Webinar Series
The National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series provides educators, 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.
Upcoming Webinars
Mallows Bay - The Ghost Fleet and Beyond
January 16, 2024 at 8 am Hawai`i / 10 am Pacific / 12 pm Central / 1 pm Eastern
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.
Coconut Palms, Seabirds, Coral Reefs and Sea Level Rise
January 23, 2024 at 3 pm Hawai`i / 5 pm Pacific / 7 pm Central / 8 pm Eastern
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.
Exploring Ocean Mysteries: From Dynamic Shores to the Deep-Sea
February 20, 2024 at 1 pm Hawaii / 3 pm Pacific / 5 pm Central / 6 pm Eastern
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.
What's Washed In: Seabirds, Marine Debris, and Citizen Science
April 23, 2024 at 2 pm Hawai`i / 5 pm Pacific / 7 pm Central / 8 pm Eastern
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.