COSEE Alaska Launches Ocean SEANET - 10.12.2009

Join a network of ocean scientists, educators, and communicators involved in communicating about research in Alaska's seas. The goal of the group is to promote ocean and climate change literacy, sharing best practices, and integrating ocean science and local and traditional knowledge. Anyone can become a member by subscribing to the SEANET listserve or joining the SEANET group on an interactive Ocean SEANET networking site http://oceanseanet.ning.com.

Who is SEANET?
SEANET is a self-governed, informal NETwork of Scientists, Educators and other people involved in communicating about research in Alaska's seas. The goal of the network is to promote ocean and climate change literacy by connecting ocean scientists with ocean educators and communicators, sharing best practices, and working together to share and integrate ocean science and local and traditional knowledge. Everyone interested in these goals - ocean scientists, formal and informal educators, communications and public information specialists, media specialists, students of all ages, and Alaska coastal community members- is welcome to join the group.

SEANET is being organized by COSEE-Alaska. COSEE-Alaska will seek the assistance of its members in the development of educational and communication products and programs to increase outreach, education, and communication skills and to increase public knowledge about Alaska ocean environments.

COSEE-Alaska will send out postings several times each month listing upcoming events and training and outreach opportunities of interest to the network and a digest of Alaska ocean climate change news. Postings will be made to the listserve and also posted on http://oceanseanet.ning.com, where group members can also post to forums and sub-groups. Postings are archived at http://www.coseealaska.net/seanetarchive.

MISSION

The mission of Alaska SEANET is to promote Alaska ocean and climate change literacy through networking, communication, and collaboration.

GOVERNANCE
SEANET Steering Committee: SEANET is led by a Steering Committee made up of volunteer representatives, including ocean scientists, formal educators, informal educators, coastal community member, and students, along with COSEE Alaska members. The Steering Committee will hold one in-person meeting each year and hold periodic conference calls. Officers will include a Chair, Vice Chair and Secretary, and the COSEE Alaska Liaison.

To launch SEANET, an initial steering committee will consist of people representing the science, education, and communication sectors who have expressed interest in serving .

The SEANET Steering Committee will offer guidance and assist COSEE Alaska in:

• Helping to plan the annual Communicating Ocean Science workshop
• Assisting in development of a regional directory to scientists and formal and informal educators with a focus on marine and climate change research, outreach, and education
• Establishing “best practices” in ocean science communication, outreach and education,
• Planning for a national ocean science and education conference in 2012 in Anchorage

NETWORK SUPPORT
COSEE Alaska will serve as the communication hub for SEANET and for the Steering Committee and provide a listserve, electronic networking website, and teleconferencing some travel support for the Steering Committee member meetings.

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