NOAA and San Francisco’s Exploratorium Announce Five-year Partnership

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(Photo credit: Bradley Akamine, NOAA.)

In July, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, along with Exploratorium Executive Director Dennis M. Bartels, announced a five-year partnership between NOAA and San Francisco’s Exploratorium aimed at bringing cutting edge climate and ocean science to the public. The partnership will merge NOAA’s advanced research, ocean, weather and climate science with the Exploratorium’s expertise in developing interactive experiences to engage the public on some of the most critical environmental science issues (i.e., weather phenomena, fisheries issues and climate change).

Known as a leader in hands-on informal education, the Exploratorium’s first collaborative effort will take public audiences on a journey from the ocean surface to its depths in real-time as if they were aboard NOAA’s new high-tech research ship, the Okeanos Explorer. The Exploratorium will create an online and museum presence for the Okeanos Explorer that will include ship blogs, video and audio clips from recent discoveries, and live streaming video from the ship itself.

NOAA Joins Other U.S. Agencies and Canada to Survey Arctic Continental Shelf

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(Photo credit: USCG.)

In August, NOAA joined a multi-agency joint expedition that brought together icebreakers from the U.S. and Canada to collect and share data useful to both countries in defining the full extent of the Arctic continental shelf.

During the 41-day joint mission (August 7 to September 16), NOAA and the Joint Hydrographic Center will take the lead in collecting bathymetric (water depth) data from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy to map the seafloor, while the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Louis S. St-Laurent collects seismic data to determine sediment thickness. This collaborative effort saves millions of dollars by ensuring data are collected only once in the same area, and by sharing data useful to both nations.

The 2009 mission continues the U.S.-Canada partnership begun last year, and plans are in place to continue joint operations in 2010. The mission builds on earlier Arctic mapping efforts funded by NOAA.

September 12 Anacostia Cleanup — An Annual Day of Service

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(Photo credit: NOAA.)

Please join NOAA, EPA, Howard University and the Anacostia Watershed Society for a volunteer trash cleanup on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Bladensburg Waterfront Park in Maryland from 9 a.m. to noon EST.  The cleanup will be followed by a celebration with food, music and speeches from noon to 2 p.m. EST. [Find out more...]