was when that part of the coral skeleton was growing, as well as other indicators of environmental conditions. By stringing together these yearly skeletal records, scientists can chronicle how the ocean and the coral reef have changed over time.
This presentation is part of the Seaside Chats speaker series hosted by NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
Paradise Lost? Future Fisheries in a Climate-Driven Gulf
February 9, 2022
Sepp Haukebo, Environmental Defense Fund
Climate change threatens key life support systems on our planet, especially our oceans. Even with drastic global actions to reduce emissions, changes in the ocean will grow more profound and accelerate. These changes won't just damage special places like coral reefs and mangrove forests, they will fundamentally alter ocean ecosystems and the fisheries therein. However, with thoughtful interventions, these impacts can be significantly reduced, and perhaps even reversed. This interactive discussion will examine the interventions necessary for sustainable fisheries in a climate-driven Gulf of Mexico.
This presentation is part of the Seaside Chats speaker series hosted by NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
Submerged NC: North Carolina Life-Saving Stations Pictured in Black & White
February 8, 2022
Join Keeper James Charlet to hear the stories of the African American crews who served in the U.S. Life-Saving Service.
The United States Life-Saving Service was the first successful American coastal service whose singular mission was land-based ocean rescue. It existed from 1871 until 1915, with over 300 life-saving stations on all of America's coasts. Although it had a rough start, it became America's most celebrated, honored, and admired national service. The brave souls known as Surfmen had one focus: saving lives in peril from the sea, "so others may live."
During their 44-year history, nationwide, using no more than small, open, wooden boats, and cork life belts, often in violent and dangerous storms, they responded to over 178,000 lives in peril…of which they saved, OVER 177,000; yet, somehow, America forgot these peaceful heroes. In 1915, the United States Life-Saving Service merged with the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service and was renamed the United States Coast Guard.
Hardly any Americans have ever even heard of the United States Life-Saving Service. Far fewer have heard of their integrated squads, known as "checkerboard crews." Some have heard of the very first all-black one – the Pea Island United States Life-Saving Service Station No. 17, Outer Banks, North Carolina, which formed just 20 years after the Civil War in the deep south. Join us to learn its extraordinary story.
Red Tails, Blue Water: The Tuskegee Airmen Project
February 8, 2022
Wayne R. Lusardi, State Maritime Archaeologist, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Principle Investigator of the Tuskegee Project and Erik Denson, Board Member/Lead Instructor, Diving With a Purpose Maritime Archaeology Program
During World War II, some of the Tuskegee Airmen—the first African-American fighter pilots for the U.S. Army Air Corps—trained over the Great Lakes. Fifteen Tuskegee Airmen were killed while training in Michigan, and the airplane flown by Lt. Frank H. Moody was recently discovered in Lake Huron. The wreckage is being archaeologically documented and recovered by the State of Michigan in partnership with the National Museum of the Tuskegee Airmen in Detroit. In 2021, Diving With a Purpose Maritime Archaeology Program dedicated a memorial in Port Huron to honor the Tuskegee Airmen that perished in the Michigan area.
A Changing Sanctuary: Current & Future Impacts of Climate Change on Olympic Coast
February 8, 2022
Dr. Zachary Cannizzo, Climate Coordinator for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, National Marine Protected Areas Center
Climate change emerged in recent decades as a theory and is now a broadly acknowledged phenomenon with impacts demonstrated around the world. In the not-so-distant future, climate change is projected to profoundly impact coastal and marine ecosystems on a global, regional, and local scale threatening physical, social, economic, and environmental well-being. Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary protects a highly productive upwelling system that fuels a vibrant ecosystem home to seabirds, fish, and marine mammals, including culturally and economically important salmon, oysters, and mussels.
This webinar is co-sponsored by NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Feiro Marine Life Center.
Sex Lives of Corals: From Spawning to Conservation
February 2, 2022
Sarah Davies, Boston University
Corals exhibit some of the most fascinating reproductive behavior in the animal kingdom. Once a year they release their eggs and sperm into the water column for external fertilization. This life history strategy allows corals, which are usually stuck in one place, to disperse to new reefs. This spawning behavior also allows coral researchers to study a variety of different research topics to better understand coral symbiosis, dispersal, and responses to climate change. Dr. Davies will share some of the exciting research her lab is doing, including some of the ways this research might inform coral conservation.
This presentation is part of the Seaside Chats speaker series hosted by NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.
Submerged North Carolina Webinar Series: The National World War II Memorial – The Living Room of Washington D.C.
January 18, 2022
Join Holly Rotondi, executive director of the Friends of the National World War II Memorial, as she shares the stories and people behind the building of the National World War II Memorial, one of the most visited memorials on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Learn about the 17-year odyssey to create a memorial to honor the 16-million-strong men and women who wore the uniform of the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II and to pay tribute to a generation of Americans and Allies who helped to bring freedom to millions around the globe. Discover how the Memorial that faced strong opposition has now become, in the words of Ambassador Haydn Williams, "Washington's village square, the town green on the Mall, a place for silent solemn remembrance, for public commemoration and celebration, also a place, to linger, to stroll, to talk, to listen, to share memory and meaning."
Sea Level Rise: Around the World and Here at Home
January 11, 2022
Dr. Ian Miller, Coastal Hazard Specialist, Washington Sea Grant
Sea level rise is an impact of climate change and is of special concern to coastal communities around the world. Dr. Ian Miller will talk through the current state of the science as it relates to both observed and projected or future sea level globally, and in the waters around Washington State. Ian works with coastal communities and public agencies on the Olympic Peninsula to strengthen their ability to plan for and manage coastal hazards, including tsunamis, chronic erosion, coastal flooding, and other hazards associated with climate change.
This webinar is co-sponsored by NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Feiro Marine Life Center.
Submerged North Carolina Webinar Series: American Indian Log Boats - Every Tree Tells a Story
December 14, 2021
John Mintz, State Archaeologist and Chris Southerly, Deputy State Archaeologist – Underwater, North Carolina Office of State Archaeology
The Underwater Branch of the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology (OSA) has launched a "log boat initiative" to inventory, identify, recover, preserve, and exhibit American Indian Log Boats. Partnering with North Carolina American Indian Tribes, OSA staff are collaborating to protect these important but threatened resources that demonstrate North Carolina's Indian population as being first on the land."
Past discoveries of dugout canoes from coastal North Carolina provide background for a discussion of recent recoveries and finds from South River near Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Lake Waccamaw in Columbus County, highlighting work with the Waccamaw-Siouan Tribe and Coharie Indian Tribe.
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary: 2021-2022 research symposium
Hosted by: Ed Lyman (Natural Resource Specialist) and Dr. Marc Lammers (Research Ecologist), NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
The Hawaiian Islands Humpback National Marine Sanctuary invites you to participate in the 2021 Sanctuary Research Symposium. This symposium aims to introduce the public to some of the cutting-edge humpback whale science and conservation work being conducted in sanctuary waters by NOAA staff and by partners in academia and the non-profit research community. This year's participants are recipients of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation's research mini-grants and include: The Hawaii Marine Mammal Consortium, the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, the University of Hawai`i at Hilo and Whale Trust. Please join us to learn more about some of the exciting research being conducted in the sanctuary!
Research Symposium Day 1 Recording
Research Symposium Day 2 Recording
Re-Recorded Day 2 Opening by Sol Kaho'ohalahala
Telling the Story of Springer
December 9, 2021
Panelists: Donna Sandstrom, author, Orca Rescue!, and founder, The Whale Trail; Lynne Barre, recovery coordinator, NOAA Fisheries, Southern Resident killer whales; John Ford, research biologist, Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Lance Barrett-Lennard, Director, Marine Mammal Research Program, Ocean Wise; Robert Lohn, former Regional Administrator, NOAA Fisheries
Almost 20 years ago a young killer whale named Springer brought the Northwest together. The young orca first spotted alongside ferries in Puget Sound turned out to be an orphaned Northern Resident killer whale hundreds of miles from home. The new book "Orca Rescue: the True Story of an Orphaned Orca Named Springer," describes how she was rescued, rehabilitated, and returned to her pod on the north end of Vancouver Island. Today she is thriving, with two calves of her own. Hear the inspiring story from the people who lived it, and its lasting lessons for the recovery of Southern Residents.
This webinar is co-sponsored by the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and NOAA Fisheries.
Marine Debris in Papahānaumokuākea: A Shift in Thinking
November 18, 2021
Kevin O'Brien, President/Founder, Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project, Hawaiʻi
How do you remove over 300,000 pounds of marine debris in one year? Join us as Papahānaumokuākea Marine Debris Project President/Founder Kevin OʻBrien shares about the three large-scale debris removal efforts in Papahānaumokuākea over the last year that shifted the way we think about solving the problem of marine debris in the Monument. He will discuss public/private partnerships, grassroots community-building, and prioritizing Monument access to a diverse range of stakeholders as a solution for Monument stewardship. Marine debris is one of the top threats to the habitats and wildlife of Paphānaumokuākea with an estimated 52+ tons of debris entering Monument waters every year.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This State of the Monument lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Every Calf Counts: Hawaii's humpback whale mother and calf pairs in a time of changing climate
November 10, 2021
Dr. Rachel Cartwright, Lead Researcher, Keiki Kohola Project
Each winter, humpback whales from across the North Pacific Ocean head to Hawaiian waters to breed and raise their young. Within the islands, the nearshore waters along the western shoreline of Maui, Hawai`i are a favored nursery region for mothers and their young calves. Over the past twenty years—the Keiki Kohola Project—a small, grassroots research organization based on Maui, has been working to provide information to help ensure the well-being of mothers and calf pairs during this critical nursery period.
Between 2015 and 2017, dramatic increases in water temperatures in the North Pacific severely impacted the region's marine ecosystem. These impacts included the food supplies on which Maui's humpback whales depend. Join Dr. Rachel Cartwright to learn how Maui's mothers and their calves weathered these lean years. She will provide up-to-date information on their current status, and more exciting information about these humpback whale mother and calf pairs.
Insights into humpback whale use of entire ocean basins gained through two large, international studies
November 3, 2021
David Mattila, Secretariat to the International Whaling Commission and Center for Coastal Studies
Long-term studies of humpback whales in two key habitats within the United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), were essential to the establishment of two national marine sanctuaries (Stellwagen Bank and the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale national marine sanctuaries). These studies also provided the foundation and inspiration for two unprecedented, ocean-basin studies of humpback whales in the North Atlantic Ocean (YONAH project) and the North Pacific Ocean (SPLASH project). The results of the two projects have provided new insights into the complex lives of humpback whales and their use of entire ocean basins. In addition, the two areas have become focal points for understanding how humans impact whales throughout all oceans, and have stimulated actions to reduce those impacts.
This discussion will focus on the similarities and differences of humpback whales in Hawai‘i and the Atlantic.
Discover Spectacular: Celebrating 50 Years of Ocean Conservation and Stewardship
October 26, 2021
Claire Fackler and Brady Phillips of NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Gabriella Valderrama and Chloe McKenna, NOAA education interns, and Brijonnay Madrigal, Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar and PhD candidate at University of Hawai`i, Manoa
50 years ago, the U.S. ushered in a new era of ocean conservation by creating the National Marine Sanctuary System. Since then, we've grown into a nationwide network of 15 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments that conserve more than 620,000 square miles of spectacular ocean and Great Lakes waters, an area nearly the size of Alaska.
Your national marine sanctuaries and monuments support coastal communities and drive local economies by providing jobs and opportunities for people to discover, recreate, and form life-long connections with these spectacular places. Sanctuaries connect people and communities through science, education, and stewardship. We rely on these networks to inspire community-based solutions that help us understand and protect our nation's most spectacular habitats, marine life, archaeological wonders, and cultural seascapes.
Learn more about how we look to the future to continue saving these spectacular places and ensure the National Marine Sanctuary System remains a source of pride and enjoyment for all Americans.
Diving into the barf! New insights into ʻAoʻū (Christmas Shearwater) foraging ecology from Hōlanikū (Kure Atoll)
October 21, 2021
Ilana Nimz, Ecologist at Oikonos Ecosystem Knowledge
Ten years of active management on Hōlanikū (Kure Atoll) have yielded numerous successes. Primary restoration objectives for Hōlanikū included invasive species management, establishing native plants, removing marine debris and monitoring ecosystem changes. While a challenging location to conduct work, the successes achieved from the decade of habitat restoration on the island are undeniable. Join ecologist Ilana Nimz as she shares ten years of conservation efforts at Hōlanikū before focusing on the cryptic and understudied ʻAoʻū (Christmas/Chocolate shearwater; Puffinus nativitatis), one of the US Fish & Wildlife Service's 2021 Birds of Conservation Concern. The protected waters of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument are critical for ʻAoʻū, as foraging grounds abundant with larval fish and protected from fisheries facilitates the recovery of the shearwater populations in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This State of the Monument lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
A Perfect Day for an Albatross and other Seabird Tales, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Listen and watch Hawaiʻi Artist and Author Caren Loebel-Fried as she reads her wonderful book "A Perfect Day for An Albatross" and hosts a short discussion about her recent visit to Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in Papahānaumokuākea. After the book reading we highlight three species of Pacific albatross that cross the vast Pacific Ocean to forage in the productive waters off California and breed and nest in the predator-free remote tropical islets of Hawaiʻi. These seabirds and other species provide insight into the health of our oceans, and highlight the impacts of massive amounts of plastic entering our oceans. Captioning available in English and Spanish.
Submerged NC: Heritage in the Eye of the Storm – A Systematic Effort to Document Cultural Resources Damaged and Threatened by Hurricanes in Coastal North Carolina
October 19, 2021
The hurricanes of 2018 devastated coastal North Carolina. Not only did they cause significant damage to property and infrastructure, Florence and Michael also impacted coastal cultural resources, including archaeological sites and cemeteries. In response to these storms, the National Park Service is providing emergency supplemental funds to support preservation efforts, including surveys to assist in planning for future storms. The North Carolina Office of State Archaeology (OSA) received funding for two projects that will document and assess cultural resources in the coastal counties of North Carolina.
Join OSA archaeologists Mary Beth Fitts and Allyson Ropp to see how OSA's Shorescape and Coastal Historic Cemetery Survey Projects have been designed to document important places in counties impacted by Hurricanes Florence and Michael in 2018. Unlike most surveys of coastal resources, these projects are adopting a holistic approach to the archaeology of maritime lifeways by simultaneously investigating resources on the shoreline, within the littoral zone, and submerged in adjacent waterways. This approach will not only provide a baseline for understanding differential climate change and storm effects on dry and waterlogged sites; it will broaden our understandings of coastal communities' political economies and experiential realms. In addition to identifying the context and goals of these projects, this talk will discuss the prioritization models OSA is using to implement these surveys, which have been designed to identify at-risk sites associated with North Carolina's maritime industries and African American communities, and the role of these efforts to build upon the Office of State Archaeology's Sea Level Rise Project.
Bon Voyage Leatherback Turtles, until we meet again next year!
October 14, 2021
Scott Benson, NOAA Fisheries and Lisa Uttal, NOAA Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Leatherback turtles are a NOAA Species in the Spotlight and the Pacific population is critically endangered. Join us for a collaborative presentation to celebrate and learn about Pacific Leatherback sea turtles—one of the largest living reptiles in the world. It is during this time that Scott Benson is out on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean researching these enigmatic animals, who will soon leave only to return in June or July next year.
While they have been making this journey for hundreds of thousands of years, very few people will ever see one of these turtles in the wild. Join Scott and Lisa in the same room with a life size, virtual augmented reality Leatherback turtle, as well as other visuals created by Tanzle, Inc, a data management and visualization tech startup. Take a deep dive with us to better understand the turtle's adaptations, lifestyle and its journey to Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Submerged NC: Maritime Archaeology – Exploring and Discovering Shipwrecks
October 7, 2021
America's greatest museum of our past as a seafaring nation lies on the bottom of our nation's ocean, seas, lakes, and rivers. That heritage is a legacy of thousands of years of settlement, exploration, immigration, harvesting the bounty of the sea, and creating coastal communities and maritime traditions. Shipwrecks offer an exciting window into the study and preservation of our past. They are a random sampling of voyages and a record of past trade and communication. It's almost as if they are frozen in time, giving a fresh perspective on history and acting as valuable classrooms. Archaeology is the study of the ancient and recent past, and maritime archaeology offers a rare glimpse into these submerged historical resources and the landscape that surrounds them.
Join Shannon Ricles, Education and Outreach Coordinator for Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to dive into maritime archaeology. Explore its early beginnings, and learn about maritime archaeology as a career. Discover how technology has changed the tools used to explore shipwrecks, while you dive into the waters off North Carolina. Learn how NOAA and partners work to conserve and protect submerged historical resources and grasp the significance of a World War II battlefield located just off the North Carolina coast. Hear how maritime archaeologists and technology discovered three shipwrecks that give us greater insight into World War II's Battle of the Atlantic.
Preview a free STEM curriculum guide designed to help students understand maritime archaeology. Activities in the guide explore ships through time, the people of maritime archeology, the tools they use, and shipwreck ethics and conservation. This free curriculum guide, Maritime Archaeology – Discovering and Exploring Shipwrecks is designed for grades 6-12.
Submerged NC: World War I – The Great War off North Carolina's Coast
September 16, 2021 10 am Hawaii / 1 pm Pacific / 3 pm Central / 4 pm Eastern
When World War I began in 1914, the battles happened far from American shores with seemingly no direct danger to the U.S. Although Germany's Unterseeboot (undersea boat) fleet was prowling the North Atlantic, the people of North Carolina felt they had little to fear, and many believed the U-boats could never travel the distance to their shores. They were wrong. By the end of the war in 1918, three German U-boats had sunk a total of 10 vessels off North Carolina alone.
Join Shannon Ricles, Education and Outreach Coordinator for Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to learn about World War I and the enemy in home waters. Learn about the great debate on isolationism, and discover what life was like during the war. Explore the U-boats that patrolled the East Coast, and learn more about the ships they sank. Dive into the mystery of the Mirlo and see if you can solve it. Discover how NOAA and partners work to preserve this significant piece of our nation's maritime heritage and explore beautiful underwater images.
Preview a free curriculum guide designed to help students understand World War I. Activities in the guide explore the debate on isolationism, the effects of the Zimmerman Telegram, how propaganda was used, and what life was like on the home front. Also, in the guide, explore the mystery of the Mirlo and the German U-boats that patrolled the East Coast. This free curriculum guide, World War I: Discovering and Exploring the Great War off the North Carolina Coast is designed for grades 6-12.
Although this webinar is aimed at educators, anyone interested in attending is welcomed to join us!
Nowhere to go? Ensuring the survival of endemic songbirds in Papahānaumokuākea
September 16, 2021 at 12 pm Hawaiʻi / 3 pm Pacific / 6 pm Eastern
Sheldon Plentovich, Ph. D., USFWS Pacific Islands Coastal Program Coordinator
Prior to the early 1900s, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument was home to five species of songbirds that were found nowhere else in the word. After decades of natural resource exploitation on Laysan, two species, the Laysan Millerbird and the Laysan Apapane were lost to extinction. The three remaining species, Ulūlu (Nihoa Millerbird), Palihoa (Nihoa Finch) and ‘Ekupu‘u (Laysan Finch) are each endemic to their namesake island, and each at high risk of extinction due to their limited ranges. Successful translocations of Nihoa Millerbird and Laysan Finch have reduced their extinction risk in the short term until low-lying atolls and islands succumb to sea-level rise. Nihoa Finches still only persist on a single island and translocation of this species is a conservation priority that is supported by USFWS and the Monument. There is fossil evidence that all three species once lived in the main Hawaiian Islands and translocations back to some of these locales is needed to ensure long-term survival. Join us as Dr. Plentovich shares her experience and hope for the future of these amazing birds.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center that is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This State of the Monument lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
The World Does Not Stand Still - Understanding the Impacts of Climate Change in Papahānaumokuākea
August 19, 2021
Dr. Dan Polhemus, Aquatic Ecosystems and Environmental Contaminants program manager at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Pacific Islands
Current and future impacts from climate change are considered to be the single greatest threat to the long-term integrity of Papahānaumokuākea. The effects of climate change are already being observed, with rising sea levels leading to shoreline retreat, increasing ocean heat content producing more frequent and severe coral bleaching events, and a more westward trajectory for tropical cyclones inflicting severe damage to certain atolls, notably Lalo (French Frigate Shoals). Current modelling indicates that all these stressors will continue to impact the Monument to progressively greater degrees going forward, producing major resource management challenges. A climate change vulnerability assessment for the Monument was completed in 2016, and the managers are now moving forward to convert this into an action plan that will facilitate future climate adaptation.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center that is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This State of the Monument lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Where the Water is Shallow and the Current is Strong: Stone Fish Weirs of the Eastern Woodlands
August 17, 2021
Though often overlooked, stone fish weirs are relatively common archaeological features in many swift-flowing rivers and streams above the fall-line across the eastern United States. Often seen as "V" or "W"-shaped stone alignments, these highly efficient fishing structures were used extensively throughout the pre-colonial and historic periods, some potentially dating back millennia and represent an important part of our cultural landscape.
For a variety of reasons, stone fish weirs have received only intermittent attention from the archaeological community and are rarely the focus of systematic surveys. New improvements in the quality and accessibility of satellite-based imagery, like Google Earth, have made the identification and recording of fish weir sites possible on a regional scale.
Join Dr. David Crandford for his presentation to learn about the many different types of fish weirs that can be found world-wide and how their shapes help determine where they are located. Learn about archaeological approaches to studying fish weir sites and hear about some of the initial findings and insights of the North Carolina Fish Weir Archaeological Project that has documented more than 800 potential fish weirs.
Seagrass Meadows: Unsung Heroes in Combating Climate Change?
August 12, 2021
Aurora M. Ricart, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Researcher at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences and Melissa Ward, Ph.D., Post-doctoral Researcher at San Diego State University
Seagrass meadows can be found from the tropics to the arctic circle, with over 60 species in total. These meadows form the foundation of many marine food webs, while also serving to improve water quality, stabilize sediment, and buffer storm surge. More recently, scientists are investigating seagrasses as a natural-based solution in combating climate change. Research, including that of Drs. Aurora M Ricart and Melissa Ward, suggests that these habitats contribute to long-term climate mitigation through sediment carbon sequestration, while also serving to ameliorate the impacts of ocean acidification. In this talk, they will explore the capacity of seagrass ecosystems to help mitigate climate change effects and discuss the implications for the conservation and management of these coastal ecosystems.
Tracking White Sharks! An Update on Population Changes off the West Coast of North America
August 11, 2021
Dr. Salvador Jorgensen, Marine Ecologist, University of California, Santa Cruz
This presentation will detail the latest developments in a long-term study of the northeast Pacific great white sharks. A combination of management practices and climate change have led to range shifting and population fluxes among juvenile and adult white sharks. These changes, along with surprising interactions with other predators, underscore the dynamic nature of this cryptic top predator and its important role in coastal and ocean ecology.
Diving into Diversity
July 20, 2021
Lori Sanderlin and Katy Menne, North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport
Looking for ways to reach and engage a wider and more diverse audience and/or students? Gain some summer inspiration with Lori Sanderlin and Katy Menne of the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport.
Navigate your way to this live webinar as Lori and Katy discuss how their small museum in southeastern North Carolina took on the big topic of Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion, with a special look at Accessibility and Inclusion. The museum is the first Certified Autism Center in the state of North Carolina and welcomes visitors of all abilities and their families.
Tune in for a unique take on how the maritime field can be adapted to reach a wider, more diverse audience. Learn how this small staff of three took on adapting programs, creating an American Sign Language (ASL) tour, and making physical alterations to create a more welcoming and inclusive experience for individuals and families with sensory sensitivities or special needs.
Hawaiian Honu take on Climate Change: Signs of a Fragile Recovery
July 15, 2021
Marylou Staman, NOAA Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program Marine Science Coordinator
Residing in the most geographically isolated island chain on the planet, the Hawaiian green sea turtle (known as honu in the Hawaiian Islands) population has been monitored by NOAA Fisheries' Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program for the last 45 years. Approximately 96 percent of the population nests on the islets of Lalo (French Frigate Shoals) in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The long-term tagging study has produced a wealth of information about the status and trends of nesting females in the Hawaiian islands. There remains, however, limited data to assess the potential effects of climate change. Join Marylou Staman as she shares what we've learned so far, and what current research projects are building the foundation for understanding the population's resilience to climate change.
Marylou Staman is the leader of the NOAA Marine Turtle Biology and Assessment Program's green sea turtle population assessment project in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. As the leader of the field research, she has spent a total of 12 months living at Lalo over the past four years, where her favorite activities include stargazing and working with the hatchlings.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, which is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This State of the Monument lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Engineering in the Classroom with Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles
July 15, 2021
Shannon Ricles, Education and Outreach Coordinator for Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
Want to do engineering in your classroom? Through the excitement of underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), Shannon Ricles will introduce educators to an exciting avenue for teaching engineering and design, while learning about our nation's maritime heritage through the mystery of shipwrecks. Using problem-based learning and a plethora of activities using simple materials, learn how to help your students understand engineering design and the science behind ROVs, including Newton's Laws of Motion, buoyancy, air pressure, Archimedes' Principle, and more.
During this presentation, learn how to help your students design, engineer, build, and test an ROV to better understand the engineering process. With step-by-step instructions, learn how to create affordable reusable kits and how to implement the program into your classroom with as little as three class hours. The free ROV curriculum also guides you in engaging your students to connect to the scientists and maritime archaeologists of NOAA and Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. Discover how NOAA uses ROV technology in the real world to explore the Deep Ocean and search for historical shipwrecks. A complete set of free lesson plans filled with hands-on activities is showcased.
Revealing the Mysterious Coral and Sponge Gardens of Sur Ridge in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
June 23, 2021
George Matsumoto, Senior Education and Research Specialist at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and Hannah MacDonald, graduate student at the University of Rhode Island
Countless mysteries exist in the depths of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS), including Sur Ridge – a deep-sea rocky outcrop off the coast of Big Sur that is roughly the size of Manhattan. Thanks to state-of-the-art marine technology developed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), the stunning deep-sea ecosystems of Sur Ridge are being revealed. Over the last decade, MBARI and MBNMS have partnered to explore and study this remarkable part of the sanctuary and better understand the growing impacts of climate change on the lush coral and sponge gardens discovered there. Join Hannah MacDonald, graduate student at the University of Rhode Island, and George Matsumoto, Senior Education and Research Specialist at MBARI, as they share how an upcoming expedition to Sur Ridge will further our understanding of these precious deep-sea habitats. There will be an opportunity for you to join the research expedition virtually so tune in to find out more!
Salmon & Orcas: The Stories of Science with NOAA Fisheries & Lynda Mapes
June 17, 2021
Lynda Mapes, Seattle Times Journalist, Lynne Barre of NOAA's West Coast Regional Office Seattle Branch, and Brian Burke, Marla Holt and Brad Hanson of NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center
The new book ORCA: Shared Waters, Shared Home, due out in June 2021, describes how NOAA Fisheries scientists seek to unravel connections between endangered Southern Resident killer whales, threatened Puget Sound Chinook salmon, and the rest of the marine ecosystem. Hear from those scientists and an award-winning journalist who covers them as they examine the smallest organisms in the ocean, looking for clues to understanding salmon survival. Hear also from the biologists who have recently identified the sources of Southern Resident prey across much of the West Coast. Together they will tell the stories of salmon survival and the native Northwest habitat our salmon and steelhead depend on -- and that we can all help restore.
Why We Need to Protect More of the Ocean
June 15, 2021
Dr. Enric Sala, Explorer-in-Residence, National Geographic Society and Dr. Alan Friedlander, Chief Scientist, National Geographic Pristine Seas
Without the ocean, human life on Earth would be impossible. But increasing overexploitation and global warming are depleting ocean biodiversity and bringing the ocean to a tipping point, beyond which we may never recover. The establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) is a proven and cost-effective tool to ensure a healthy ocean and prevent catastrophe, yet currently less than 3% of the ocean enjoys strong protection. Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, established in 2006, and today celebrating 15 years of protections, was the first remote large-scale MPA and protects one of the most intact coral reef ecosystems on Earth. This predator-dominated ecosystem harbors unique biodiversity, numerous threatened and endangered species, and serves as a baseline for understanding how natural coral reefs function in the absence of humans. Over the past 15+ years, several dozen large-scale MPAs have been created, protecting some of the world's last remaining "pristine" ecosystems and contributing significantly to global marine conservation efforts. New research strongly supports the case for protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 (30x30) to preserve ocean biodiversity, enhance food security, and secure ocean carbon stocks to help mitigate climate change. Therefore, there is a critical need to increase the support for ocean conservation so that both people and nature can thrive.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center that is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This State of the Monument lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Sometimes the Simplest Solutions are the Best Solutions: Re-Conserving the Lake Phelps Canoes
June 8, 2021 at 10 am Pacific / 12 pm Central / 1 pm Eastern
Tim Smith, Lake Phelps Canoe Conservator at Queen Anne's Revenge Lab with North Carolina's Office of State Archaeology
Join Tim Smith to learn about the Native American dugout canoes discovered in Lake Phelps and the conservation methods and treatments used to preserve them. Located in North Carolina's Pettigrew State Park, Lake Phelps is North Carolina's second largest natural lake and remains a beautiful mystery. Formed on a vast peninsula lying between the Albemarle Sound and the Pamlico River, the lake is believed to be more than 38,000 years old. This massive lake and surrounding big-tree forests offer a more than 10,000-year glimpse into the relation of human cultures and nature. Archaeologists have uncovered thousands of relics, but the most fascinating discovery is a collection of 30 dugout canoes buried in the lake. These canoes date as far back as 2400 B.C.
Most of the 30 canoes were reburied to protect them from deterioration, but four were recovered in 1986. Learn how these canoes were treated with sugar as a bulking agent to prevent serious damage upon drying. However, after many years of being stored in uncontrolled conditions, some of these canoes became unstable with sugar leaching to the surface and crystallizing, causing major concerns for their long-term preservation. Discover how a graduate of East Carolina's Anthropology Program researched and devised a method for treating this problem that has proven effective at dissolving the sugar back into the canoes. Using the Lake Phelps canoes as a case study, listen as Tim discusses the advantages and disadvantages of treating waterlogged archaeological wood with sugar, as he reviews their history, treatment, and retreatment.
Monitoring and Managing Seabirds in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific: Past, Present & Future
May 20, 2021
Jared Underwood, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Superintendent for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Millions of seabirds use the remote atolls and islands that are found around Hawaiʻi and the Central Pacific Ocean. Marine National Monuments and National Wildlife Refuges in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific have long been recognized as important breeding and roosting grounds for a number of seabird species. Often these places are the only potential nesting habitat for hundreds or thousands of miles. Join Jared Underwood as he describes past, current, and future monitoring efforts for seabirds across these important locations. He will also discuss some key management actions to benefit seabirds, and particularly those that were discussed in the recent State of the Monument Report.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center that is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawaiʻi. This State of the Monument lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Conservation of USS Monitor. Past, Present, and Future
May 18, 2021
Will Hoffman, Director of Conservation and Chief Conservator at The Mariners' Museum and Park
In 1987, The Mariners' Museum and Park partnered with NOAA to be the official repository of artifacts raised from the nation's first national marine sanctuary. Starting in the late 1990s, archaeologists from NOAA, partnering with the U.S. Navy, began a major effort to recover the most significant components and artifacts from the wreck site of USS Monitor. As the first ironclad commissioned by the U.S. Navy in 1862, Monitor fought in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, and just nine months later, sank off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
Objects retrieved from the vessel encompassed nearly the entire engineering section and its iconic revolving gun turret. With the arrival of the Monitor's turret in 2002, the museum held over 210 tons of archaeological material.
Will Hoffman, Director of conservation and Chief Conservator at The Mariners' Museum, will present an overview of the Monitor conservation effort to date, including the establishment of the USS Monitor Center and Batten Conservation Complex. During the lecture, he will also discuss the treatment of several high-profile objects, as well as outlining future conservation steps.
The Submarine Blitzkrieg against North America and the U.S. Response - December 1941 to August 1942
May 11, 2021
Dr. Sal Mercogliano, Associate Professor of History at Campbell University
During World War II, the ships and men of the U.S. Merchant Marine transported vast quantities of war materials, supplies, equipment, and troops needed to fight the war. These merchant seamen faced many of the same dangers as U.S. Navy sailors. One in 26 merchant mariners serving aboard merchant ships during the war died in the line of duty, suffering a greater percentage of war-related deaths than all other U.S. uniformed services.
Join Dr. Sal Mercogliano, Associate Professor of History at Campbell University, to learn how and why the American East Coast became a strategic battlefield in the first five months after the U.S. entered World War II. Learn about the mistakes made, the men who made them, and the solutions found to turn the tide in the German U-boat war.
Dr. Mercogliano will discuss how the ships sunk off the East Coast represented some of the initial actions for the U.S. in the Second World War, but that they also demonstrated the global nature and issues facing the Navy and the merchant marine in their ability to transport the Arsenal of Democracy from the home front to the front lines. Learn how Admiral King, Adolphus Andrews (commander of the Eastern Sea Frontier), and Emory S. Land (head of the War Shipping Administration) vied for the best solution to the attacks against American commerce and fought over the limited resources available to defend it. Understand that the ones who suffered most were the crews of the 609 ships off American waters in the months after the United States entered the war.
Submerged North Carolina: World War II's Battle of the Atlantic - When the War Came to America
May 6, 2021
Shannon Ricles, NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
In 1942, German U-boats stalked merchant and Allied vessels off the U.S. East Coast. In the first six months of 1942, over 80 ships sank off the North Carolina coast alone, with over 1,200 casualties. By war's end, 90 ships laid at rest on the bottom of the sea, and nearly 1,700 men made the ultimate sacrifice.
Join Shannon Ricles, Education and Outreach Coordinator with NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to learn more about this American Theater of World War II and why the area off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, became the strategic hotspot for the Battle of the Atlantic. In this webinar, "dive" under the water to view the wrecks as they rest today and hear their stories of bravery and sacrifice. Dive even deeper with historical and underwater images and videos, along with 3-D representations and sonar images. Preview the free 204-page curriculum guide designed to help students understand the causes of the war, the role women played in the military and on the home front, the importance of the Battle of the Atlantic, and NOAA's role in preserving our nation's maritime heritage resources. This free curriculum guide, Battle of the Atlantic: Discovering and Exploring When the War Came Home, is for grades 6-12 and includes over 35 activities.
This webinar is presented by NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology in a series titled "Submerged NC."
Submerged North Carolina: Hurricane Hazards and Science -The National Hurricane Center's Role in Providing Life-saving Information
May 4, 2021
Andrew Latto, Hurricane Specialist, National Hurricane Center
Join Andy Latto, Hurricane Specialist at the National Hurricane Center, as he discusses the main impacts of hurricanes on the Carolinas and the mid-Atlantic region. Learn how these destructive storms form and when to expect the biggest threats to the area. Andy will also discuss the National Hurricane Center's forecast process, including tracking a storm and determining its intensity. He will illustrate some of the challenges and uncertainties faced each time they issue a forecast package. Be sure to register for this webinar to learn how to correctly interpret the National Hurricane Center forecasts and apply it to your plan to stay safe during hurricane season.
This webinar is presented by NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology in a series titled "Submerged NC."
Kid Power – How North Carolina Kids Took on Marine Debris
April 22, 2021
Jenna Hartley, North Carolina State University PhD student and Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar
Join Jenna Hartley, North Carolina State University PhD student and Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar, as she details her research project involving the power of young people as community change-agents on the topic of marine debris. Hear how 2,500 North Carolina 4th & 5th graders, across the state from the mountains to the sea, collected thousands of pounds of trash. Learn how they delivered creative presentations to the public and won over the hearts and minds of their local officials and politicians across the state. Also, get access to the freely-available educational marine debris curriculum used in the project, which was developed by the Duke University Marine Lab Community Science Initiative.
Jenna works for the North Carolina State University's Environmental Education lab, which focuses broadly on understanding and supporting positive human-nature relationships, particularly among children. They work to do research with and provide educational resources to educators within the state of North Carolina and beyond. Be sure to register for this webinar to hear about and be inspired by the young people today making waves on environmental issues in their local communities. This research has been supported by North Carolina Sea Grant.
Whale Sharks of Hawai'i
April 21, 2021
Travis Marcoux, Chief Technical Scientist, Hawaii Uncharted Research Collective
Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are known to be the largest fish in the world with some individuals measuring 20 meters (60 feet) long and weighing around 40 tons. Despite their tremendous size, they are gentle giants, using their nearly 1.5 m-wide (5-foot) mouths to filter plankton out of large volumes of water as they swim. Very little is known about whale sharks in Hawai‘i. The researchers at Hawai‘i Uncharted Research Collective started this non-profit organization for this very reason.
Driven Ashore and Gone to Pieces – Beach Wrecks of North Carolina
April 20, 2021
Stephen Atkinson, Assistant State Archaeologist, North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Branch
Join Stephen Atkinson, Assistant State Archaeologist, as he explores the history behind the many beached shipwrecks that dot the North Carolina coastline. Learn the stories that tell us how they wrecked and the work done today to preserve their presence for future generations.
The North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Branch's beach wreck tagging program adopts the scuba centric mantra of "take only pictures, leave only bubbles" (or in this case, footprints!) and is intended to instill the notion of public stewardship of local archaeological sites. Discover the Underwater Archaeology Branch's past efforts in beach wreck cataloging, what they've been up to recently, and where their successful statewide partnerships will take them in the future.
Hawaiian monk seal population update: signs of a fragile recovery
April 15, 2021
Thea Johanos, Research, Marine Biologist, Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program, NOAA Fisheries
The endangered Hawaiian monk seal population is estimated at 1,400 seals, with the majority of the population (1,100) residing within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Juvenile seal survival is critical to monk seal recovery and has declined in most areas. This presentation focuses on recent impacts to the second largest monk seal population at Lalo (French Frigate Shoals) after the loss of two important pupping islets in 2018. Multiple interventions are conducted each year to increase survival, including disentangling seals caught in marine debris, rescuing seals entrapped in crumbling infrastructure, and translocating pups from areas of high shark predation to safer areas. Thea Johanos will discuss these and other contributions to recovery at both the individual seal and population levels as she prepares for the 2021 field season.
Women Making History: Alexandra Rose
March 25, 2021
Alexandra Rose, Science Editor, Professional Photographer and Diver, Ocean Geographic Magazine and Blue Ring
In celebration of Women's History Month, guest speaker Alexandra Rose is dedicated to protecting our world's most precious marine habitats through diving, writing, photography, education, and research. She is Science Editor for Ocean Geographic Magazine, Managing Editor for Ocean Geographic Explorers, founder of Blue Ring, as well as a professional photographer, violinist, Explorers Club Fellow, and PADI Divemaster. She will discuss how maximizing and leveraging the experiences we gain through travel can illuminate, inspire, and generate change. "Pictures have the power to convince the unconvinced, the ways we tell our stories can have major impacts on the people around us," says Rose. This year marks only the 40th anniversary of women being accepted in the Explorers Club, an international multidisciplinary professional society dedicated to exploration founded in 1904. Rose says, "In four decades, hundreds of incredible women around the world have been recognized as members and fellows, and it's an honor and responsibility for me to continue advancing this legacy."
Three Miles from Safety - USS Conestoga 100th Anniversary
March 25, 2021
Robert Schwemmer, West Coast Regional Maritime Heritage Coordinator for NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries; and special guests Peter Hess, family descendant of George Franklin Kaler, Chief Machinist's Mate USS Conestoga; and Alexis Catsambis, Archaeologist for Naval History and Heritage Command
On March 25, 1921, USS Conestoga departed San Francisco Bay's Mare Island en route to Pearl Harbor and vanished with 56 sailors. One of the top unsolved maritime mysteries in U.S Navy history, Conestoga's final resting place was unknown for 95 years.
During a NOAA Maritime Heritage cruise in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary in September 2014, a previously undocumented multibeam sonar target thought to be a shipwreck was investigated. Utilizing a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) launched from the research vessel Fulmar, three survey dives were conducted to characterize the target, which proved to be a 170-foot-long steel-hulled steam-powered ocean-going tug of late 19th or early 20th century vintage.
On March 23, 2016, after additional investigation and research, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the U.S. Navy announced the discovery of the wreck of USS Conestoga within the sanctuary waters, closing the ship's final chapter and honoring the lost sailors.
Relive Conestoga's history, final voyage, and ultimate discovery. Learn about the technology and detective work that goes into shipwreck identification. Find out about NOAA maritime heritage resources and before the webinar, watch "Three Miles from Safety: The Story of the USS Conestoga," a Blue Ocean Film Festival finalist.
This webinar is presented by NOAA's Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and the U.S. Navy History and Heritage Command.
Cephalopods of Hawai`i
March 24, 2021 at 9 am Hawai`i / 12 pm Pacific / 3 pm Eastern
Heather Ylitalo-Ward, PhD, Aquatic Biologist, State of Hawai`i, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Aquatic Resources
Join Heather Ylitalo-Ward, PhD, in her talk about cephalopods and why they are important in Hawai`i and beyond. Having studied octopus sexual selection in graduate school, Dr. Ylitalo-Ward now works for the State of Hawai`i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources monitoring coral reef ecosystem health and populations. For this talk, she will discuss her experience working with these fascinating creatures and why she continues to be enamored with them to this day.
Science of Conservation
Wednesday, March 23, 2021 at 7 am Hawaii / 10 am Pacific / 1 pm Eastern
Kimberly Kenyon, Senior Conservator for the Queen Anne's Revenge Shipwreck Project
Join Kimberly Kenyon, senior conservator for the Queen Anne's Revenge Shipwreck Project, as she shares why conservation is so critical to archaeology and learn about some of the processes involved. Discover how archaeology does not end once an artifact is unearthed. Learn how following excavation, an object may require months or years of conservation before it is stable enough for further research or exhibit. See why this is particularly true of artifacts from a marine environment, such as those submerged in the waters off North Carolina's coast.
Partnering since 1975, NOAA and the state of North Carolina work to research, honor, and protect the hallmarks of North Carolina's underwater cultural heritage: shipwrecks. From violent storms and dangerous shoals to world wars, the waters off North Carolina have claimed thousands of ships and lives over hundreds of years. These shipwrecks hold information about the ever changing technologies and cultural and physical landscapes. They serve as a uniquely accessible underwater museum and a memorial to generations of mariners who lived, died, worked and fought off our shores.
Women Making History: Jennifer Idol
March 18
Jennifer Idol, Professional Underwater Photographer and Storyteller
In celebration of Women's History Month, underwater photographer, videographer, and visual storyteller Jennifer Idol will discuss how her work connects people to the natural world so they can experience its wonders. Idol's book, "An American Immersion," documents her quest to become the first woman to dive 50 states. Her work has been shared in periodicals such as Diver, Scuba Diving, and Alert Diver. Her connection to local waters, including several national marine sanctuaries, led to her being recognized as a PADI Ambassadiver (2017 and 2018,) and as a member of the Ocean Artists Society and the Explorer's Club. Idol says, "Although exploration is traditionally viewed as traveling to exotic and distant locations, it refers to discovery of the unexpected." She will discuss how local waters can be redefined through exploration and influence how we manage these resources.
Aliens in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument: Some are Green, but None are Friendly
March 18
Alien and invasive species represent one of the top three threats to the marine and terrestrial ecosystems of Papahānaumokuākea. Over 400 species of marine, non-indigenous/alien species are recorded in the Hawaiian Archipelago, but only 10-15% are known to be established in the Monument. Join Brian Hauk, the Resource Protection Specialist for NOAA's Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, as he shares information on alien and invasive species in Hawaiʻi and efforts to manage and prevent them from entering into the habitats of the Monument.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center that is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawai`i. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
Webinar Recording Presentation Slides
Quileute Indian Tribe: Marine Resource Protection and Research
March 17, 2021
Jennifer Hagen, Quileute Indian Tribe Staff Marine Policy Advisor and Marine Biologist
Join Jennifer Hagen, Staff Marine Policy Advisor and Marine Biologist for the Quileute Indian Tribe, who will present a brief overview of the Quileute Natural Resource Program and highlight marine resource protection and research activities the tribe has undertaken over the last decade. Topics include: Phytoplankton monitoring, biotoxin detection in water and shellfish, harmful algal bloom events and implications for management of shellfish and crab, monitoring ocean conditions for hypoxia, and opportunities presented by remote sensing technology.
Oases for Marine Life - Shipwrecks in 3D
March 16
Dr. Avery Paxton, Research Associate, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Join Dr. Avery Paxton to explore how North Carolina shipwrecks form homes for a diversity of marine life. Learn how for the past decade, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Beaufort Lab have led an effort off the coast of North Carolina to document shipwrecks from the Civil War to the Battle of the Atlantic that brought World War II to our shores. This research honors the sacrifices of all who worked, fought, and died in defense of freedom, as well as recognizing the role these nationally significant shipwrecks play in the region's health as habitat for marine ecosystems.
This presentation will highlight the role that shipwrecks play as oases for marine life and showcase advanced technologies, including echosounder surveys to create 3D visualizations of shipwrecks and the surrounding marine life. Along with collecting data to interpret this underwater battlefield, the project also demonstrates the significance of these shipwrecks as both ecological and historical wonders. This project is an example of NOAA offices collaborating to use their best assets to document the incredible maritime history and marine life off North Carolina's shores.
2021 Virtual Ocean Classroom Teacher Workshop
March 16 and 17
Hosted by Allen Tom, Superintendent, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Presenters:
Dr. Andrew Rossiter, Mary Roney, and Dean Spencer, Waikiki Aquarium
Patty Miller, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Andy Collins, Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument
Isabel Gaoteote, National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa
Join educators from the Waikiki Aquarium and NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to learn about new lesson plans for teachers that students can complete either virtually or in a classroom. The workshop is geared towards teachers (grades 3-8), but open to any interested member of the public. Over two days, teachers will learn about the three national marine sanctuaries in the Pacific Islands region, as well as programs from the oldest public aquarium west of the Mississippi River—the Waikiki Aquarium. Lessons will include topics such as humpback whale biology and coral reef ecosystems.
While geared towards school teachers in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa, the webinar is open to all interested members of the public.
Dive into a Changing Ecosystem: From Lush Kelp Forests to Urchin Barren
March 11, 2021
Kate Vylet, underwater photographer, scientific diver, and divemaster anchored in Monterey Bay, California, Josh Smith, Ph.D. Candidate and a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California Santa Cruz, and Karen Grimmer, Resource Protection Coordinator with NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Tucked along California's coast is a vibrant underwater forest of towering kelp and diverse wildlife. In the last six years, unprecedented outbreaks of purple sea urchins have decimated kelp forests within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, lending several questions: What caused the urchin outbreak? How have sea otters responded? Will intervention and urchin culling enhance kelp recovery? Through underwater photography and observations by Kate Vylet, and a scientific discussion by Josh Smith and Karen Grimmer, this talk will outline how science, art, and community observation intersect to inform the path forward.
This presentation will be hosted by Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and O'Neill Sea Odyssey.
USS Monitor – America's Most Historic Ironclad
March 4, 2021
Shannon Ricles, Education and Outreach Coordinator, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
Step back to 1862 to learn how the USS Monitor was key in saving the Union. Learn about the ship's inventor and its construction in just 98 days! Explore the role the ship played during and after the Battle of Hampton Roads, and discover how it sank.
Relive its discovery and how it became our nation's first national marine sanctuary, while diving into the recovery and conservation of iconic Monitor artifacts. Look at the recreated faces of two Monitor sailors, whose remains were discovered inside the turret, and learn the science behind their recreation. Find out about free USS Monitor and NOAA resources and programs.
This webinar is presented by NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology in a series titled "Submerged NC."
Remarkable Algae in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
February 24, 2021
Dr. Suzanne Fredericq, Professor of Biology, University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Extensive sampling of deepwater macroalgae in FGBNMS and the northwestern Gulf of Mexico has resulted in an innovative approach to exploratory research for the discovery, identification, and classification of algal diversity. The research of Dr. Suzanne Fredericq, Professor of Biology at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, focuses on rhodolith or algal nodule beds, which represent an important component of marine diversity that contributes to major ecosystem functions. The critical importance rhodoliths play in the life cycle of algae has revolutionized preconceived ideas about the ecological importance of this unexplored ecosystem.
Understanding Marine Biodiversity in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
February 18, 2021
Dr. Randy Kosaki, NOAA Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Research Coordinator
The recent State of the Monument report assessed the status of marine biodiversity in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument as "good". The waters of the monument are home to an abundant array of corals, algae, invertebrates, and fishes, including a very high percentage of endemic species. Join Dr. Randy Kosaki, the Research Coordinator for NOAA's Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, as he shares updates about the abundant array of corals, algae, invertebrates, and fishes.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center that is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawai`i. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
New Developments for Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Sperm Whales in Hawaiian Waters
February 17, 2021
Dr. Yvonne Barkley, PhD candidate at the University of Hawaii at Manoa
Dr. Yvonne Barkley shares research findings related to tracking whales using passive acoustic monitoring. This talk will discuss a new approach for localizing passive acoustic data of sperm whales collected using towed hydrophone arrays and demonstrate how this information can be incorporated into species distribution models to improve our understanding of sperm whale habitat preferences in Hawaiian waters.
Hidden Beneath the Waves - Exploring North Carolina's Underwater Cultural Heritage
February 16, 2021 at 8 am Hawai`i / 10 am Pacific / 1 pm Eastern
Tane Casserley, Resource Protection and Permit Coordinator, NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and Chris Southerly, Deputy State Archaeologist - Underwater, North Carolina Office of State Archaeology
NOAA's Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology presents the first webinar in a year-long series titled "Submerged NC."
Partnering since 1975, NOAA and the state of North Carolina work to research, honor, and protect the hallmarks of North Carolina's underwater cultural heritage: shipwrecks. From violent storms and dangerous shoals to world wars, the waters off North Carolina have claimed thousands of ships and lives over hundreds of years. These shipwrecks hold information about the ever changing technologies and cultural and physical landscapes. They serve as a uniquely accessible underwater museum and a memorial to generations of mariners who lived, died, worked and fought off our shores.
Learn how the discovery of the USS Monitor in 1973 and its designation as our nation's first national marine sanctuary brought NOAA and the Office of State Archaeology together. Hear how these agencies have worked together for over 45 years to tell the stories of the USS Monitor and the many other shipwrecks to celebrate North Carolina's underwater cultural heritage.
Manta Rays: The Mysterious Giants in our Backyard
February 10, 2021
Dr. Joshua Stewart, Associate Director, The Manta Trust
Manta rays are some of the most poorly studied ocean giants, and are threatened by fisheries, ship strikes, habitat degradation, and a suite of other human impacts. Many populations around the world are in decline, and the species was recently listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and the IUCN red list. Meanwhile, an undescribed species of manta ray has been hiding in plain sight in the Atlantic, including at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. What are these rays doing off the coast of Texas? What are scientists learning about this population, and what remains to be discovered? Join Joshua Stewart, Associate Director of The Manta Trust, to find out.
Hanalei Ahupua`a (Watershed) Management in Contemporary Times
February 9, 2021
Maka‘ala Ka‘aumoana, Founder of the Hanalei Watershed Hui
Maka‘ala Ka‘aumoana will discuss the Hanalei ahupua'a area on the North shore of the island of Kaua‘i. She will discuss the area's unique history, issues, and future. This area is directly adjacent to the Kaua‘i boundary of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine sanctuary. Maka‘ala is also the vice chair of the HIHW Sanctuary Advisory Council and is the director and founder of the Hanalei Watershed Hui.
Mission: Iconic Reefs, An Ambitious Plan to Restore 7 Sites in the Florida Keys
February 3, 2021
Sarah Fangman, Sanctuary Superintendent, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
Over the last 40 years, coral reefs in the Florida Keys, like reefs worldwide, have suffered dramatic declines. Nearly 90 percent of the live corals that once dominated the reefs have been lost. Emergency action is required to change the trajectory of the health of coral reefs in the Keys. NOAA and partners have developed an ambitious approach to restore corals at seven ecologically significant sites in the Florida Keys. Sarah Fangman, Sanctuary Superintendent of Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, will describe the Mission: Iconic Reefs initiatives and talk about the exciting advancements in restoration science and practice that support the mission.
Adventures of a Marine Mammal Biologist from Pole to Pole
January 26, 2021
Ed Bowlby, retired marine biologist formerly of NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
Join Ed Bowlby, retired Marine Biologist, as he shares stories and photos from some of his marine mammal research and adventures in the Arctic, Antarctic, West Coast, and tropics. Over his multi-decade career Ed has investigated a variety of marine mammals ranging from Hawaiian monk seals to sea otters and many species of whales. Ed is also a prolific writer evident in his 16 co-authored articles and technical reports.
This webinar event is part of the 2021 Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Feiro Marine Life Center Speaker Series.
How are we doing? 10 Years of Status and Trends of Resources in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
Jonathan Martinez, Ph.D., Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
January 21, 2021
The Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument recently conducted an assessment of 10 years of status and trends of living resources, habitats, ocean conditions, maritime and cultural archaeological resources, and the human activities and natural events that affect them. The findings are detailed in the 2020 State of the Monument Report on the status and trends of monument resources from 2008-2019. The report supports ongoing adaptive management of the monument by helping to identify not only the status of resources, but also gaps in current monitoring efforts. Jonathan Martinez, Ph.D, the lead editor and author of several sections, will present findings from the report across all resource areas with an emphasis on assessments for coral reef ecosystems during this talk.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center that is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawai`i. This lecture series is also supported by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation through a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
2020 Ed Ricketts Memorial Award and Lecture
From "Doc" and Dogs to Denizens of the Deep: How understanding biological design will save the oceans and ourselves
January 21, 2021 at 4 pm Hawai`i / 6 pm Pacific
The 2020 Ricketts Award recipient Dr. Terrie M. Williams will present her collaborative research examining how evolutionary processes in animal design conspire with modern anthropogenic pressures to challenge the survival of marine-living mammals.
The Ed Ricketts Memorial Lecture was created to honor scientists who have exhibited exemplary work throughout their career and advanced the status of knowledge in the field of marine science. Recipients are selected by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Research Activity Panel.
For Ed Ricketts Memorial Award information and the complete lecture abstract click here.
He Hulikoʻa Kanaloa—Seeking the Depths of Kanaloa: Hawaiian Religious Understandings of the Ocean
January 7, 2021
Jane Lokomaika‘ikeakua Au, Program Director of the non-profit group ʻĀina Momona on the island of Molokai
This lecture details ancestral Hawaiian understandings of the primary oceanic deity in the Pacific, Kanaloa. The topic aims to provide an overview of how the Native Hawaiian community perceives both Kanaloa and the ocean realm, from a religious and cultural perspective. It makes use of rarely accessed Hawaiian language resources, sharing information that is largely inaccessible to those outside of the Hawaiian language speaking community. This lecture poses the question: In looking at how ancestral Hawaiians understood Kanaloa as a deity, what can be revealed in their understanding of the oceanic realm he represented?
How NASA Satellites Help Protect the Coral Reefs of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
December 17, 2020
Keolohilani H. Lopes Jr., JIMAR Field Logistics Technician for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument and Remote Sensing Ph.D. Student at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
An extensive outbreak of a newly identified algae, Chondria tumulosa, threatens the survival of the coral reefs at Manawai (Pearl and Hermes) with the potential to spread to nearby atolls in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Due to the remote location of these atolls and the impacts of this alga, Keolohilani and his project team participating in NASA's DEVELOP program created a tool in Google Earth Engine that enabled partners to remotely monitor ocean conditions and determine the potential primary driver(s) that may have contributed to the pervasive spread of the nuisance red algae.
24 Years of Maui Sea Turtle Conservation with Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund
December 9, 2020
Hannah Bernard, Executive Director of Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund
Hannah Bernard is the executive director of the Hawai'i Wildlife Fund, a non-profit organization whose mission is to protect native wildlife, focusing on coastal and marine wildlife species in the Hawaiian Islands, including the hawksbill sea turtle (honuʻea) and the Hawaiian green sea turtle (honu). She will discuss the latest information on their work with the various sea turtle species found within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.
The Cultural Significance of Humpback Whales in Hawaiʻi
November 30, 2020
Solomon Pili Kahoʻohalahala, seventh generation native Hawaiian descendant, kupaʻāina, from the small island of Lānaʻi
Whales are known as koholā in Hawaiian and have long had a place in the Hawaiian culture. The Kumulipo creation chant speaks about the birth of the whale, "Hanau ka Palaoa noho i kai" (born is the whale living in the sea). The koholā was believed to be a manifestation of Kanaloa, the god of the ocean, and is said to be responsible in helping the Polynesians discover the Hawaiian Islands. Join Solomon Pili Kahoʻohalahala as he shares that whales are also revered as ‘aumakua (spiritual protector) to specific families and were generally viewed as divine beings.
This presentation is in celebration of November, which is Hoʻi Koholā (Return of Humpback Whale Month).
Photos taken with NOAA Permit 14682-37906 and Permit 782-1438.
Bioluminescent Blooms
November 19, 2020
Dr. Steve Haddock, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and Johnny Chien, Nature Photographer
Join Dr. Steve Haddock, senior scientist at Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and nature photographer Johnny Chien as we explore the phenomenon of Bioluminescence or "glowing waves" from two unique perspectives. The event will be a pairing of science and art, focusing on plankton blooms in Monterey Bay in a changing climate, and the light producing organisms that spark the firework blooms we witnessed in the crashing waves at night.
Reframing wahi kūpuna: The tangibles and intangibles of cultural heritage in Papahānaumokuākea
November 19, 2020
V. Kalani Quiocho Jr., Native Hawaiian Program Specialist, PMNM
As Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) celebrates 10 years as a natural and cultural World Heritage site and over two decades of protections, Hawaiian community leaders continue to be active agents of biocultural conservation and restoration in PMNM. Innovative practitioners within the Hawaiian cultural resources management (CRM) community have led a resurgence in ʻŌiwi (Indigenous) institutions and methodologies and conducted (re)search on (k)new information and ancestral memories about the functions of cultural land- and seascapes. This presentation provides a brief history of research on cultural resources, and several examples illustrating how the concept of cultural resources is (re)framed and implemented in PMNM management.
The Occurrence of Humpback Whales Across the Hawaiian Archipelago Revealed Through Acoustics
November 6, 2020
Dr. Marc Lammers, Research Coordinator at NOAA's Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
This presentation describes recent fluctuations in the presence of humpback whales in Hawaiʻi over the past several years and the science being conducted to understand these trends. Dr. Marc Lammers discusses the application of novel tools to understand the occurrence of humpback whales in remote habitats, including the use of a Wave Glider and machine learning algorithms to detect the presence of whales in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
This presentation is part of the Kauai Ocean Discovery speaker series that is celebrating November, which is Ho`i Koholā (Return of Humpback Whale Month).
What Has Happened at Hanauma Bay Without Direct Human Impact?
November 2, 2020
Sarah Severino, University of Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology
Hanauma Bay located within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary is one of the most famous and popular visitor destinations in all of Hawaiʻi. During normal times, Hanauma Bay attracts over over three million visitors per year and suffers greatly from overuse. Hanauma is both a Nature Preserve and a Marine Life Conservation District (the first of several established in the State of Hawaiʻi). Visitors are required by law to refrain from mistreating marine animals or from touching and walking on the coral reefs.
However, since March 2020, the Bay has been closed to all public uses. This has allowed researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology to study the impact of humans on the park's diverse marine life. Join Ms. Severino as she discusses what researchers have learned so far and how this data can add to our knowledge of what happens to marine protected areas when human uses are taken out of the equation.
Giant Seabass: Kings of the Kelp Forest
October 22, 2020
Dr. Ryan Freedman, Research Ecologist, NOAA's Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Giant Seabass are a species of large fish that live in the cool waters off the coast of California. This fish is the top predator of the kelp forest ecosystem, but the population has been low because of overfishing. Thanks to government protections in California, Giant Seabass are beginning to return to Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and NOAA is working with other groups to study them. The fish is unique because scientists believe it uses sounds to communicate. NOAA is working to record these sounds in the wild and study how these fish move around Santa Barbara Island, a small offshore island in the sanctuary.
Revealing the Secret Lives of Sharks
October 15, 2020
Carl Meyer, PhD, Associate Researcher, Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology
The ocean conceals the daily lives of its inhabitants from our view. For us to learn about the natural behaviors of elusive marine animals like sharks, we need a way to remotely unveil what is happening beneath the surface and beyond our sight. Recent decades have seen the development of increasingly sophisticated, animal-borne electronic devices that are providing surprising new insights into shark biology and guiding management and conservation strategies. Within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, long-term tracking studies have followed individual sharks and ulua for up to 11 years revealing their daily and seasonal migrations, discovering some unexpected journeys and providing a portal into predator responses to a destructive hurricane strike.
This presentation is part of the Third Thursday By the Bay Presentation Series at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center that is the visitor center for Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument in Hilo, Hawai`i.
Explore Deep-Sea Coral Communities off the West Coast in Real Time without Going to Sea
September 29, 2020
Julie Bursek and Laura Francis of Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Jennifer Stock of Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Melissa Baffa, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, and Megan Cook of Ocean Exploration Trust
The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is partnering with Ocean Exploration Trust remotely aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus to seek out new discoveries on little known regions of the deep sea along the North American West Coast. Scientists on board Nautilus and on shore participating via telepresence will conduct research that focuses on deep-sea coral habitats and an extensive octopus aggregation in our national marine sanctuaries. Most of the world's deep ocean remains largely unexplored, leaving significant gaps in knowledge needed to manage and protect ocean resources and to understand and predict future change. Learn about deep-sea coral resources that are available for teachers and students to understand these important deep-sea communities and opportunities to explore alongside researchers during the expedition.
3D Modeling Coral Reefs: How Data Science Helps Us Better Understand Coral Reef Ecosystems
September 17, 2020
John Burns, PhD. University of Hawai`i at Hilo
Coral reefs are both culturally and economically important, yet these ecosystems still remain poorly understood. Join Dr. John Burns to learn how the Multiscale Environmental Graphical Analysis Lab uses cutting-edge 3D technology to map reefs in high-resolution. These 3D reconstructions are then layered with real-world data to improve our understanding of the biology and ecology of these habitats. This work has helped us to learn how coral reefs are changing over time, and how these changes affect associated reef organisms and the services we as humans depend on. Ultimately, our goal is to use innovative technologies to improve our understanding of coral reefs and develop techniques to help protect and preserve these ecosystems for future generations.
Into The Deep: Literally, Virtually, and Fictionally
September 10, 2020
Dr. James Lindholm, Author and James W. Rote Distinguished Professor of Marine Science and Policy at CSU Monterey Bay
Come hear Dr. James Lindholm share tales of undersea exploration, including on-going projects in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and beyond. Immersive, virtual dives will take you along the journey, and you'll also discover how it all reappears in a new series of undersea adventure novels.
Living Shipwrecks 3-D: Exploring North Carolina's World War II Heritage
September 2, 2020
Dr. Avery Paxton, Tane Casserley, and Dr. Chris Taylor
In honor and commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II, researchers will discuss how NOAA is honoring that heritage both above and below the waves.
For the past decade, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (MNMS) and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Beaufort Lab have been leading an effort off the coast of North Carolina to document shipwrecks from the Battle of the Atlantic that brought World War II to our shores. The research conducted by MNMS and NCCOS honors the sacrifices of our Allied seamen and the heroism of the U.S. Merchant Marine, as well as recognizing the role these nationally significant shipwrecks play in the region's health as habitat for marine ecosystems.
This presentation will highlight the advanced technologies that MNMS and NCCOS utilize, including acoustic surveys aboard the NOAA ship Nancy Foster, to document the shipwrecks and create acoustic fish visualizations of the surrounding marine life. Along with collecting critical data to interpret this naval battlefield, the project also demonstrates the significance of these shipwrecks as both ecological and historical wonders. This project is an example of NOAA offices collaborating to use their best assets to document the incredible maritime history and marine life off North Carolina's shores.
Using Film to Drive Social Change
September 3, 2020
Tirrea Billings
Five high school students undertook the adventure of a lifetime during Project Shiphunt: hunt for a shipwreck, investigate its identity, and document it in 3D for future generations. Accompanied by a team of scientists and historians from the NOAA, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and other partners, the students conducted a full-fledged research mission, as they searched the deep waters of northeastern Lake Huron. Join Tirrea Billings to learn more about this experience and how it helped shape her love for film and storytelling, her journey as an entrepreneur, and how she uses her gifts as an activist in digital spaces.
Tirrea Billings is a multidisciplinary storyteller, social justice entrepreneur, and aspiring scholar in communication, culture, and documentary media. She is driven by her passion to tell stories and committed to ensuring that marginalized communities have a space to share their lived experiences. Everyone has a story, and she wants to make certain that underrepresented voices also have a seat at the table and a chance to be heard.
Tirrea holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film/Video/Media studies and a Master of Arts in Communication, both from Western Michigan University and is the Creative Director and Co-Founder or Reflct Media, LLC.
Unleashing the Innovator in Every Child
August 20, 2020
Christian Wong, Hawaii Science and Technology Museum
Join Hawaiʻi Science and Technology Museum Executive Director Christian Wong for his talk about community robotics and mentoring the next generation of science and engineering leaders. In partnership with NOAA's Mokupāpapa Discovery Center in Hilo, Christian and HSTM developed the Kenyan K. Beals Community Robotics Center in support of student engineering and robotics projects and are currently preparing to launch a small satellite they helped develop to take measurements of the thermosphere. Christian will also talk about how the museum is adjusting to providing STEM education during the pandemic, and the role innovation plays in education and developing a sustainable economy for Hawaiʻi Island.
Understanding Ocean Acidification: Using NOAAs New Educational Tools
August 13, 2020
Amy Dean, affiliate to the NOAA Office of Education and NOAA Satellite and Information Service
Data in the Classroom is designed to help teachers and students use real scientific NOAA data to explore dynamic Earth processes and understand the impact of environmental events on a regional and global scale. The interactive module provides authentic research questions and scaled data interactions that give students the opportunity to explore this question (and more). In this presentation, participants will dive deep into Data in the Classroom's Ocean Acidification Module to explore the processes that cause acidification, examine data from across the globe and take a virtual tour of the new web-based curricular modules and data tools.
Gone Fishing! in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
July 24, 2020
Daniel Studt, NOAA Fisheries
Join us as we fish for answers on how to catch the big one. Daniel Studt from NOAA Fisheries will provide some great tips to enjoy sustainable recreational fishing in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Topics will include fish identification tricks, safe handling, and release techniques, and of course some good ole fishing stories from the wild Olympic Coast!
Seabirds 101
July 23, 2020
Wayne Petersen, Massachusetts Audubon Society
Seabirds are among the most widely traveled and extraordinary navigators in the bird world. Find out from Wayne Petersen, Mass Audubon's Important Bird Area Program Director, how these remarkable birds are supremely adapted to spend most of their lives in some of the most remote and hostile environments on the planet. We will trace the travels of some of these amazing birds as they seasonally utilize Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and learn what they are telling us, both about the marine environment and ourselves.
2018 Exploration of Strange "Off-Ridge" Seamounts in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
July 16, 2020
Dr. Christopher Kelley, University of Hawaii
Join Dr. Christopher Kelley as he discusses the 2018 Exploration Vessel Nautilus expedition to Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument where they explored 10 unusual seamounts located north of the Hawaiian Ridge. The origin of these seamounts is enigmatic since they form a line parallel to, but well north of the islands, atolls, banks, and seamounts created when the Pacific Plate moved over the Hawaiian hotspot. Figuring out how and when they formed, as well as what sea creatures live there were the objectives of the project. Both multibeam mapping and ROV dives were conducted during the cruise that yielded high resolution images of the seamounts, rock samples for Ar/Ar dating and chemical analyses, biological specimens of potential new species, and high resolution video of their geology and biological communities. An update on the process of analyzing these samples/specimens and video will be provided, as well as a preview of a follow up cruise by the Nautilus currently being planned for 2021.
Notorious & Delicious: Exploring Sustainable Seafood
July 9, 2020
Allen Susser, James Beard Award Winning Chef
James Beard Award Winning Chef, Allen Susser, is on a mission to motivate people to eat Sustainable Seafood, which rewards them with a delicious meal and benefits the ocean's health today and into the future. His cookbook, Green Fig & Lionfish, Sustainable Caribbean Cooking focuses on lionfish, nonetheless, these bold flavors and unpretentious fish cooking techniques can be applied to most fish and shellfish. Chef Allen will discuss what can be sustainably harvested within your national marine sanctuaries, and lessons on the best way to cook it. His cooking lessons could be a unique way to educate your audiences and students on sustainable seafood. Join the discussion of sustainability, which like all good fish tales, is growing greater each day.
Exploring National Marine Sanctuaries: Diving into Telepresence Education Programs and Resources
June 16, 2020
Hannah MacDonald, Education Specialist for the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Much of the ocean remains unexplored, even areas of your national marine sanctuaries have still not been seen by humans. NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries works with partners to expand our understanding of sanctuaries through deep-water exploration and research. While these Telepresence expeditions occur, we bring them to you through real-time video feeds and programs. Through this webinar, learn how you and your students can become virtual explorers in national marine sanctuaries and how to further bring the expedition into the classroom through our education resources.
Shocking New Evidence Reveals Two Genetically Distinct Hawai`i Manta Ray Populations Separated by a Mere 50 KM
June 5, 2020
Mark Deakos, Hawaii Association for Marine Education and Research
New evidence confirms Hawai`i manta rays take social distancing to a whole new level; implications for management.
Our knowledge of manta rays worldwide has come a long way in the past 15 years, but are we doing enough to ensure small, slow-growing, island-associated populations, and the habitats they rely on for survival, are getting the protections they need? This talk will explore what research techniques have been used to study manta rays and why new evidence of social distancing in Hawai`i's populations are sounding the alarms. Learn how you can become part of the solution!
This distance learning event is an extension of the Kauai Ocean Discovery First Friday Speaker Series.
Hollywood Sharks vs. Real Sharks
May 21, 2020
Doug Perrine, World Famous Marine Photographer and Author
Over a lifetime, Doug Perrine has traveled the planet studying and photographing the marine environment with a particular passion for some of the oceanʻs largest and least understood animals -- sharks. In this presentation, Doug will deconstruct the media bias concerning this large and diverse class of fishes, and show how sharks portrayed in Hollywood and in the media are very different from the real behavior of these fascinating, ancient, and ecologically important animals. Through vibrant imagery, as well as intimate observations of these sometimes secretive animals, Doug will shed light on their real behavior and life history.
Doug is widely regarded as one of the world's foremost marine wildlife photographers. His photographs have been reproduced in virtually every major nature magazine in the world, as well as in thousands of books, calendars, greeting cards, posters, etc., including more than 100 covers. His photography has won a number of awards, including the prestigious BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition as the overall winner (2004), and also winner of the animal behavior category and the Nature's Best/Cemex competition in the Professional Marine Wildlife category. He is also the author of seven books on marine life and numerous magazine articles. Please join us for what is certain to be an enlightening encounter with a very misunderstood group of animals.
This live event is an extension of the Mokupāpapa Third Thursday By The Bay lecture series.
What the orcas teach us: the southern residents' battle against extinction and state of our watersheds
May 19, 2020
Lynda Mapes, Seattle Time journalist
Over 18 months, the Seattle Times took a deep look at the southern resident orca extinction crisis to explore and expose the roots of why these animals, the top predator in our marine waters, are struggling to survive. Lynda Mapes, the lead journalist on the newspaper's award-winning series Hostile Waters will explain what the newspaper learned and solutions that will benefit people and orca alike.
Lynda Mapes is the environment reporter at the Seattle Times. She has won numerous international and national awards for her work covering environmental topics, and is the author of five books, including Orca forthcoming from the Mountaineers Books in Spring, 2021. She was a Knight Fellow in Science Journalism at MIT and a Bullard Fellow in forest research at the Harvard Forest, where she wrote her most recent book, Witness Tree, (UW Press, 2019) that looks at the story of climate change through the life of a single, 100-year old oak.
Earth is Blue: Educational Videos About Your National Marine Sanctuaries
May 14, 2020
Nick Zachar and Shannon Shikles, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Did you know that every week the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries posts an educational video about your ocean and Great Lakes? Come along as Video Production Coordinator Nick and Multimedia Coordinator Shannon walk you through how we create these resources, how you can access and use them, and how you can even contribute to our Earth is Blue campaign.
Studying Whales and Dolphins in the Hawaiian Archipelago
May 1, 2020
Robin Baird, Research Biologist, Cascadia Research Collective
Long-term small-boat based studies in the main Hawaiian Islands have revealed amazing information on 11 resident species of whales and dolphins, as well as migratory and open-ocean species that visit the islands. Studies in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands have been more limited due to logistics of vessel surveys. Comparisons of sightings and tagging data from the two areas suggest that there are resident populations of many species of dolphins and whales in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument that have yet to be recognized. Join research biologist Robin Baird of Cascadia Research Collective who will compare what is, and isn't, known about whales and dolphins throughout the Hawaiian archipelago.
This distance learning event is an extension of the Kauai Ocean Discovery First Friday Speaker Series.
Gardening Corals for Reef Restoration
April 23, 2020
Katie Lohr, Conservation Science Fellow for the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries through the Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program
As coral reefs decline globally, interest in using coral gardening techniques for reef restoration is increasing. This webinar presentation will review well-established and cutting-edge techniques for propagating and restoring corals, as well as experimental work focused on identifying corals that can survive future ocean conditions.
Understanding the Marine Heatwaves in the Pacific Northwest
April 24, 2020
Dr. Jan Newton, senior principal oceanographer with the Applied Physics Laboratory of the University of Washington, executive director of NANOOS, and Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) co-chair
Join Dr. Jan Newton as she explains how marine heatwaves are influencing life in the waters off the Washington coast in the Pacific Northwest. This webinar is part of a speaker series in partnership with Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Feiro Marine Life Center, and the Peninsula College STEM Club.
How will the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands respond to climate change? A look at past, present, and future sea level change and storms within Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
April 16, 2020
Haunani Kane, PhD, National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biology at the University of Hawai'i
The future existence of low lying atoll islands is of global concern, as entire island nations and highly evolved ecosystems are projected to become uninhabitable in the next 30-50 years due to sea level rise. Despite this recognized vulnerability, most studies fail to account for the biological controls upon island resiliency. Typically, sea level research instead assumes atoll islands are static and do not recover from environmental stressors. Join Haunani Kane, PhD, National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biology at the University of Hawaiʻi as she shares data from the fossil record, kaʻao (Hawaiian legends), and future climate projections that give a glimpse of how islands at Lalo respond to past, present, and future changes in sea level and storms.
This live event is an extension of the Mokupāpapa Third Thursday By The Bay lecture series.
Bringing the Ocean to You
April 7, 2020
Claire Fackler, National Education Liaison, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries brings the ocean to you through a wide variety of online resources appropriate for teachers, students, and even families. This webinar provides an opportunity to learn more about America's underwater treasures and our Virtual Reality content; Earth Is Blue videos; lesson plans; Ocean Guardian Kids Club; online marine science games, and much more.
Ocean Guardian Schools: Learn how to get involved
March 26, 2020
Naomi Pollack, Ocean Guardian School Program Coordinator
What do 134 schools with over 61,000 students from around the country have in common? They have all made a commitment to protect the health of their local watersheds, one ocean and special ocean areas like national marine sanctuaries. Since 2009, NOAA's Ocean Guardian School program has supported K-12 schools to conduct hands-on watershed/ocean stewardship projects on campuses and in local communities. Please join Naomi Pollack for a program overview and learn how your school can participate and become recognized by NOAA as an Ocean Guardian School.
Empowering Young Water Scientists with the EarthEcho Water Challenge!
March 4, 2020
Sean Russell, Associate Director of Youth Engagement and Partnerships for EarthEcho International
Protecting and improving the health of our watersheds is critical to the future of our National Marine Sanctuaries and the sustainability of our planet. The EarthEcho Water Challenge has engaged over 1.6 million participants in 146 countries – providing young people with the tools to monitor water quality, share their data, and take action to protect their local waterways.
Through this webinar, join Sean Russell from EarthEcho International to learn how to use the EarthEcho Water Challenge platform to collect and share citizen science water quality data, access tools to analyze your results, and learn about the inspiring work of young people protecting our National Marine Sanctuaries and their local watersheds.
Passive Acoustic Monitoring in California's National Marine Sanctuaries
February 19, 2020
Samara Haver, Ph.D candidate at Oregon State University; Angela R. Szesciorka and Vanessa ZoBell, Ph.D. candidates at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Acoustic signals travel quickly and efficiently over long distances in the aquatic environment; thus, sound has become the principal sensory modality used by many marine animal species. This is particularly true for acoustically oriented marine mammals that rely on sound to communicate, perceive their environment, detect and avoid predators, forage for food, and navigate. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is used to measure, monitor, and determine the sources of sound in underwater environments, enabling scientists to eavesdrop on the acoustic behavior of marine animals (e.g., whale song, fish chorusing, snapping shrimp), natural abiotic sounds (e.g., wind, earthquakes), and human generated sounds (e.g., cargo vessels). By utilizing PAM tools in national marine sanctuaries, researchers are able to collect data to answer questions about these valuable marine habitats and provide important condition information to managers and policymakers. In this webinar, three Ph.D. candidates that are NOAA Dr. Nancy Foster Scholars will discuss current PAM research efforts taking place in some of California's national marine sanctuaries.
Managing National Marine Sanctuaries in a Changing Ocean
January 14, 2020
Zachary J. Cannizzo, Ph.D., National Marine Protected Areas Center and NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Fellow through the Sea Grant John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship Program
As a system of nationally significant places managed by NOAA, national marine sanctuaries are directly experiencing climate impacts, and serve as important assets for climate-informed management, science and education. Learn more about how the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries is actively incorporating climate into site management plans, facilities management, science and assessment, and education and outreach. This presentation will discuss how sanctuaries work with partners to use NOAA climate information in management, our role as climate educators, building a network of sentinel sites, and challenges in managing sanctuaries in a changing ocean.
Sinkholes to Stars: Exploring Microbial Ecosystems in Lake Huron's Sinkholes
December 5, 2019
Bopi Biddanda, Annis Water Resources Institute at Grand Valley State University
Join Professor Bopi Biddanda as he shares the excitement of over a decade of exploration of life in Lake Huron's sinkholes carried out in collaboration with NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. He will ponder the relevance of these findings to major issues of both scientific and societal interest such as Earth's current biologic and physiologic diversity, oxygenation of early Earth in the distant past, and humanity's ongoing search for extraterrestrial life. For an introduction to life in Lake Huron's sinkholes, see this overview educational article.
Announcing the United States' Newest National Marine Sanctuary in Nearly 20 Years: Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary
November 21, 2019
Paul Orlando, Chesapeake Bay Regional Coordinator for the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
The NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries announces that a new national marine sanctuary has been designated for the first time in nearly 20 years. We introduce to you Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary in Maryland. Mallows Bay is most renowned for its "Ghost Fleet," the partially submerged remains of more than 100 wooden steamships that were built in response to threats from World War I-era German U-boats that were sinking ships in the Atlantic. Although the ships never saw action during the war, their construction at more than 40 shipyards in 17 states reflected the massive national wartime effort that drove the expansion and economic development of communities and related maritime service industries.
OceanReports: The first intelligent web application for marine spatial analysis of the entire U.S. EEZ
October 8, 2019
Dr. James A. Morris, Jr., Marine Ecologist at NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
OceanReports is the most comprehensive web-based spatial assessment tool for the ocean in the U.S., designed to improve decision-making and increase transparency for ocean and coastal users, and resource managers. The tool contains approximately 100 distinct data layers capable of analyzing energy and minerals, natural resources (including species and habitats), transportation and infrastructure, oceanographic and biophysical conditions, and the local ocean economy for any area of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Learn more about OceanReports from Dr. Morris and help NOAA determine how formal and informal educators can utilize this robust online product.
OceanReports was developed through a partnership between the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, NOAA, and the Department of Energy, and utilizes new and authoritative data from MarineCadastre.gov and other trusted sources.
Where are all the fish going? Identifying patterns of genetic connectivity across the Hawaiian Archipelago
September 24, 2019
Dr. Richard Coleman, former Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar at Hawai`i Institute of Marine Biology
Understanding connectivity and dispersal pathways, as well as identifying the underlying mechanisms influencing these patterns are essential to properly understand how biodiversity is generated in the sea and to inform management strategies. Since direct observation of larvae is impractical, a variety of genetic methods have been developed to characterize connectivity and dispersal patterns in marine organisms. Join Dr. Coleman as he explains how he incorporated several genetic-based approaches to assess connectivity of two recreationally important reef fishes across the Hawaiian Archipelago to assess connectivity between the Main Hawaiian Islands and the Papāhanaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
Catch and Release: Large whale entanglements and response efforts to mitigate the threat
July 10, 2019
Ed Lyman, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary
Entanglement or by-catch is a global issue that affects many marine animals, including large whales like the charismatic humpback whale. Hundreds of thousands of whales die worldwide each year, but the impacts go beyond mortality. When conditions and resources allow, trained responders under NOAA's Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program attempt the dangerous task of freeing whales from life-threatening entanglements. However, the ultimate goal is to gain information to reduce the threat for whales and humans alike. The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary working closely with its partners and the community, coordinates response efforts for Hawaii, the principle breeding and calving ground of humpback whales in the North Pacific. The effort represents a unique and valuable opportunity to gain a broader understanding of large whale entanglement threat. Learn more about whale entanglements and response efforts from expert Ed Lyman.
Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies – Vessel Speed Reduction in California
June 11, 2019
Jessica Morten, Resource Protection Specialist, contractor to NOAA's Channel Islands and Cordell Bank national marine sanctuaries through the Greater Farallones Association
California's nutrient-rich coastal waters are home to several species of large whales, including gray whales and endangered blue, humpback, and fin whales. The state is also home to four major shipping ports – San Diego, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Oakland – that result in thousands of large container and tanker transits taking place within California national marine sanctuary waters. In the past decade, over 10 whale fatalities have been recorded along the California coast as a result of ship and whale collisions, and recent research suggests that many more of these ship strikes are going undetected each year. To address this global issue, national marine sanctuaries along the West Coast have been working with a number of partners to better understand the issue of ship strikes and slow vessels down to reduce harmful air emissions and protected endangered whales.
Estimating Coral Feeding Habits from Space
May 21, 2019
Dr. Michael Fox, Postdoctoral Scholar at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Reef-building corals rely on a symbiosis with microscopic algae for much of their energetic needs. Rising ocean temperatures threaten this symbiosis and can cause it to break down in a process known as coral bleaching, which is one of the primary threats to the persistence of coral reef ecosystems globally. Corals are not helpless, however, as they are also excellent predators and if they can capture food to maintain their energy budgets while bleached they may have a greater chance for survival. Learn more how natural variation in food availability on reefs around the world and how this may influence coral resilience and recovery from bleaching events.
Listening to "See" Beneath the Waves: Soundscape monitoring in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
April 9, 2019
Dr. Lindsey Peavey Reeves, Research Specialist for NOAA's Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
National marine sanctuaries are special places that support many human uses simultaneously, like fishing, recreation, and commercial shipping. At the same time, sanctuary habitats support thriving animal communities made up of some species that can move great distances, and some that remain relatively stationary. Like all marine environments, sanctuaries experience a variety of seasonal conditions and weather each year, like wind-driven upwelling and storms. Each of these sanctuary elements have one thing in common: they produce sound. It is rarely the case that researchers can visually observe all, or even some of these things, and so we need additional tools to "see" beneath the waves to better understand and protect sanctuaries. Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary has been a hot spot for passive acoustic monitoring for years, and in this webinar we'll explore various ways in which the Channel Islands sanctuary and partners are characterizing the sanctuary soundscape, what we've been able to learn so far, and what we are still seeking to understand.
Home Front Hawai`i: a Naval Legacy beneath the Sea
February 5, 2019
Hans Van Tilburg, Ph.D., NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Shipwrecks and other submerged properties tell stories of the past, and some of those stories are about World War II in the Pacific. The Hawaiian Islands were very different during the war period, a plantation territory suddenly witness to the initial attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent years of intensive combat training both on land and sea. The events of this critical period have left a legacy of sites that act as windows on history, a heritage landscape was shared in this presentation.
One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish...What Fish?
December 10, 2018 at 6 pm Eastern / 3 pm Pacific
Alexandra M. Avila, Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar at Oregon State University
Are all the fish dying? Have we over fished everything? What are sustainable fisheries? Can I eat tuna? Learn more about the fish you eat, where it came from, and how/where it was caught to help you make sustainable choices to help protect our ocean.
Be a Claw Abiding Citizen: Learn how Ocean Acidification could Affect Dungeness Crab
October 17, 2018 at 6 pm Eastern / 3 pm Pacific
Dr. Shelly Trigg, NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center and U.S. School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences
What is ocean acidification? And how could it affect the future of Dungeness crab, one of our favorite seafoods? Join us as we walk through a new national marine sanctuaries educational toolkit to equip you for teaching others about what ocean acidification could mean for the Dungeness crab, how this is currently being investigated, and resources to get more involved.
Plastics in the Ocean: Facts, Fiction, and Unknowns
September 25, 2018 at 6 pm Eastern / 3 pm Pacific
Anna Robuck, Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography
Although plastics are vital in a slew of consumer applications, plastic pollution in the ocean has turned out to be a not-so-fantastic outcome of modern day plastic dependence. This presentation provides an overview of the ocean plastic pollution problem, explaining the difference between marine debris and microplastics. It also will outline the current state of knowledge about microplastic impacts in the ocean and marine food webs, and provide insight into an ongoing research project using seabirds as indicators of plastic pollution in the Northwest Atlantic.
The Devil (Weed) is in the Details: The Spread and Ecology of an Invasive Seaweed
August 22, 2018
Dr. Lindsay Marks, California Sea Grant Fellow for Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and former Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar
Invasive species are the second-greatest driver of biodiversity loss worldwide, and invasive seaweeds represent a major challenge to ocean health. This talk will share what has been learned about a Japanese seaweed called Devil Weed, which is rapidly spreading rapidly across the reefs of southern California. Topics that will be discussed include: why this seaweed is a successful invader; the ways in which it may affect native species; the role that Marine Protected Areas can play in resisting its spread; and techniques that can be used to control this and other invasive seaweeds.
Beyond the Last Frontier: The Deep Ocean and Why It Matters
July 10, 2018
Lisa Levin, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
The deep ocean below 200 meters represents over 90% of the habitable space on this plant. This presentation will consider what is special about deep-sea ecosystems and how human interests and impacts are affecting them. The importance of understanding, conserving and managing deep-ocean ecosystems will be highlighted.
Dolphin Tales: Studying the Who, When, and Where of Habitat Use
June 6, 2018
Tammy Silva, Ph.D., Former Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar
Dolphin species often play key roles in ecosystems and also use habitats that overlap with areas of human activity. Learn more about when and where dolphin species occur so that the research can inform ecosystem management and mitigate human impacts. This presentation will focus on the biology and ecology of dolphins, current threats, and how technology is helping us learn about their occurrence and distribution.
Understanding El Niño - Using NOAA's New Educational Tools
March 13, 2018
Amy Dean, National Estuarine Research Reserve System
People all over the world experience impacts from El Niño and La Niña, the recurring climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean. As this year's La Niña subsides, join us for a science-based exploration of this powerful phenomena. In this presentation, participants will dive deep into Data in the Classroom's El Niño Module to examine decades of observations from Earth observing satellites and take a virtual tour of the new web-based curricular modules and data tools. Data in the Classroom is designed to help teachers and students use real scientific data to explore dynamic Earth processes.
Virtual Dives into America's Underwater Treasures
February 21, 2018
Mitchell Tartt, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Immerse yourself in the ocean and your national marine sanctuaries without getting wet! These Virtual Reality (VR) voyages use 360-degree images to highlight the amazing habitats, animals, and cultural resources you can find in each national marine sanctuary. Learn more about VR technology and dive into our underwater treasures using your desktop or mobile devices.
What is Coral Bleaching?
December 6, 2017
Kelly Drinnen, NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
Coral bleaching is one of the side effects of an increasingly warmer ocean. Episodes of coral bleaching are happening more regularly and with greater severity as the years progress. But, what exactly is coral bleaching? Is bleached coral, dead coral? Is bleaching preventable? Can coral recover from bleaching? Join us to look at the biology of corals to understand what coral bleaching is and its potential long-term effects on coral reefs.
NOAA Marine Debris Toolkit for Educators: Incorporating Citizen Science and Community Action into an Educational Setting
October 18, 2017
Alyssa Nally, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
The Marine Debris Toolkit serves as a unique collaborative effort between NOAA's Marine Debris Program and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries to reduce our impact on the ocean through hands-on scientific monitoring, targeted education, and community outreach. Composed of teacher resources, data collection and analysis guidelines, and community engagement and outreach activities, this toolkit empowers students to become ocean stewards by taking action against marine debris on campus, in their local community, and at home. During this presentation, participants will receive an in-depth look into this free education tool.
Manta Rays: Studying an Ocean Icon
September 20, 2017
Joshua Stewart, Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar at Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Manta rays are one of the most iconic marine megafauna in the ocean, reaching wingspans of over 20 feet and delighting divers and snorkelers with their gregarious behavior. Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar Joshua Stewart will give a presentation on the biology and ecology of manta rays, current threats and conservation action, including his latest research on mantas, and how new technology is providing insights into these mysterious creatures' lives.
Forty Years of Conserving Hawai`i's Native Seal
Charles Littnan, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
May 23, 2017
In honor of 2017 Year of the Monk Seal, join Dr. Charles Littnan on a four decade journey that tracks the history and challenges of monk seal conservation in Hawai`i. This presentation will highlight a number of threats to the species and the evolution of a rag tag research program into the most proactive marine mammal recovery program on the planet.
Audience: Formal and informal educators
Lake Huron Red Tails! The Tuskegee Airmen Project
Stephanie Gandulla and Wayne Lusardi, NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
April 12, 2017
During World War II, Michigan was home to several African American air combat units including many graduates of the Tuskegee pilot training program. As with many similar training programs during the war, dozens of accidents occurred that resulted in the loss of both aircraft and crewmen. Two Tuskegee airplanes have been discovered in Michigan waters near Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Learn about these submerged aircraft and a project where members of the National Association of Black Scuba Divers and Diving with a Purpose participated to document one of the aircraft wrecks in Lake Huron.
Presenters: Stephanie Gandulla and Wayne Lusardi, NOAA's Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Audience: Formal and informal educators
Education Materials
Presentation Slides
Explore Your Own Watershed with Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs)
Sarah Waters, NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
March 22, 2017
Building your own ROV is not as complicated as you think! Find out how students near Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary are designing and building their own ROVs to explore the Thunder Bay River and Lake Huron, as well as participate in environmental stewardship projects. This webinar will showcase how ROVs are used to explore our national marine sanctuaries and provide a basic overview of designing and building ROVs with students for your own explorations!
Males vs. Females: Feeding Behavior of Northern Elephant Seals
Sarah Kienle, Dr. Nancy Foster Scholar, University of California, Santa Cruz, Long Marine Lab
February 23, 2017
Male and female northern elephant seals exhibit dramatic differences in size, shape and behavior. My research compares the feeding behavior of male and female seals to understand how the sexes use marine resources throughout the North Pacific Ocean.
Education Materials
Deep Sea Science in the Classroom: Exploring Coral Communities of the West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries
Rietta Hohman, Greater Farallones Association
January 18, 2017
Take your students on an incredible journey hundreds of feet beneath the surface of the ocean, without ever leaving the classroom! Using research footage from Remotely Operated Vehicles, your students will be able to utilize real scientific methods to explore the unique deep sea coral communities found in our West Coast National Marine Sanctuaries. They will investigate threats, such as ocean acidification, that these precious ecosystems face and learn the importance of long-term scientific monitoring and protection. This program is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards and all materials are available for teachers to download from the web free of cost.
Education Materials
Lionfish: Alien Invaders from the Indo-Pacific
Kelly Drinnen, NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and Marlies Tumulo, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Audience: Formal and informal educators
December 1, 2016
Education Materials
Flower Garden Banks Invasive Lionfish Lesson Plan
Lionfish Tag Classroom Activity
Lionfish Reporting Mock Scuba Dive Activity
Rivers to Reefs: Understanding the Vital Connections Between Rivers and the Ocean
Cathy Sakas, Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
Audience: Formal and informal educators
October 11, 2016
Education Materials
Bring the Ocean into Your Classroom with National Marine Sanctuaries
Claire Fackler, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Audience: Formal and informal educators
September 21, 2016
Education Materials
Sharks of the Channel Islands
Ryan Freedman, NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
Audience: Formal and informal educators
August 23, 2016
Education Materials
Communicating Climate Change: Resources for Making it Stick
Marlies Tumolo, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Bruce Moravchik, National Ocean Service
Audience: Formal and informal educators
May 25, 2016
Ever wonder the best way to talk about climate change? Felt unsure if your message is clear and connects to your audience? Effectively communicating complex issues involves sound science and an element of artistry. This webinar shares climate communication tools from the National Network of Ocean and Climate Change Interpreters (NNOCCI), as well as a way to get involved in the NOAA Climate Stewards Program.
Great Ships on the Great Lakes
Sarah Waters, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Audience: Formal and informal educators
April 13, 2016
Education Materials
Preservation through Education: Activities & Programs
Piecing it Together: Photo Mosaic Activity Lesson Plan
Shipwreck Detectives Lesson Plan
Winged Ambassadors: Ocean Literacy Through the Eyes of Albatross
Jennifer Stock, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Audience: Formal and informal educators
March 24, 2016
Underwater Exploration in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands
Daniel Wagner, Ph.D., Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument
Audience: Formal and informal educators
February 17, 2016
Maritime Archaeology: Exploring and Discovering Shipwrecks
Shannon Ricles, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary
Discover how to integrate STEM and social studies as you explore the underwater world of shipwrecks and the tools of maritime archaeologists.
Audience: Formal and informal educators
January 13, 2016
Educational Materials:
Maritime Archaeology: Discovering and Exploring Shipwrecks Curriculum