The project will establish a listserve mechanism that will facilitate the exchange of information among Sea Grant programs and outside partners. Participants will convene a pilot Southeast Hazards Research Needs Assessment workshop that will include all elements of Sea Grant programs, as well as representatives from user groups and potential collaborators. Some of the goals of this project are to improve the transfer of hazards-related technology to user groups, to increase public awareness and understanding of hazards and hazards mitigation, to strengthen the natural coastal hazards element of the Sea Grant outreach network, to address the national need to reduce the losses of lives and property due to natural hazards, and to use innovative technologies to reach constituent groups with information and technology needed to address hazard mitigation problems. The Mobile Public School System is the largest in Alabama with a student population over 67,000. Of the district s sixteen high schools, all offer advanced biology, and ten offer marine biology as an elective science course.
Aquatic ecosystems are an integral part of the curriculum of each.
This project will target both teachers and students involved in these courses, with an emphasis on the watershed concept and the influence of sound management decisions on the physical and biologic health of aquatic habitats. The goal of this project is to instill within the participants greater understanding and appreciation of the connections between water quality and wildlife diversity and distribution. Project activities will include teacher in-service and student field study using the interpretive facilities and natural resources available at the school system s Environmental Studies Center. The focus throughout the project will be on hands-on learning using interactive teaching techniques and technology. St. Norbert College The Consortium for Oceanographic Activities for Students and Teachers brings together several marine science educators and their programs from around the country to collaborate on effectively providing oceanographic and coastal process education on levels ranging from kindergarten to post-graduate.