New England Aquarium
Student Ocean Conference

Students' Comments | Questions and Answers with Sylvia Earle | More Conference Photos!

Introduction

The second Student Ocean Conference, held on December 1, 2000 at the New England Aquarium, was a terrific success! Fifty-two students grade 7-12, from six schools in the greater Boston area and Providence, RI gathered at the Aquarium to participate in this interactive and exciting Conference. Additional participants in the day's activities included Ocean Explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle, a number local federal agency representatives, professionals from the National Geographic Society's Sustainable Seas Expedition and Education Program, the Director of Coastal America and other Coastal Ecosystem Learning Center representatives.

The students are welcomed to the Conference by Dr. Jerry Schubel, Director of the New England Aquarium.

Welcome

The day began with welcoming remarks from Dr. Jerry Schubel, President of the New England Aquarium. Dr. Schubel set the pace for the day by noting that we, as humans, have a responsibility to understand the threats facing our oceans and to learn how to deal with these issues. He pointed out that there are often conflicting interests in our needs for, and uses of, coastal and marine resources. This conference, he noted, is important because it challenges the students to consider the variety of uses, and potential management strategies, for these resources.

Storm Over Stellwagen

An interactive film, "Storm Over Stellwagen," highlighted the threats facing the local Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. This video, and work the students did prior to the conference, gave background on the Marine Sanctuary discussions that were held later in the day.

Ocean Explorer Dr. Sylvia Earle

The group then had the opportunity to hear from National Geographic Explorer in Residence Dr. Sylvia Earle. Dr. Earle's adoration for the marine world was both inspirational and educational. She presented a slide show on the exciting experiences she's accumulated during her career as an ocean explorer, and the amazing marine inhabitants that she's met along the way. She noted that, "we've only just scratched the surface of understanding the Earth's vast oceans," and encouraged the students to value, protect, and continue the exploration of the tremendous undersea world.

With a little time remaining, Dr. Earle opened the floor for questions (Questions and Answers with Sylvia).

Dr. Earle closed her remarks by asking the group to consider the history of what's happened on land when humans made the assumption that our actions would not be significant enough to have long-term, devastating effects on the environment. Dr. Earle cautioned and challenged the students to ensure that the same mistakes wouldn't be made in the oceans.

Stakeholder Discussion Groups

1. Commercial fishing - Ralph Maling, Chair of the Massachusetts Lobsterman's Association
   
   
2. Whale watching industry - Ken Wright, Head Whalewatch Captain, New England Aquarium
   
   
3. Conservationists - Marianne Farrington, Research Scientist, New England Aquarium; Craig MacDonald, Superintendent, Stellwagen Banks National Marine Sanctuary; and Katrina Van Dine, Management Plan Review Coordinator, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
   
   
4. Resource Use, Transportation and Waste Disposal - Bill Hubbard, US Army Corps of Engineers; Scott Lundgren, Coast Guard, 1st District and Rebecca Montleon, LTJG, Head of Marine Environmental Response, Coast Guard Marine Safety Office, Boston
   
   
5. General Public (group 1)- Julianna Wyman, Education/Outreach, Coastal America
   
   
6. General Public (group 2)- Joe Ferguson, Assistant Director of the National Geographic Society Geography Education Program

Lunch

During the lunch break, students participated in both an educational scavenger hunt and a behind-the-scenes tour of the aquarium.

Stakeholder Presentations

After lunch, each stakeholder group presented their recommendations to a panel of expert judges, composed of professionals from many of the stakeholder fields. (L to R in photo: Marianne Farrington, Research Scientist, New England Aquarium; Francesca Cava, SSE Education Program Manager; Dan Basta, Acting Director, National Marine Sanctuary Program, NOAA; and Bill Hubbard, Chief of the Environmental Resources Section, US Army Corps of Engineers, New England District.)

The panel was an inquisitive one, challenging the students to consider the real-world implications of their recommendations for protection of the Sanctuary.

The Challenging: a panel of experts queried the students with realistic, and very difficult, questions.(Closing remarks by Virginia Tippie, Director, Coastal America)

Closing Remarks

Virginia Tippie, Director of the Coastal America Partnership congratulated the students on participating in such a high caliber conference. She encouraged them to continue pursuing involvement in marine issues and to keep being creative with their ideas. They had a tough task at hand, defending different stakeholder needs in front of a professional panel, and they rose to occasion with their thoughtful discussions. The oceans are a "Commons" - a common resource - and through the conference the students experienced first hand just how difficult, but necessary, it is to consider everyone's needs while protecting the marine environment. Ms. Tippie thanked the students for their wise recommendations, and noted that she would share their thoughts and decisions with colleagues and decision-makers in the marine profession.

Follow-Up

The Student Ocean Conference at the New England Aquarium was the second pilot conference to be held, and was as great of a success as the first one. Following in the footsteps of the Seattle Aquarium Student Ocean Conference, they continued to set a challenging pace for other exciting conferences to follow. The students will receive certificates of participation in the Student Ocean Conference. In light of the conference's the success and the feedback from the students, teachers, and professional participants, the New England Aquarium hopes to repeat the event in the years to come.

Students' Comments | Questions and Answers with Sylvia Earle | More Conference Photos!