The ocean plays such a large role in our lives, and yet there is still so much we don’t know about it ! Surfrider Europe and the actors of Ocean Literacy are trying to change that. As education is a cornerstone of Surfrider’s mission, the organization is dedicated to sharing knowledge of the ocean to develop an informed society, one that is conscious of the importance of ecosystem, and ready to defend it at an European, and worldwide, level.
Ocean literacy: what is it?
In 2002, scientists, educators, and decision-makers assembled a toolkit of information on scientific and philosophic knowledge of the ocean. Supported by UNESCO and the International Oceanographic Commission, they have published a booklet announcing 7 basic principles in an initiative dubbed, “ Ocean Literacy ”. This initiative aims to create a link between man and ocean, and help explain their influences on eachother.
The 7 principles of ocean literacy :
Principle 1 : The Earth has one big ocean with many features
Principle 2 : The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of Earth
Principle 3 : The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate
Principle 4 : The ocean made the Earth habitable
Principle 5 : The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems
Principle 6 : The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected
Principle 7 : The ocean is largely unexplored
Ocean and climate : an educational focus of Surfrider
Surfrider’s animated webseries, “Climax” , explains the interaction between man, climate and ocean. Several characters are illustrated as suffering from both the physical and social impacts of climate change on shorelines . With this tool, Surfrider aims to raise awareness on growing issues of coastal erosion, rising sea levels and warming temperatures . In partnership with the platform “ocean and climate”, Surfrider has also developed simple teaching materials in the form of lessons, quizzes and computer graphics, which can be find on its platform ‘ocean campus‘.
The Ocean Campus : digital education platform
Surfrider gained accredition as a public educator in 2006 and developed an innovative online campus in 2016. Aware that digital technology and social networks are now the most common teaching tools of modern education, Surfrider created the Ocean Campus to heighten awareness,educate citizens, and also encourage dialogue and debate on new knowledge. The platform proposes digital and entertaining content for all ages.
Informed citizen, engaged citizen?
Surfrider wants to mobilize a European-wide ‘blue’ community to take action and influence politics in favor of the protection of the oceans. Through the campaign, Voice for the Ocean, Surfrider encourages citizens to tap into their knowledge of the ocean and answer questions on what they believe are the right actions to take for the future of our marine environments. Surfrider supports the Ocean Literacy program of UNESCO and encourages heighted marine education on all levels of society.
