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 | | West of the beach . . .
Oregon Shores' Ocean Program was established to help protect and restore that area of Oregon located West of the Beach. The program is focused on achieving six overarching goals: • Empowering citizens to use laws, science and communication tools to help protect the ocean. • Building momentum for improving our ocean's health by working within a statewide ocean coalition. • Establishing a system of marine protected areas, including fully-protected marine reserves, to protect intact ocean ecosystems for future generations. • Identifying ways to implement recommendations, in Oregon, from two seminal ocean reports — 2003 Pew Ocean Commission and 2004 US Commission on Ocean Policy • Bringing attention to the need for citizens and policy makers to consider the land-sea-air connection when managing and making decisions for Oregon's future. • Providing deliberative review of ocean development proposals, including those for wave energy facilities, to assure potential ecological impacts are identified, studied, and minimized or avoided. CONTACT Robin Hartmann, Ocean Program Director — 541-672-3694 |
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| | EVENTS | | | Fri Aug 15 7:00 PM Conference In August Concentrates On Sharing The Coast |  Those who love the coast, and those who love to teach others about it, will find much to fascinate them at the Sharing the Coast Conference, coming up Aug. 15-17 at the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) in Newport.
The conference is a collaborative effort between CoastWatch and the Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators (NAME). The event is open to the public. Talks in the HMSC auditorium are free; there will be a charge to participate in workshops, field trips and a reception.
Eminent oceanographer John McGowan opens the conference Friday evening, Aug. 15. Dr. McGowan will speak on the “State of the Oceans” at 7 p.m. in the HMSC auditorium.
Dr. McGowan was a professor of oceanography at Scripps Institution of Oceanography for 40 years, and is now a research professor there. His research interests focus on the large-scale interactions between climate and the physics and biology of the ocean. He is an oft-quoted leader in attempts to understand how ocean productivity and ecosystems are affected by variations in climate, and is particularly interested in long-term changes in the California Current and in the North Pacific. His talk will survey what we know about the state of the oceans, based on a lifetime of research.
On Saturday, Aug. 16, registration begins at 9 a.m., with talks starting at 9:30. Marine educator Marty Giles will speak on “The World of the Beach,” Sea Grant’s Sam Chan will discuss invasive species and how they are changing the coast, and Skye Moody, author of “Washed Up!” (among many other books), will take the audience on a tour of the driftline and reveal what beachcombing finds can teach us about the ocean.
Saturday afternoon will be filled with workshops, ranging from background discussions on climate change, invasive species and tidepool ecology to practical sessions on teaching marine science aimed at nature interpreters and schoolteachers.
Among workshops of particular interest to CoastWatchers, Dr. McGowan will lead a session on informing the public about climate change and the ocean; Sam Chan will conduct a workshop on identifying and reporting invasive species of the shoreline; State Parks archaeologist Nancy Nelson will discuss learning from and protecting cultural sites; and CoastWatcher Gene Williamson will provide tips for teaching about oceanography.
A number of field trips are planned for Sunday, Aug. 17, including a tidepooling trip to Seal Rock State Park, an estuary walk and a talk on coastal birds. Watch this space for more details.
For more information, contact Fawn Custer, (541) 867-0329, fawn.custer@oregonstate.edu, or CoastWatch Director Phillip Johnson, (503) 238-4450, orshores@teleport.com
 SOURCE: Phillip Johnson, CoastWatch Director, (503) 238-4450, or EMAIL | |
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