Building Environmental Literacy: How the Ocean Community can Connect More Effectively With the American Public

October 1st, 2007 - October 31st, 2008 | PROJECT

In 1999 The Ocean Project completed a comprehensive opinion research on public attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge of the ocean ever conducted. The research identified a broad vacuum in public understanding of the ocean; a fundamental issue of ocean literacy. To further increase effectiveness in building ocean literacy, this project updates and expands The Ocean Project's research to create a more highly detailed database of public awareness, knowledge, and attitudes about the ocean and the impact of climate change on the ocean. It develops recommendations to enable free-choice learning educators to improve the ocean and climate literacy of their visitors. The study includes a comprehensive review of existing literature, qualitative and quantitative research, analysis of the data, and publication and broad dissemination, including recommendations for programs and content that build ocean and climate literacy. The work done by The Ocean Project is helping the ocean education community better understand the motivations, psychology, and emotions behind segments of the public's attitudes toward the ocean. These data are essential as the institutions, agencies and organizations of the ocean community work together and independently to engage people, inform decision-makers, and enhance ocean and climate literacy throughout the Nation.

Project Website(s)

(no project website provided)

Team Members

Bill Mott, Principal Investigator, The Ocean Project

Funders

Funding Source: NOAA
Funding Program: 2007 - Environmental Literacy Grants for Free-choice Learning
Award Number: NA07SEC4690007
Funding Amount: $375,100

Tags

Audience: General Public | Museum | ISE Professionals
Discipline: Climate | General STEM
Resource Type: Project Descriptions
Environment Type: Media and Technology | Professional Development | Conferences | Networks | Professional Development and Workshops | Websites | Mobile Apps | Online Media