Blogs Faces of Cllmate Change Videos Featured at Alaska Environmental Conference 02/13/2012 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP On Friday, February 10, 2012,the Faces of Climate Change video series was highlighted as part of the Alaska Forum on the Environment’s 5th film festival. Submission to this film festival is competitive and COSEE Alaska, Alaska SeaGrant, the Alaska Marine Conservation Council and the Alaska Ocean Observing System are thrilled that Forum participants were able to come together to view Faces of Climate Change at this year’s Forum.  MORE >> COSEE Partners with EE Week 01/13/2012 | Giancarlo Cetrulo, Ocean Research & Conservation Association (Florida) Tags: EE Week, ocean, partner It's National Environmental Education Week, with a focus on Ocean Connections, and COSEE is a National Partner. Find out more at the site.  MORE >> Networking Workshop Leads to Productive Networking 07/27/2011 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) Tags: networking, networks, MSP, Noyce A participant in last year's COSEE OCEAN session on using networks to communicate, held at the MSP conference, had some significant effects on a participant. He wrote to PI Bob Chen to let him know, and to also propose developing a new network.....  MORE >> More than 40 Ocean Science Fair Projects at the 2011 State Science and Engineering Fair 04/06/2011 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Ocean and Climate Literacy, Culturally-relevant Science Education, Alaska K-12 Science Education Ray Barnhardt, Sean Topkok, Andi Anderson, Marilyn Sigman, and Asia Beder judged more than 40 projects at the Alaska State Science and Engineering Fair in Anchorage in March for COSEE Alaska awards. These projects qualified for COSEE's ocean science "fair within a fair" because of their focus on the ocean, watersheds, or climate change and cultural or community relevance in addition to scientific merit. Several students from schools in the Inupiaq cultural region in Northwest Alaska received awards following COSEE Alaska support for teachers to organize district fairs in the school districts. High school winners from Kotzebue, Barrow, and Petersburg will receive travel support to present their projects at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage in January, 2011.  MORE >> Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Revisited: The Role of Microbes 03/25/2011 | Medea Steinman, (Ocean Systems) Tags: 03.23.11 webinar, Deepwater Horizon, oil spill, Gulf of Mexico, microbes, biological pump The Macondo oil well exploded in the Gulf of Mexico in April 2010 and was finally sealed in September. Many methods have been used to mitigate the affects and amounts of oil present in Gulf waters, including dispersants, containment, burning, oil removal, and even erecting barrier islands. What about microbes?  MORE >> Beachwatchers and MIMSUP students on RV Centennial Cruise 03/15/2011 | Jude Apple, Shannon Point Marine Center, Western Washington University (Pacific Partnerships) Local citizen scientists and MIMSUP students participate in ongoing study of Pelagic Ecosystem Function in San Juan Islands  MORE >> Webinar Presenters in the News! 03/11/2011 | Carla Lauter, ODYSEA LLC (Ocean Systems) Tags: 08.10.10 webinar, hydrothermal vents, 02.16.11 webinar, icebergs, 10.20.10 webinar Their webinars may have come and gone, but we've seen a lot of "buzz" about some of our presenters in various media. Here are a few that we've seen recently.  MORE >> From Hatch to Catch: Predicting Lobster Distribution and Abundance 02/17/2011 | Medea Steinman, (Ocean Systems) Tags: 02.16.11 webinar, lobsters Our ROLE Model webinars resumed last night with a topic near and dear to our hearts here in Midcoast Maine—lobsters! Dr. Richard Wahle, based at UMaine’s Darling Marine Center, has been conducting research on the American lobster for 20 years. He and his collaborators are seeking methods and tools that will successfully predict population trends of one of the most economically important fisheries in the United States.  MORE >> Blogging and BLOS: The Great Belt Research Cruise 02/08/2011 | Medea Steinman, (Ocean Systems) Follow the Great Belt Research Cruise as they sail around the South Atlantic from Chile to South Africa on the R/V Melville. This scientific expedition is carrying out the first systematic study of the Great Southern Coccolithophore Belt. Rebecca Fowler, Director of Education at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, has created a website specifically for education and outreach. Her daily blog is filled with fun, educational news, answers to readers questions, and interviews of Bigelow scientists.  MORE >> COSEE OCEAN at MSP Learning Network Conference 01/21/2011 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) Tags: COSEE OCEAN, MSP, network COSEE OCEAN will sponsor a Special Interest Group on Ocean and Environmental Education as part of the NSF Math and Science Partnership (MSP) Learning Network Conference When: Tuesday, January 25, 2011, 9:00-10:00 am Where: Renaissance Hotel, Main Ballroom (999 9th St, NW, Washington DC) Who: Anyone connected to COSEE & Anyone in the MSP Learning Network Why: Make connections and share resources and experiences in Ocean and Environmental Education  MORE >> SEWG Scientist on Hear the Answer 01/12/2011 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) Tags: SEWG, video, Hear the Answer Bob Chen is the subject of one of the COSEE Scientists Making an Impact case studies, and one of his interview videos can now be seen on a new website, Hear The Answer.  MORE >> Tools for Translating Science 12/27/2010 | Carrie Armbrecht, University of Maine (Ocean Systems) Tags: graduate students Albert Einstein once said, “You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother.” As graduate students, we receive ample training in how to do research. Yet effectively sharing our results and the passion of science with others is the most exciting and challenging thing. In absence of formal instruction, we sought to bring in an expert to guide us in communicating our science not only to colleagues but to students in the classroom and the general public.  MORE >> COSEE Town Hall at AGU 12/17/2010 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) Tags: AGU, leadership, conferences, network Strategies for Effective Education and Public Outreach: Climbing the Ladder of Scientist Success Please join us for an active lunchtime discussion of how to enhance your networking, teaching, and professional skills. Representatives from the COSEE Networked Ocean World, COSEE Ocean Systems, COSEE California, and COSEE Ocean Communities in Education And social Networks will engage you in leadership development activities designed to help scientists maximize the impacts of their work.  MORE >> Please join COSEE at the 2010 AGU Fall Meeting 12/13/2010 | Liesl Hotaling, (Networked Ocean World) COSEE will be presenting several sessions and posters at AGU this week, please stop by and visit us!  MORE >> COSEE Network Town Hall session at AGU 12/08/2010 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) Tags: AGU, leadership, conferences, network The COSEE Network will be presenting a Town Hall lunchtime session at the AGU Fall 2010 meeting in San Fransisco. The session will take place Wednesday December 15 from 12:30-1:30.  MORE >> ENTS explore evaluation tools 12/06/2010 | COSEE ENTs, (COSEE.net) Recently the ENTs (Excellence in Networking Tools sub-group) gathered a few of its members to host the second in their “tools that work” webinars on November 19th. This time, the spotlight was on evaluation tools – to highlight some easy-to-use software, tips and tricks and to showcase the possibilities that these versatile tools can offer.  MORE >> Informal Science Education and Ocean Literacy 12/06/2010 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) Tags: COSEE OCEAN, informal science education COSEE OCEAN co-PI Alan Friedman recently gave a presentation to the COSEE OCEAN team titled, Improving the Public’s Ocean Science Literacy: What Can Informal Science Education Do to Help?  MORE >> Workshop at ASLO on Using Network Science for Collaboration 12/06/2010 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) Tags: network science, COSEE OCEAN, ASLO, collaboration, workshop COSEE OCEAN and the CCO present Understanding and Using Network Science for Better Collaboration, an all-day workshop taking place on Sunday, February 13, during the ASLO conference in Puerto Rico.  MORE >> Preparing for an Emergency: Climate Intervention 12/03/2010 | Medea Steinman, (Ocean Systems) Tags: 12.01.10 webinar, climate intervention, iron “This isn’t science fiction,” Professor Chai said, “This is real.” What if we are not able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and we face an emergency here on Earth as a result of global warming? Scientists asked this question some time ago and have been researching different technologies that could be used to cool the planet, if needed.  MORE >> More from Dr. Mayer on Carbon! Part 2 of 2 11/29/2010 | Lawrence Mayer, University of Maine (Ocean Systems) Tags: 10.06.10 Webinar, carbon cycle, scientist post, carbon sequestration In this second installment, Dr. Larry Mayer (University of Maine) answers some additional questions posed by webinar participants. To watch Dr. Mayer's webinar presentation, you can visit the archive page.  MORE >> Teaming up on the Iceberg Project 11/22/2010 | Benjamin Twining, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences (Ocean Systems) Tags: 10.20.10 webinar, scientist post, icebergs One of my favorite aspects of oceanography is its collaborative nature. Most projects are collaborations between multiple science groups—often located at different institutions and occasionally on different sides of the globe. A great collaborator can teach you about their field of research, provide an independent view of your own data, and help generate novel models and hypotheses.  MORE >> Too Much of a Good Thing: Excess Nutrients in Estuarine Systems 11/19/2010 | Medea Steinman, (Ocean Systems) Tags: 11.17.10 webinar, estuaries, concept mapping Dr. Linda Kalnejais, an oceanographer at the University of New Hampshire, studies the effects that pollutants have on estuaries. She pointed out that a very large percentage of the world’s human population lives clustered around these unique ecosystems. As a result, estuaries receive significant levels of pollutants.  MORE >> More from Dr. Mayer on Carbon! Part 1 of 2 11/11/2010 | Lawrence Mayer, University of Maine (Ocean Systems) Tags: 10.06.10 Webinar, carbon cycle, scientist post Dr. Larry Mayer from the University of Maine answers further questions from his webinar presentation on the topic of carbon cycling in the ocean.  MORE >> The Myth of the Single Model: De-“mist”-ifying Aerosols 11/04/2010 | Medea Steinman, (Ocean Systems) Tags: 11.03.10 webinar, aerosols, modeling A lot of people still aren’t comfortable with the whole idea of “models”—what they are and how to use them. But they have become increasingly important in many fields, including ocean and climate research. Carolyn Jordan is a research scientist at the Complex Systems Research Center: Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). In this week’s webinar, she explained how mathematical models work.  MORE >> Concept mapping: A useful tool for grad students 11/02/2010 | Beth Campbell, University of Maine (Ocean Systems) Tags: 10.06.10 webinar, educator post, graduate students Recently concept mapping for me has taken a different turn. After 10+ years as a high school educator, I have begun a new challenge – graduate school. Now rather than using concept maps with my students to help them organize their thinking in active, cooperative ways, I am using this tool to guide my own understanding as a student in the classroom and as a researcher.  MORE >> Multiple Intelligences, Multiple Learning Styles, Multiple Concept Maps 10/28/2010 | Michele Benoit, Bangor High School (Ocean Systems) Tags: concept mapping, 07.28.10 webinar, educator post Even as the oft-accepted notion of multiple-learning styles was called into question by a recent NY Times article ("Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits" by Benedict Carey, 09/06/2010), teachers infer that different students think differently, based on the questions they ask, how they assemble information, and misconceptions they hold. What's really neat is to see those differences revealed in the layout of their concept maps.  MORE >> Connecting The Dots 10/27/2010 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) Tags: COSEE OCEAN, networks, network science, visualization, data COSEE OCEAN members Bob Chen, Carol Baldassari and Catherine Cramer recently attended Connecting the Dots, an all-day symposium on Network Visualization.  MORE >> Studying aerosols with satellites (video) 10/25/2010 | Amy Cline, University of New Hampshire (Ocean Systems) Tags: aerosols, 11.03.10 webinar Have you ever thought about how or why scientists study aerosols and their affects over the ocean? This short video describes how a scientist at the University of New Hampshire, Dr. Hui Feng, uses measurements on land and from satellites to better understand the ocean and climate.  MORE >> Melting Icebergs: Methods, Impacts, and Implications 10/22/2010 | Medea Steinman, (Ocean Systems) Tags: 10.20.10 webinar, icebergs, concept mapping In this week’s ROLE Model Webinar, Dr. Ben Twining, researcher at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, described some of the myriad technologies that are used in ocean science research. Annette deCharon then shared some of her observations and experiences from her years of using concept mapping in a variety of contexts.  MORE >> Network Science for Dummies 10/19/2010 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) Tags: COSEE OCEAN, networks, network science COSEE Ocean Communities in Education And social Networks (OCEAN) will be using and building networks as we develop our Center programs and activities. One of our first tasks is to learn all we can about how networks work. We thought we might bring the COSEE Network along as we learn.  MORE >> Getting Wiggio With It 10/19/2010 | COSEE ENTs, (COSEE.net) Tags: groups, ENTs, online, tools Another "Tools That Work" piece from the Excellence in Networking Tools Sub-group (ENTs)  MORE >> Maximizing your assets: the value of simple but layered maps 10/14/2010 | Ted Taylor, Bangor High School (Ocean Systems) Tags: concept mapping, carbon cycle, ROLE Model Webinar, educator post, 10.06.10 webinar I think we have all had those times when you are trying to figure out how to do something, and you’ve spent hours and hours, days and days, and even months on it, but you just feel like you’re going nowhere with it. You just seem to reach a wall where you see many of the pieces you want to fit together, but you can’t seem to make it fit. Then something happens where you “see the light” and you wonder why it took so long. I had one of those “see the light” moments during the third COSEE-OS webinar when I listened and watched Dr. Larry Mayer discuss his carbon cycle concept map.  MORE >> The many travels of carbon through ocean systems 10/07/2010 | Medea Steinman, (Ocean Systems) Tags: carbon cycle, ROLE Model webinar, 10.06.10 webinar Biogeochemist Larry Mayer spent the last few weeks dreaming about genies. Last night he talked to an online audience of 36 people from 12 states about what he calls the “genie in the bottle” also known as sequestered carbon. Former educator and current graduate student Beth Campbell also shared her insights as an educator on just how useful concept mapping can be – both for her previous students and for her current research.  MORE >> Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, nor Gulf Stream.... 10/06/2010 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) Tags: ocean observing, Scott Glenn, Gulf Stream, Atlantic Crossing Developing the SEW-G Case Study of Dr. Scott Glenn, of COSEE NOW and Rutgers, means delving into the history of ocean observing.  MORE >> The fate of Persistent Organic Pollutants 09/23/2010 | Carla Lauter, ODYSEA LLC (Ocean Systems) Tags: ROLE Model webinar, Persistent Organic Pollutants, Concept Mapping, 09.22.10 webinar University of Connecticut scientist Penny Vlahos brought us into the world of POPs- persistent organic pollutants - and what their global travels might mean to our health.  MORE >> Take Two Triceratops and Call Me in the Morning 09/16/2010 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) In the process of analyzing compounds in Puget Sound, chemical oceanographer Rick Keil makes observations about the chemical make=up of common pharmaceuticals.  MORE >> Peter delves deeper to answer more questions 09/15/2010 | Peter Girguis, Harvard University (Ocean Systems) Tags: ROLE Model webinar, hydrothermal vents, scientist post, 08.10.10 webinar Thanks to all the educators who participated in our ROLE Model Webinar. I really enjoyed interacting in “virtual space” with all of you, and discussing my most recent research cruise during the month of July 2010 to the Juan de Fuca hydrothermal vent field off the coast of Oregon state. It is really refreshing for me as a scientist to talk to people who are so excited about deep sea topics – it truly helps reinvigorate my own passions and ideas for my work, as well as learn more about how you and your students could best utilize this information in educational settings. Thanks for sending in such though-provoking questions on the pre-webinar survey as well. I tried to answer some of them below, and have provided reference links at the end of this post to reputable scientist-vetted sites for others.  MORE >> No, Not That PAH! 09/13/2010 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) Tags: chemical oceanography, case study Part of creating a Case Study about chemical oceanographer Rick Keil is understanding what his research is all about. And reading about his research projects entails encountering things like acronyms. As in, "The lab also has the capability to investigate other compound types including simple sugars, organic acids, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkanes." So what are "PAHs"?  MORE >> Developing a SEWG Case Study....One Step at a Time! 09/12/2010 | Catherine Cramer, (OCEAN) Tags: SEWG, COSEE New England, COSEE OLC, COSEE SouthEast, Education and Outreach The Scientists Engagement Working Group (SEWG) is producing a series of 13 Case Studies, each of which features a scientist who has been engaged in exemplary Education and Outreach activities. Each COSEE Center has recommended a scientist for inclusion who has been involved with their Center in Education and Outreach.  MORE >> People are talking - webinar feedback 09/02/2010 | Medea Steinman, (Ocean Systems) Tags: ROLE Model webinar, 07.28.10 webinar, 08.10.10 webinar At COSEE-Ocean Systems we always want to know how participants feel about the activities, resources and events that we sponsor—if you’ve attended any of our events you’ve probably had direct experience with this through one of our Survey Monkey surveys! This is very important to our work and we appreciate the time people take to do these surveys because they’ve enabled us to collect so much valuable information about what is useful to educators and what direction we need to go in.  MORE >> The Missing Links 08/31/2010 | Michele Benoit, Bangor High School (Ocean Systems) Tags: concept mapping, educator post, 07.28.10 webinar Educator Michele Benoit (Bangor, ME) addresses challenges she experienced getting her students to make connections with science content.  MORE >> Arctic Walrus on Thin Ice 08/26/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Walrus, Climate Change, Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Alaska Native Perspectives on Climate Change, Traditional Knowledge, Bering Sea, Arctic Ocean Walrus, walrus hunters, and the study of sea ice is the focus of a [[LINK||http:// http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2010/08/10/10climatewire-another-symbol-of-the-arctics-complex-ecosyst-8466.html?pagewanted=3 ||New York Times Climate Wire story|||| target=']] by Lauren Morello that portrays the long-term dependence of Yupik and Inupiat hunters on the Pacific walrus for the meat, bone tools, skins to cover boats, gutskin clothing, clothing in the context of a rapidly-warming Arctic which is changing the icescape upon which both walruses and people depend. The behavior of sea ice is no longer predictable.  MORE >> Sticklebacks and Climate Change: Will "Darwin's Fishes" be Winners? 08/25/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Climate Change Impacts on Alaska Marine Ecosystems, Resiliency to Climate Change, Sticklebacks A recent study provided additional evidence that sticklebacks have one of the fastest evolutionary responses in wild populations, which could make them particularly resilient to changes in water temperature. University of British Columbia researcher Rowan Barrett and colleagues in Switzerland and Sweden reported on the results of experiments demonstrated that, in little as three years, freshwater sticklebacks developed tolerance for water temperatures 2.5 degrees Celsius lower than their ancestors.  MORE >> July Sea Ice Second Lowest - Record Low Unlikely for 2010 08/25/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Arctic Ocean The National Sea and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reported that a surge in late winter ice growth resulted in a delay of one week in the onset of ice melt in the Beaufort, Chukchi, East Siberian, and Bering seas, compared to the 1979-2000 average.  MORE >> Mary Pete Testifies on Climate Change Impacts on Subsistence at Senate Field Hearing - 8/19/10 08/25/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Alaska Native Perspectives on Climate Change, Arctic Ocean, Traditional Knowledge Changes in Alaska Marine Ecosystems Mary Pete, recently appointed to the U.S. Arctic Research Commission to represent indigenous perspectives and to focus on anthropology, subsistence, and education; testified at a Senate field hearing on the implications for federal resources and local communities of a changing Arctic in Barrow on August 29, 2010.  MORE >> Some intriguing questions from the ROLE Model webinars 08/20/2010 | Medea Steinman, (Ocean Systems) Tags: ROLE Model Webinar, hydrothermal vents, oil spill, 08.10.10 webinar, 07.28.10 webinar This summer, educators and other professionals from across the U.S. participated in online presentations by scientists on two fascinating topics: 1) oil spill impacts on the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and 2) hydrothermal vent ecosystems. They also heard from educator-colleagues about ways to implement concept mapping in the classroom and in collaborative projects.  MORE >> Exploring hydrothermal vents and their amazing productivity 08/11/2010 | Carla Lauter, ODYSEA LLC (Ocean Systems) Tags: ROLE Model webinar, hydrothermal vents, 08.10.10 webinar Harvard scientist Peter Girguis shared some of the secrets of the deep and strange hydrothermal vent ecosystems found in the Juan de Fuca ridge area through a new concept map presentation at last night's second "ROLE Model" webinar.  MORE >> A wealth of oil spill assets presented at the first OS webinar 07/29/2010 | Carla Lauter, ODYSEA LLC (Ocean Systems) Tags: ROLE model webinar, concept mapping, oil spill, 07.28.10 webinar Throughout the past week, OS staff have been on the hunt to find interesting, scientifically-accurate items to add to the Ocean Climate Interactive database of assets on the topic of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexcio. We gathered some great images of the spill plume taken by various NASA satellites as they passed by, as well as some clear overview diagrams and maps produced by NOAA and others in their collaborative efforts to gather information to discover the best way to address the spill. Presenting scientists Karen Orcutt and Kjell Gundersen also shared some of their own assets with us, which we also uploaded for use in concept maps.  MORE >> New Tide and Estuary Exhibits at Alaska Island and Ocean Visitor Center in Homer 07/25/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Communicating Science, Ocean and Climate Literacy The Kachemak Bay National Research Reserve and Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge collaborated on new permanent exhibits to illustrate Kachemak Bay's extreme tidal range and show how the tides influence a key ecosystem where the rivers and streams meet the bay. The tidal exhibit includes films that show tides in action, including a time lapse film of various locations in the Bay.  MORE >> The Ups and Downs (and Wanderings) of Polar Bears 07/23/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Polar bear, Climate Change, Changes in Alaska Marine Ecosystems, Changing Species Distributions Local residents and biologists were startled by the sighting of a polar bear near the village of Emmonak at the mouth of the Yukon River. There have been other sightings of polar bears on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta this summer compared to only a few that have been seen this far south every three to five years  MORE >> Ocean Warming Affecting Marine Ecosystems - Science journal articles 07/23/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Changes in Alaska Marine Ecosystems, Ocean Acidification In its recent ocean news update, SeaWeb summarized several articles from the June 18, 2010, issue of Science related to the effects of ocean warming. Absorption of carbon dioxide and heat - the scale and pace of change in chemical and physical conditions have set in motion a wide range of biological responses, including: **Changes in the distribution, abundance, and productivity of phytoplankton communities **Acidification and stratification of the ocean **Decrease in annual productivity by at least six percent since the early 1980s with nearly 70 percent of this decline occurring in the polar and subpolar regions **Rising temperatures in polar regions are reducing ice thickness and extent, removing habitat for species from polar bears to penguins and fundamentally altering marine ecosystems. **Warming waters are prompting a poleward shift in the distribution of a number of species, resulting in an increase in the number of invasive or exotic species, including pathogens. (Hoegh-Guldberg and Bruno) **Ocean pH is lower now than it has been in 20 million years. (Kerr) **The rate of ocean pH is unprecedented, a factor of 30 to 100 times faster than changes in the recent geological past, and perturbations will last many centuries to millennia. (Doney) **Some marine species may benefit from higher CO2 levels such as phytoplankton, seagrass, and seaweed species that increase their rate of photosynthesis. (Doney)  MORE >> Research News from the 2010 Field Season 07/23/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Arctic Ocean, communicating, The Bering Sea & the Aleutian Islands, Alaska Marine Ecosystem, Marine Ecosystem science Research updates on projects being worked on for the 2010 Field Season  MORE >> Introducing the "ROLE Model" Webinar Series 07/21/2010 | Carla Lauter, ODYSEA LLC (Ocean Systems) Tags: ROLE Model Webinar, concept mapping At COSEE-OS, we've strived to transform ocean science education by involving members of the scientific research community through our programs. Many COSEE-OS workshops have paired educators with research scientists, and we are always eager to hear peoples' feedback from these endeavors. After running several workshops, we began to notice a pattern - that we were hearing the same feedback time and time again. We found that there is a strong desire from participants to have more opportunities to interact with research scientists.  MORE >> International Polar Year Conference in Oslo Draws 2300 Scientists, Educators, and Artists 07/16/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Collaborative Research, Communicating Science, Culturally-relevant Science Education, Arctic Ocean, Alaska Natives International Polar Year Conference draws people from all over the world and involved scientists from 60 countries.  MORE >> COSEE Webinars for Scientists and Educators 06/16/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Communicating Science, Lesson plans, culturally-relevant science education COSEE expands and connects students to scientific concepts and real-time science through webinar series  MORE >> Gray Whale Spotted in Israeli Waters; Pacific Squid in the Southwest Atlantic 06/16/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Squid, Gray Whale, Changing Species Distributions, Changing Ocean Current Patterns In early May, 2010, Israel's Marine Mammal Research and Assistance Centre photographed and positively identified a gray whale off the coast of Israel, near Herzliya Marina. Gray whales are thought to be extinct across the Atlantic Ocean, so the appearance of an individual within the Mediterranean Sea is a major surprise.  MORE >> More Alaska Students are "Proficient" in Science 06/03/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Ocean and Climate Literacy, Alaska K-12 Science Education More Alaska students scored proficient on science assessments when tested in April, 2010. More also tested proficient in math and reading but fewer tested proficient in writing.  MORE >> Alaskan Students Shine with Award-winning Ocean Science Fair Projects 04/27/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Ocean and Climate Literacy, Culturally-relevant Science Education COSEE Alaska’s judges at the March, 2010, Alaska State Science and Engineering Fair were faced with a difficult task – to select award winners from among more than 50 projects. The judges included both elders and scientists who selected projects to judge for COSEE awards because they addressed a scientific problem and were also relevant to local culture or the coastal community.  MORE >> Record Global Temperatures in March; Arctic Sea Ice Reaches its Maximum Extent on the Latest Date since 1979. 04/27/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Weather Patterns, Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Arctic Ocean The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature was the warmest on record at 56.3°F (13.5°C), which is 1.39°F (0.77°C) above the 20th century average of 54.9°F (12.7°C). Additionally, the National Sea Ice Data Center reported that Arctic sea ice reached its maximum extent for the year on March 31, 2010, at 15.25 million square kilometers (5.89 million square miles).  MORE >> The Climate Prediction Gap: Half of the Planet's Heat Can't be Accounted For 04/27/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Heat storage in the Ocean Current observational tools cannot account for roughly half of the heat that is believed to have built up on Earth in recent years, according to a “Perspectives” article in the April 15 issue of Science. Scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) warn in the new study that satellite sensors, ocean floats, and other instruments are inadequate to track this “missing” heat, which may be building up in the deep oceans or elsewhere in the climate system.  MORE >> An Alaskan Environmental Literacy Plan is Underway 04/27/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Ocean and Climate Literacy, Culturally-relevant Science Education, Alaska K-12 Science Education COSEE Alaska is promoting ocean and climate change literacy through a planning effort to develop an Alaskan Environmental Literacy Plan (AKELP). The plan is being designed to connect youth with the natural world and the communities within which they live. The plan will promote learning and physical activity in outdoor settings.  MORE >> Highlights of AAAS Conference on Promoting Climate Literacy through Informal Education 03/15/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Communicating about Climate Change, Ocean and Climate Literacy On February 16-17, the Project 2061 program of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) sponsored a climate literacy conference for informal educators before their annual meeting in San Diego. A series of presenters provided background on the status of climate science, public opinion, and climate literacy, then provided advice about how informal science institutions such as museums, aquaria, zoos, and nature centers could best promote an increase in climate literacy and actions.  MORE >> New Observations Find Underwater Arctic Shelf is Perforated and Venting Methane 3/6/2010 03/15/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Underwater Methane, Arctic Ocean One of the positive feedbacks from global warming is the thawing of Arctic permafrost. This releases methane, a greenhouse gas over 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. Investigations into Arctic methane have tended to focus on land permafrost. However, there are also vast amounts of methane held underwater in the East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS).  MORE >> Whales, like Trees, Slow Warming, 2/26/2010 03/15/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Whales, Carbon Cycling, Marine Ecosystems Andrew Pershing of the University of Maine School of Marine Science and the Gulf of Maine Research Institute presented his calculations of carbon recycling through whale bodies at the Ocean 2010 conference of the American Geophysical Union in Portland, Oregon.  MORE >> Ocean Climate Change Headlines from the 2010 Alaska Marine Science Symposium 02/01/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Bering Sea, Changing Alaska Marine Ecosystems, Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Changes in Ocean Current Systems, Ocean Acidification, Humpback Whales, Herring The evidence of climate change presented for Alaska's seas at the 2010 AMSS included effects of both warmer years than on average and colder years than on average as well as evidence that different areas and species will respond differently to climate change.  MORE >> Changing Arctic Sea Ice Patterns affect Movements and Habitats of Marine Mammals 02/01/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Bowhead Whale, Gray Whale, Warlus, Arctic Ocean, Climate Change, Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Arctic Ocean, Alaska Marine Ecosystems, Marine Ecosystem Science NOAA scientist Sue Moore reported at the 2010 Alaska Marine Science Symposium on a study that related the changes in Arctic sea ice extent with the movements and habitats of polar bears, walruses, and gray whales in the Pacific side of the Arctic region.  MORE >> How Many "Big Macs-worth" of Herring Can a Whale Eat? 02/01/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: ALaska Marine Ecosystems, Humpback Whales, Herring, Predation A suite of studies presented at the 2010 Alaska Marine Science Symposium focused on humpback whales as a potential culprit restricting the recovery of herring stocks in Prince William Sound  MORE >> High-latitude Seas “Pre-conditioned” for Increased Acidification; Evidence of Surface Acidity Now Stretches from Hawaii to Alaska 02/01/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Ocean Acidification, Carbon Cycling, Herring, Alaska Marine Ecosystems, Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Arctic Ocean A research team at the NOAA NMFS Auke Bay Lab explored the physiological effects of acidification on marine fishes with an experiment to determine the effects of lowered pH on survival and growth of Pacific herring embryos.  MORE >> Algal Growth Rings Tell a Story of Unprecedented Change in the Alaska Coastal 02/01/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Red Algae, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Changing Ocean Current Patterns, Alaska Marine Ecosystems University of Toronto graduate student Phoebe Chan won an award at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium for one of the best student presentations for the story told to her by the growth rings laid down by coralline red algae.  MORE >> Noisy Future Predicted for the North Pacific Ocean as Acidification Progresses 12/23/09 01/10/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Ocean Acidification, Climate Change, Noise in the Ocean Researchers realized that human-made carbon dioxide not only warms and acidifies the ocean -- it also affects acoustical properties of seawater, making it more transparent to low-frequency sound.  MORE >> More Americans Think Most Scientists Disagree that Global Warming is Happening; Fewer Trust Scientists 12/13/10 01/10/2010 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Communicating about Climate Change, Ocean and Climate Literacy The Washington Post and ABC News conducted a telephone poll of about 1,000 Americans on December 13 during the Copenhagen Climate Conference which included questions to gauge whether Americans think that scientists agree that global warming is happening, how much they trust scientists, and their own attitudes about efforts to reduce green house gas emissions.  MORE >> Americans Ready to Act to Sustain Oceans; Kids Know and Care Most 12/18/09 12/18/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Communicating about Climate Change, Ocean and Climate Literacy The Ocean Project released the results of 2009 surveys of American awareness, attitudes, and behaviors concerning the ocean, climate change, and related environmental issues and compared them to similar surveys they conducted in 1999.  MORE >> Decade of 2000s was Warmest Ever 12/7/09 & 12/8/09 12/18/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Changing Arctic Sea Ice Over the decade's first nine years, global temperatures averaged 0.6 degrees Celsius (1.1 degrees F) higher than the 1951-1980 average, NASA reported. And temperatures rose faster in the far north than anyplace else on Earth.  MORE >> Arctic Food Webs Affect Mercury in Polar Bears 12/8/09 12/18/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Arctic Ocean With growing concerns about the effects of global warming on polar bears, it's increasingly important to understand how other environmental threats, such as mercury pollution, are affecting these magnificent Arctic animals.  MORE >> Global Warming Reducing Russian Polar Bear Population 12/9/09 12/18/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Arctic Ocean, Arctic Sea Ice, Polar Bear How global warming is changing Polar bear populations in Russia and why humans care.  MORE >> Scientists Reply to "Climategate" 12/18/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Communicating about Climate Change, Communicating Science, Global Climate Change How scientists are reacting to the emails that ware hacked and how this could change the way researchers operate.  MORE >> New Study Shows Mixed Effects of CO2 on Shell-building 12/4/09 12/04/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Ocean Acidification, Marine Ecosystem Science, ALaska Marine Ecosystems A new study has yielded surprising findings about how the shells of marine organisms might stand up to an increasingly acidic ocean in the future. Under very high experimental CO2 conditions, the shells of clams, oysters, and some snails and urchins partially dissolved. But other species seemed as if they would not be harmed, and crustaceans, such as lobsters, crabs, and prawns, appeared to increase their shell-building.  MORE >> Emails Stolen from Climate Change Scientists 12/04/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Communicating about Climate Change, Communicating Science, Climate Change One of the purposes of this site is about how best to communicate about climate change. The reactions to stolen email communications among climate scientists at the University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit are providing an interesting lens into how scientists communicate informally about science, how some nonscientists interpret “proof” and “disproof,” and how scientists defend both the scientific method and the process of peer review. The interpretation of the emails is having political consequences related to deliberations in Congress on the climate change bills and discussions at the Copenhagen Climate Conference.  MORE >> Sea Ice Melt has Implications for Acidification of Arctic Waters 11/2009 12/04/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Arctic Ocean, Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Climate Change, Ocean Acidification Two scientific journal articles published in November, 2009, related the extent of sea ice melt to undersaturation of aragonite which is required for shell-building by many plankton and invertebrate species in Arctic waters. A combination of processes are now working to increase acidification and lower the concentrations of forms of calcite used for shell-building: **increased carbon dioxide in the ocean from anthropogenic sources, **freshening and dilution as ice melts, **increased biological activity after the ice melts which takes up calcite from surface waters and depletes it in subsurface waters as organic matters decays and produced CO2, and **upwellings of low pH waters.  MORE >> Less Multi-year Ice in Beaufort Sea than Expected from Satellite Imagery 11/27/09 12/03/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Climate Change, Arctic Ocean Arctic sea ice has duped satellites into reporting thick multiyear sea ice where in fact none exists, a new study by University of Manitoba researcher David Barber has found. In 2008 and 2009 satellite data showed a growth in Arctic sea ice extension leaving some to reckon global warming was reversing. But after sailing an ice breaker to the southern Beaufort Sea this past September Dr. Barber and his colleagues found something unexpected: thin, "rotten" ice can electromagnetically masquerade as thick, multiyear sea ice. And contrary to what satellites recently suggested, we are actually speeding up the loss of the remaining, healthy, multiyear sea ice.  MORE >> White House Begins Campaign to Promote Science and Math Education 11/23/09 11/23/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Ocean and Climate Literacy, K-12 Science Education White House comes up with plans to promote science and math education which also includes an annual science fair at the White House  MORE >> Are the Earth's Oceans Hitting Their Carbon Cap? 11/19/09 11/23/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Carbon Cycling, Marine Ecosystem Science The planet's oceans serve as a vital carbon sink however research shows that the oceans' ability to absorb man-made carbon may be dwindling  MORE >> Sea Star Swells With Tides 11/17/09 11/23/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Marine Ecosystem Science, Climate Change, Sea Stars, Intertidal Community Ecology A species of sea star (the ochre star, Pisaster ochraceus) has figured out a novel way of keeping cool on rocky shorelines. The animal literally soaks up chilly water during high tides to protect itself from the blazing temperatures that persist when the tide goes out.  MORE >> Arctic Ocean Cooling in Places 11/17/09 11/23/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Arctic Ocean, Climate Change, Ocean Water Temperatures Recent, end-of-arctic-summer ship journeys have helped scientists discover that waters of the Arctic Ocean have cooled, at least in the area they surveyed.  MORE >> Record Highs Far Outpace Record Lows Across U.S. 11/12/09 11/23/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Temperature Patterns Spurred by a warming climate, daily record high temperatures occurred twice as often as record lows over the last decade across the continental United States, new research shows. The ratio of record highs to lows is likely to increase dramatically in coming decades if emissions of greenhouse gases continue to climb.  MORE >> NOAA Launches an Expanded World Ocean Database and a New Tide Predictor 11/23/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Marine Ecosystem Science, Ocean Data, Tide Prediction The World Ocean Database 2009 is the largest, most comprehensive collection of scientific information about the oceans with records dating as far back as 1800. The 2009 database, updated from the 2005 edition, is significantly larger providing approximately 9.1 million temperature profiles and 3.5 million salinity reports. The 2009 database also captures 29 categories of scientific information from the oceans, including oxygen levels and chemical tracers, plus information on gases and isotopes that can be used to trace the movement of ocean currents.  MORE >> Arctic Sea Ice Extent Remains Low in September, 2009 11/23/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Arctic Ocean, Climate Change, Changing Arctic Sea Ice National Sea Ice Data Center newsletter provides information on Arctic sea ice coverage and the changes over the years.  MORE >> NOAA's 2009 Arctic Report Card 11/2/09 11/02/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea, Temperature Patterns,Communicating about Climate Change,Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Summaries fo the findings by NOAA on the condition of the Arctic  MORE >> The Earth Cools, and Fight Over Warming Heats Up 11/2/09 11/02/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Communicating about Climate Change Many Scientists Say Temperature Drop From Recent Record Highs Is a Blip, While a Few See a Trend; Inexact Climate Models  MORE >> Arctic land and seas account for up to 25 percent of world’s carbon sink 10/14/09 11/02/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Arctic Ocean, Carbon Cycling, According to a new study, ecologists estimate that Arctic lands and oceans are responsible for up to 25 percent of the global net sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Under current predictions of global warming, this Arctic sink could be diminished or reversed, potentially accelerating predicted rates of climate change.  MORE >> Impacts of Climate Change Coming Faster and Sooner: New Science Report Underlines Urgency for Governments to Seal the Deal in Copenhagen 9/24/09 10/12/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change. Sea Level Rise, Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Ocean Acidification, Changing Species Distributions Science report shows climate change coming faster and sooner and underlines urgency for Governments to seal the deal in Copenhagen  MORE >> Over the Summer, a Spread of Thicker Arctic Ice 10/6/09’ 10/12/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Arctic Ocean, Traditional Knowledge, Arctic Ocean The National Snow and Ice Data Center released its summary of summer sea-ice conditions in the Arctic on Tuesday, noting a substantial expansion of the extent of “second-year ice” — floes thick enough to have persisted through two summers of melting. The result could be a reprieve, at least for a while, from the recent stretch of remarkable summer meltdowns.  MORE >> Arctic Ocean acid will dissolve shells of sea creatures within 10 years 10/4/09 10/12/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Arctic Ocean, Ocean Acidification, Climate Change The Arctic Ocean is becoming acidic so quickly that it will reach corrosive levels within 10 years, a leading scientist has warned. Waters around the North Pole are absorbing carbon dioxide at such a rate that they will soon start dissolving the shells of living sea creatures.  MORE >> Scarcity of King Salmon Hurt Alaskan Fishermen 10/2/09 10/12/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Salmon, King Salmon, Climate Change, Alaska Marine Ecosystems King salmon play an outsize role in villages along the Yukon River. Fishing provides meaningful income, feeds families throughout the year, and keeps alive long-held traditions of Yup’ik Eskimos and Athabascan Indians. However this year, a total ban on commercial fishing for king salmon on the river in Alaska has strained poor communities and stripped the prized Yukon fish off menus in the lower 48 states  MORE >> August Seas Warmest in at Least 120 Years; 2009 Arctic Ice Minimum Predicted as Third Lowest on Record 9/16/09 10/12/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Climate Change, Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Arctic Ocean, Water Temperature Patterns The National Climatic Data Center has released its review of worldwide sea surface temperatures for August and for the stretch from June through August and finds that both the month and the “summer” (as looked at from the Northern Hemisphere) were the warmest at least since 1880, when such records were first systematically compiled.  MORE >> Greenhouse gas leaking from Arctic Ocean floor 9/16/09 10/11/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Arctic Ocean, Climate Change, Marine Ecosystem Science, Methane Hydrates Scientists have reportedthe presence of previously unknown sources of methane bubbling up from the Arctic Ocean seafloor north of Norway.  MORE >> German ships successfully make "Arctic Passage 9/12/09 10/11/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Arctic Ocean, Climate Change, Changing Arctic Sea Ice Two German cargo ships have successfully navigated across Russia's Arctic-facing northern shore from South Korea to Siberia without the help of icebreakers  MORE >> Warming from greenhouse gases has trumped the Arctic’s millennia-long natural cooling cycle 9/11/09 10/11/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Arctic ocean, Climate Change, Long-term Temperature Patterns Although the Arctic has been receiving less energy from the summer sun for the past 8,000 years, Arctic summer temperatures began climbing in 1900 and accelerated after 1950. The decade from 1999 to 2008 was the warmest in the Arctic in two millennia.  MORE >> Melting Ice Forces Walruses to Alaska Shore 9/11/09 10/11/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Walrus, Climate Change, Arctic Ocean, Changing Arctic Sea Ice Thousands of walruses are congregating on Alaska's northwest coast, a sign that their Arctic sea ice environment has been altered by climate change.  MORE >> Wildlife Changes Seen with Global Warming 9/11/09 10/11/2009 | Marilyn Sigman, Alaska SeaGrant/MAP Tags: Walrus, Salmon, Gray Whale, Polar Bear, Ringed Seal, Climate change, Changing Arctic Sea Ice, Arctic Ocean, Arctic Ecosystems, Alaska Marine Ecosystems, Scientists carrying out studies of wildlife in the Arctic say global warming is causing dramatic changes in animal and plant life, threatening some species with extinction. The report is a compilation of studies of Arctic ecosystems by an international team of scientists who have been collaborating during the fourth International Polar Year, which ended in 2008  MORE >>

© 2008-2015. The Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE). All rights reserved. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grants #0827983, #0828142 and #0827953. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. National COSEE Office Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island Narragansett, RI 02882 401-874-6524 | cosee@gso.uri.edu | COSEE Staff