posted by Sheril R. Kirshenbaum
I promised to provide the run down of what went on in DC during Capitol Hill Oceans Week (CHOW) 2007.. three days when the biggest players in the oceans game gathered to discuss current ocean and coastal issues. The usual suspects ranged from marine scientists to fishermen to members of Congress with representatives from federal and state governments, executive agencies, and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the mix. Even ocean celebrities Jean-Michel Cousteau and Sylvia Earle were involved.
But why settle for my recap of CHOW when you can now watch what went on from the comfort of your laptop? The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation has posted PPT presentations and speaker bios here. And check back in the next few weeks for the upcoming summary report to get a more comprehensive and reader-friendly sense of CHOW ’07.
June 18th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Sheril,
Tell us what you think, please. Where is ocean policy headed and why? What needs to happen next to make progress?
June 18th, 2007 at 2:32 pm
Well Mark, there are all sorts of things to be excited about..
OCEANS 21, Law of the Sea, and the Ocean Explorations bills to begin with. There was interesting discussion on advances in understanding the impacts of sonar on marine mammals and thoughtful consideration of the influence of Ecosystem Based Management initiatives on current governance regimes. It’s most encouraging that folks are moving toward a more interdisciplinary approach to understanding system dynamics including one session that explored economic drivers. I sense a growing recognition that humans are indeed part of the big picture and there was a recurring theme of the need for better outreach to the public and policymakers with regard to Science Communication. As a matter of fact, I know someone who could tell the group a thing or two about ‘Framing Science.’
Well, maybe next year.
Quite a lot packed into three days and I left feeling optimistic and energized – which to me is reflective of what we shared and possible direction for future initiatives.
It’s my belief that the oceans ‘Time’ has come.
June 11th, 2009 at 10:49 am
[...] than a few folks have noticed that for the first time in years, I’m not at Capitol Hill Oceans Week. Unfortunately, the 2009 meeting overlapped with [...]