EXPLORING THE GREAT BEAR SEA CURRICULUM RESOURCES
We developed the Exploring the Great Bear Sea Curriculum around our film, The Great Bear Sea: Reflecting on the Past—Planning for the Future. The curriculum resources consist of an elementary cross-curricular unit, secondary units for Social Studies and Environmental Science, and a post-secondary resource. Using film segments, research data, local knowledge and place-based stories, the curriculum explores themes such as collaborative science, marine planning, Indigenous Knowledge, biodiversity, sustainable resource management and marine stewardship. All resources are connected to the revised British Columbia curriculum and include full lesson plans and supplementary resources, as well as film clips to support classroom learning. Although linked to the B.C. curriculum, these resources are applicable to any educator looking to explore these themes in their classroom or in other learning contexts.
MAKING DEEP-SEA CORAL FAMOUS
“We started 12 days ago with no samples and now we have 50+. It’s hard work, we fought the currents, the wind, the waves. We ran north; we ran south, and we got it all done.”
Dr. Peter Entnoyer, Marine Ecologist, NOAA
Ever wonder what it’s like to spend two weeks on a NOAA research ship exploring deep-sea ecosystems? Ocean Frontiers cameraman & editor, Ralf Meyer, joined the Southeast Deep Coral Initiative expedition aboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster last month to capture the expedition on film. The expedition goals: To map new areas, survey and sample deep-sea coral ecosystems in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and provide new information about areas that are under consideration for protection.
The ship crew and the team of scientists worked day and night to gather information and samples: fish, corals, sponges, coral DNA as well as multibeam sonar mapping in areas that had never been surveyed before. It takes a truly diverse team of people to get the whole ecosystem view – and they faced incredibly difficult challenges while at sea.
Meyer said, “I now understand what it takes to get a glimpse of the deep underwater world – in this case, thousands of tons of steel (the ship), a crane and winch with 2.5 miles of cable, a 4,000-pound remotely operated vehicle, a 180-pound ROV arm to pick up one of the most fragile animals on Earth, and a bunch of tough characters!”
What strikes us most about deep-sea ecosystems is how little we know about the largest ecosystem on this planet. A key outcome of this important expedition was that they found more coral in more places than expected. “Collecting this type of information is what’s needed to develop conservation measures that will protect these ecosystems in perpetuity,” said Dr. Daniel Wagner, Expedition Coordinator. Our short film on the expedition will be available soon!
TAKE ACTION
Understanding the Federal Budget: Congress Buys Itself More Time
When Congress returned from their August recess facing a September 30th fiscal year deadline, they had many things on their to-do list, not just appropriations. Nothing was as urgent as emergency funding for hurricane relief efforts, so President Trump struck a deal with the Democrats to combine that relief with a measure giving Congress until December 8th to figure out funding for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. That means additional time for the House and Senate to hash out their differences on funding for programs within NOAA and the broader government.
Until then, NOAA will operate at roughly FY 2017 levels. Between now and December, the House and Senate will need to come to a resolution on federal expenditures for key agencies. Once the House finalizes its version of the spending bills, both chambers will come together to agree on a final package. The House and Senate differ widely on where they think funding should be allocated (as does President Trump). For NOAA, the Senate’s numbers are much better! Whatever agreement they come to, that then needs to be signed by President Trump before midnight on December 8th.
Ocean Conservancy is continuously tracking the federal budget process, and provides updates when significant action is taking place. If you would like to receive updates from them on the budget process and how to engage, e-mail Katie Morgan. We will continue to post NOAA budget action items in our monthly newsletter.
In the meantime, here’s Ocean Conservancy’s NOAA Appropriations Toolkit to help you amplify your voice.
BRING THE GREAT BEAR SEA TO CLASS
Teaching students how people in other countries manage marine resources helps broaden their horizons and can spark a multitude of intriguing questions, especially when the story is set in one of the world’s remaining intact temperate rain forests.
Incorporating our new Great Bear Sea Curriculum into classrooms in the US exposes students to an amazing world of islands, wild rivers, and cold-water seas – plus the tribal values and culture of First Nations people in British Columbia, Canada. The lesson plans include video clips of this stunning landscape and you’ll hear directly from the tribal leaders, community members and other stakeholders about this amazing place they call home.
Access the Great Bear Sea Curriculum and order the full-length film to show in your classroom or community.
UPCOMING SCREENINGS
Check out our calendar of upcoming screenings for more information on these dates!
- September 19 – New York, NY – Ocean Frontiers III
- September 26 – Lewes, DE – Delaware Premiere of Ocean Frontiers III
- September 27 – Coventry, CT – Ocean Frontiers III
- September 28 – Millville, NJ – Ocean Frontiers III
- October 14 – Middletown, NJ – Ocean Frontiers III
- October 19 – Wells, ME – Ocean Frontiers III
- October 19 – Long Beach, NY – Ocean Frontiers III with panel discussion
- October 28 – Brigantine, NJ – Ocean Frontiers III
- November 6 – Providence, RI – Ocean Frontiers III at CERF
- November 8 – Farmingdale, NY – Ocean Frontiers III with panel discussion
Don’t see a screening near you? Plan one!
OCEAN PLANNING NEWS
- September 21 – Ocean Health Index for the U.S. Northeast Workshop, Providence, RI. Registration and workshop details can be found here.
- November 15 – Workshop to review and obtain input on updated human use and marine life data products, including revised draft products for each of the five Components of Ecological Importance. Location TBA.
- November 16 – In-person meeting to review progress implementing the Plan in 2017 and to look forward to 2018. Open to the public. Location TBA.
Mid-Atlantic
The Mid-Atlantic RPB events and updates can be found at www.boem.gov/MidA-New.
- Participate in upcoming workshops hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) and Surfrider Foundation and engage in a discussion of the value of important non-consumptive recreational areas and the activities they sustain. Click here for more information.
- September 27 in Long Island, NY
- October 5 in Bethany Beach, DE
- October 11 in West Long Branch, NJ
- November 8 in Virginia Beach, VA
West Coast
Keep up with the West Coast RPB’s news and events at www.westcoastmarineplanning.org.
- Catch up with this summary from the August call.
Stay up to date with the Pacific Islands RPB by visiting pacificislandsrpb.org.
