Marine Technology as a Showcase for Communicating Science

Great to see that the Marine Institute - Foras na Mara ("Ireland's national agency for marine research, technology, development and innovation") will be represented at this upcoming event looking at how science communication can benefit Marine research...

In their session on "The Significance of Marine Technology in Science Communication" at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2009 in Vienna, Austria on the 23^rd April 2009 public Relation and communications experts from leading marine science centres all over Europe will present and discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with communicating the results of marine research to key target audiences, such as journalists, teachers, students, and the wider public, particularly through the use of video and photo material from the deep sea.

Supported by the Marine Board of the European Science Foundation five speakers from eminent marine research institutions in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Norway, and the United Kingdom, will present their respective approaches to such questions as:

• How can we reach the next generation of marine scientists through schools and universities?
• What profits can be gained from e-learning programmes dedicated to oceans and seas?
• How can the awareness of a wider public about fragile marine resources be increased by using underwater video material?
• How can deep sea video material best be made available to TV journalists and, through them, to a wider audience?

The speakers will tackle those questions and foster interactive debate with the audience in order to share experiences between (marine) scientists and public relations/communications experts.

Speakers:

Albert Gerdes, MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Germany;

Dr John Joyce, Marine Institute, Rinville, Galway, Ireland;

Kim Marshall-Brown, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK;

Kjartan Mæstad, Institute of Marine Research Norway

Jan Seys, Vlaams Instituut voor de Zee, Ostend, Belgium

Further information:

http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu2009