NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program

We have a new tool for educators to help them teach about the concept of ocean acidification! Check out the FREE Webinar our staff are giving with colleagues from the National Science Teachers Association on Thursday, April 14 at 6:30 pm eastern. The Webinar is targeted to high school science teachers, but open to all interested parties. Follow the link to learn more or register:

http://coralreef.noaa.gov/aboutcrcp/news/coralsinthenews/11archive/crcpstories/nsta_webinar/welcome.

coralreef.noaa.gov

COSEE Scholarship Still Available!

We still have one or possibly two COSEE Scholarships available. Please call if you are interested.

Garry (I will be in the Science Center on Monday April 4. Phone number is on the downloadable enrollment form in the right side bar.)

NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program

Learn about "Caribbean Marine Etiquette" before your next visit. Academy Award-winning actor Benicio del Toro voiced the video’s main character, a smooth trunkfish, who teaches us to be good stewards of the marine environment by not collecting corals and marine life as souvenirs.

Caribbean Marine Etiquette PSA

The Caribbean Marine Etiquette PSA is an entertaining visual experience starring Academy Award winner Benicio Del Toro. It engages, intrigues and educates residents, tourists, and children alike with stunning underwater imagery of the Caribbean Islands....

TME Information Night

Join us at 7:00 PM on March 29, 2011 at the Science Center, 10001 Route 60, Fredonia for an informational presentation about Tropical Marine Ecology. Applications and scholarship requests may be submitted at the meeting. Light refreshments will be served. Please call 716-679-3419 if you have questions or are interested but unable to attend.

TME 2011 -Dates, Prices & Scholarships!

The 2011 TME trip information to Roatan is now available! Download links for the Flyer with Enrollment Form and COSEE Scholarship Application may be found on the right side of the Blog.


DATES: July 30 to August 6, 2011


COST: $1664.00 for COSEE Scholars and $2414.00 without scholarship. COSEE-GL will offer ten scholarships to educators in the amount of $750.00 each. See the application for details.

Globe's coral reefs take second worst beating on record during 2010

Record warm ocean temperatures across much of Earth's tropical oceans during the summer of 2010 created the second worst year globally for coral-killing bleaching episodes. The warm waters, fueled in part by the El Niño phenomena, caused the most coral bleaching since 1998, when 16 percent of the world's reefs were killed off. "Clearly, we are on track for this to be the second worst (bleaching) on record," NOAA coral expert Mark Eakin in an interview last month. "All we're waiting on now is the body count." The summer 2010 bleaching episodes were worst in Southeast Asia, where El Niño warming of the tropical ocean waters during the first half of the year was significant. In Indonesia's Aceh province, 80% of the bleached corals died, and Malaysia closed several popular dive sites after nearly all the coral were damaged by bleaching. However, in the Caribbean's Virgin Islands, coral bleaching was not as severe as experienced in 2005, according to National Park Service fisheries biologist Jeff Miller. I'll discuss the reasons for this in a future blog post. In other portions of the Caribbean, such as Venezuela and Panama, coral bleaching was worse than that experienced in 2005.


Figure 1. An example of coral bleaching that occurred during the record-strength 1997-1998 El Niño event. Image credit: Craig Quirolo, Reef Relief/Marine Photobank, in Climate, Carbon and Coral Reefs

Read the whole article at

Dr. Jeff Masters' WunderBlog

Ocean Connections: National Environmental Education Week

April 10-16, 2011

Photo Credit: Jiangang Luo/Marine Photobank

The ocean covers nearly three quarters of our planet's surface, provides 70 percent of the oxygen in the atmosphere and houses about 20 percent of the known species on Earth. It regulates climate and weather and provides food and energy resources for humans worldwide. No matter how far from the coast, water in every stream or river on the planet eventually ends up in the ocean, and all life on Earth is dependent upon its health. Recognizing the importance of protecting the health of our ocean and understanding our dependence upon it regardless of its proximity, EE Week's 2011 theme is Ocean Connections. Register today to participate in EE Week 2011.

Save the Date

Green Moray Cleaning

Tropical Marine Ecology 2011 is set for July 30-August 6, 2011. We are planning to use the RIMS facility at Anthony's Key Resort on the island of Roatan. Stay tuned for details....