Pacific Region
AK | CA [USC, CA] | HI | OR | WA
Alaska Sea Grant
Coastal Hazards/International: U.N. and Pakistan Thank Alaska Sea Grant
for Plan to Reduce Oil Spills
• Alaska Sea Grant Extension Agent, Rick Steiner, a professor and
conservation specialist, was honored recently by the United Nations and
the Pakistan government for his efforts to help Pakistan assess damage
after the July 2003 Tasman Spirit oil spill. He also helped plan a strategy
for restoration and to reduce future spills.
• Steiner served as the chief technical advisor to the
Pakistan government for its National Resource Damage Assessment
(NRDA) program. This was the first comprehensive NRDA program
to be conducted in a developing country, and it has provided
a model that the U.N. can use globally.
University of Southern California Sea Grant
Education: Sea Grant Makes a Difference for K-12 Los Angeles Students
• Hundreds of students have been exposed to marine science and other
science disciplines through the USC Sea Grant “Island Explorers”
marine education program.
• The program focuses on underserved and minority students in the
Los Angeles area, bringing lesson plans, classroom support and workshops
to teachers, students and parents in order to enhance science literacy
and encourage science careers. As an interdisciplinary pursuit, marine science fosters learning not only
in traditional science but also in mathematics, reading and a general
interest in educational advancement.
California Sea Grant
Invasive Species/Marine Biotechnology: Sea Grant Discovers Polymer with
"Self-Healing" Properties
• Sea Grant researchers have discovered protein polymers in marine
snail egg capsules that could help build better soft-tissue transplant
material such as artificial tendons and ligaments for treating joint injuries.
• Tests have shown that the polymer has “self-healing”
properties—it can be stretched and re-stretched without tearing.
Hawaii Sea Grant
MIT and Hawaii Sea Grant Bring Underwater Robots to Classrooms
Hawai'i teachers are using "Sea Perch," an underwater remote-controlled vehicle made of PVC pipes and hardware store materials to help students probe underwater environments and learn engineering skills. As a result of this Sea Grant training workshop, community college students will introduce Sea Perch to high school students this summer. Darren Okimoto (University of Hawai'i Sea Grant College Program), notes, "It is critical to more effectively recruit students from varying backgrounds into marine science, technology and engineering careers. This hands-on project encourages students to explore the wide range of opportunities that are available in these fields." Okimoto plans to work with the department of education to align the Sea Perch curriculum with Hawaii teaching standards. Visit: http://web.mit.edu/seagrant/edu/seaperch to learn more.
Oregon Sea Grant
Tsunamis: Oregon Tsunami Warning Signs Go Global Thanks to Sea Grant Extension
Leadership
• Tsunami warning signs, developed by Oregon State University Sea
Grant Extension as part of the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program
have been adopted throughout Oregon and in Washington, California, Alaska
and Hawaii, and are making big waves in Thailand.
• In Thailand, emergency services officials have adopted this simple, effective
design as a way to warn residents when the high water is headed their
way.
Washington Sea Grant
Ocean Observations/Coastal Hazards: Weather Buoy Launched to Improve Weather
Forecasting & Protect Fishing, Transport
• Washington and Oregon Sea Grant have partnered with NOAA to implement
the Coastal Storms Initiative Program. A new weather buoy, launched off
of the Oregon coast, provides much-needed data on wind and waves, improving
weather forecasts and reducing loss of lives and vessels.
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