The Rise and Fall of the Tide: Ocean Literacy in the United States

Abstract

The words “Ocean Literacy” roll off the multilingual tongues of scientists, educators, and policy makers worldwide who understand the essential role of the ocean on this planet. However, this was not always the case. The Ocean Literacy campaign in the United States (US) was founded by individuals and institutions focused on raising awareness of the influence of the one global ocean on every living being on the planet. The original grassroots effort became a well-funded, well-organized campaign that spawned global initiatives that thrive to this day. Faced with a lack of critical resources, the US campaign currently relies on the services of dedicated members of the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) whose vision of making known the world of water is part of their collective DNA.

Θαλάσσιος Γραμματισμός: Γένεση, Εξάπλωση Και Εξειδίκευσή Του Στη Μεσόγειο Θάλασσα

“…National Science Foundation -NSF, Consortium for Ocean Science Exploration and Engagement -COSEE, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -NOAA), προκειμένου να μοιραστούν τις ιδέες τους αναφορικά με τις σημαντικές έννοιες που όλοι θα πρέπει να γνωρίζουμε για τον ωκεανό (π.χ. Payne et al, 2022). Αυτές ακριβώς οι ιδέες αποτέλεσαν τη βάση για τη σύλληψη ενός νέου πλαισίου στο οποίο δόθηκε η ονομασία Ocean Literacy, όρο που αποδίδουμε στη γλώσσα μας ως Θαλάσσιο Γραμματισμό (Μόγιας κ.ά., 2020).…”

“…Εν μέσω λοιπόν αυτής της περιόδου με την έντονη κινητικότητα που παρατηρείται διεθνώς στο πλαίσιο μιας πιο ουσιαστικής Εκπαίδευσης για το Περιβάλλον και την Αειφορία, ο Θαλάσσιος Γραμματισμός αποδείχτηκε τόσο επιτυχημένος στη σύλληψή του όσον αφορά την αποδοχή του από διάφορους παράγοντες, που πολύ σύντομα διέσχισε τα εθνικά σύνορα των Η.Π.Α. και είναι σήμερα, ύστερα από μια πορεία μικρότερη των δύο δεκαετιών, αποδεκτός σε όλον τον κόσμο (Payne et al, 2022)…”

ADSWIM and WATERCARE Projects Meet Kids and Youth: The Challenge of Bringing the World of Research to School to Merge Research, Education and Communication

“…Within this framework, in 2002, the "Ocean Literacy discussions" underlined the need to introduce an ocean science education [3]. Ocean literacy is defined as "an understanding of the ocean's influence on us and our influence on the ocean" [4]. Another useful concept in line with ocean literacy is ocean citizenship, which describes a relationship between our everyday lives and the health of the coastal and marine environment.…”

Ocean Literacy across the Mediterranean Sea region in the Era of 2030 Agenda and the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)

“…Though OL started as a knowledge concept, it has evolved via a multi-perspective approach that promotes interdisciplinary and intercultural competencies, which also contribute to ocean conservation, management, and sustainability (Mokos et al, 2022). Through this process, OL crossed over the national boundaries of the United States and is today accepted throughout the world (Payne et al, 2022).…”

“…Section 1: Ocean Literacy background Payne et al (2022) provide a brief history of the origin of the OL campaign and its influence across the globe based on the foundation designed and developed by individuals and organizations in the United States over a span of twenty years. The concept of the Ocean Literacy Framework is also presented.…”