International Ocean Institute

Transcription

1 August 2009 IOIHQ/ES 09/09 The International Ocean Institute celebrates World Ocean Day 2009 and presents e activities held globally by e IOI Headquarters, e IOI Operational Centres and Focal Point On e 8 June of each year, e International Ocean Institute (IOI) joins e rest of e maritime world in celebrating World Ocean Day. World Ocean Day began on 8 June 1992 at e Ear Summit in Rio de Janeiro and is a yearly opportunity to honour e ocean at connects us and sustains us wi its bounty and at is such an important component of world climate conditions. This is a day to reflect on e crucial role of e ocean in our lives as well as on e ways to build much greater awareness of e oceans and of how our lives depend on it and e important ways we can help to protect it. This year also marks e designation of 8 June as World Ocean Day by e United Nations following paragraph 171 of its resolution 63/111 on Oceans and e Law of e Sea. The eme of is year s celebrations was appropriately Our Oceans, Our Responsibility. The global IOI network of centres responded enusiastically to e invitation to commemorate is day by organising a diverse range of scientific, social and cultural activities ranging from encounters wi local communities to scientific and official seminars and lectures for specialists and students; hands on activities to emed exhibitions. Please read on to see how World Ocean Day was celebrated by e IOI network worldwide. IOI Headquarters IOI, rough e work of its Headquarters, participated in e UN s first official observance of Ocean Day in 2009 at e United Nations Headquarters in New York. An exhibition of IOI s Children s artworks around e eme Our Oceans, Our Responsibility was shown near e Vienna Café wiin e UN. The poster advertising e event (Right) was illustrated by Marian Morales Dugue, an 11 year old child from Cuba whose picture entitled Sea, I want you blue was also exhibited in New York. IOI Sou Western Atlantic Ocean (Brazil) The IOI Operational centre in Brazil (IOI Sou Western Atlantic Ocean) and e Physical Oceanography Department of e Host Institute created a video to commemorate World Ocean Day The video in Portuguese was launched on YouTube on The yous onscreen talk about e ocean and eir studies and some of eir comments are translated:- e sea is very important to mankind - it is not an obstacle but a way of connecting nations ; e ocean is full of wisdom and knowledge available to all who are willing to understand it ; Oceanography.is a style of life at leads us to understand deeply what marine life is, revealing even e origin of all beings in is planet ; An ocean is similar to people's souls... deep, and unknown ; understanding e ocean we can understand ourselves and our survival in is planet. (Above: Screen shot from e YouTube Video) International Ocean Institute (IOI). Any feedback or request for information should be sent to e International Ocean

2 August 2009 IOIHQ/ES 09/09 p2 IOI Canada Since 2005, IOI Canada commemorates World Ocean Day wi e Elisabe Mann Borgese Ocean Lecture. This series commemorates and celebrates e life and work of Elisabe Mann Borgese, founder of e International Ocean Institute and its interdisciplinary training programmes. The 2009 EMB lecture took place on World Ocean Day wi guest speaker Dr Rob Huebert, Associate Professor in e Department of Political Science at e University of Calgary and Associate Director of its Centre for Military and Strategic Studies. He spoke on Canada and e Coming Blizzard. Furer information and e presentation itself are available on An Oceans Day event was also organised on e waterfront at Halifax and IOI Canada participated along wi oer marine and ocean-related organizations. The Oceans Day exhibits involved approximately 30 exhibitors, and 1,000 + visitors, including 400 school children. (Above: The IOI stand and visitors) IOI Costa Rica An awareness-raising article was penned by IOI Costa Rica Director, Dr Alejandro Gutierrez, and published in e leading Spanish language newspaper in Costa Rica. The article which concerned World Ocean Day refers to e oceans as a source of life, a mediator of climate change and atmospheric stability, a pharmacopoeia of hierto unknown cures which when abused and treated as a garbage dump or a reserve to be ransacked will show signs of malaise in e form of red tides, coastal and marine and climate hazards. He concludes by speaking of our responsibility to manage e oceans sustainably, mindful of e oceans role as e primary source of life. IOI Focal Point (Cyprus) All feedback received points to e fact at e first World Ocean Day celebrated officially in Cyprus under e title Sea, Technology and Culture, was a big success. The event was held under e auspices of e Minister of Transport and Public Works Mr. Nicos Nicolaides, organized by e Department of Civil Engineering and Geoinformatics, e Department of Graphic Arts and Multimedia of e Cyprus University of Technology, jointly wi e International Ocean Institute (Cyprus). It took place in e amphieater Pefkios Georgiades, of e Cyprus University of Technology in e seafront city of Lemesos. The event included presentations on e use of technology for e proper use and protection of e marine environment and e great influence of e sea to e definition and development of culture. Dr. Nicholas Kaijotes (Right), IOI Focal Point in Cyprus, explained e aims and objectives of e IOI, and stressed e importance of e ocean in our lives, emphasizing e need for immediate action in creating a sustainable relationship wi it. The event also included presentations by students of e Department of Civil Engineering and Geoinformatics and a eatrical adaptation of poems accompanied by live harp music. A poster competition was held for e celebrations of World Ocean Day, involving students of e Department of Multimedia and Graphic Arts wi prizes awarded to winning posters. An open air cocktail party concluded e event which was attended by many persons. information should be sent to e International Ocean

3 August 2009 IOIHQ/ES 09/09 p3 (Left: Panel Discussion at IOI IR Iran) IOI Islamic Republic of Iran The IOI Islamic Republic of Iran, e Iranian National Center for Oceanography (INCO) and e Iranian National Committee for Oceanography celebrated World Ocean Day at e INCO conference hall in Tehran by hosting a panel discussion on e Ocean. This occasion was celebrated in e presence of e director and managers of INCO, e directors of Natural Sciences Department of Iranian National Commission for UNESCO and representatives of e following organizations: IR Iran Meteorological Organization, Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran, Geological Survey of Iran, Fishery Research Institute, Research Center for Caspian Sea Water Resources, Journal of e Persian Gulf, Journal of Oceanography. Dr. Vahid Chegini, Director of INCO and Director of IOI-IR Iran, welcomed e participants, expressed his congratulations on is day and noted e importance of Oceans for human life - he underlined e role of oceans as part of climate and world ecosystems. A tri-panel discussion on Climate Change, Oceans, Seas and Coastal Zone Monitoring and Harmful Algal Blooms was held and in every panel, e members of different organizations talked about eir activities and answered participants questions. IOI Japan In collaboration wi "Eco Guide Cafe" - a local NGO in Okinawa, IOI-Japan organised an activity on e conservation of coral reefs in Miyako Island, Okinawa. A report of World Ocean Day wi photos is available on (Japanese). (Right: Poster advertising IOI Japan s World Ocean Day activity) IOI Western Africa (Nigeria) This year s Ocean Day was marked wi a Career Talk on Oceanography organized by IOI Western Africa Operational Center in collaboration wi e Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR). The target groups were secondary school children in e year age bracket as well as University undergraduates (16 22 yr. age bracket). The essence was to highlight e core content of oceanographic science and e relevance of physical and social sciences. In addition, it was designed to create awareness in ese young minds on e importance of e ocean to life on ear and e relevance and indeed imperative of promoting e peaceful use of e sea, while managing e resources erein sustainably. Some adults outside ese target age brackets also participated. There were a total of 55 participants. An opening ceremony wi speeches from e Director of IOI WAOC and e Executive Director of NIOMR was followed by career talks presented by four resource persons. Thereafter, e participants were conducted on a guided tour of NIOMR facilities and treated to a mini lunch. (Above: The IOI WAOC Director wi some of e students after e talk) information should be sent to e International Ocean

4 International Ocean Institute August 2009 IOIHQ/ES 09/09 p4 IOI Slovenia World Ocean Day was celebrated in two locations by e IOI Operational Centre in Slovenia. In Ljubljana, a one day event was organised under e honorary patronage of Mrs Barbara Miklic Türk, wife of e President of Slovenia, during which ere was a short presentation of e IOI as well as a lecture titled "World Ocean Day: Why do we need it?" and e launch of a photographic exhibition entitled Sea and Salt. At e Marine Biology Station in Piran - IOI Slovenia s Host Institute - a topical lecture was given by Dr Alenka Malej, Director of e IOI Operational Centre, to e students. This was followed by a tour around e station to familiarise visitors wi e oceanography work carried out ere. (Above left: Dr Malej (L) presents a copy of e IOI Publication of Children s Artworks to Mrs Türk; e vernissage of e photographic exhibition Sea and Salt is shown on e right. IOI Thailand In Thailand, World Ocean Day was celebrated from May 18 to 24, 2009 under e eme Thai Seas and Global Warming. On May 18, events were opened during an Award Ceremony for e best artwork submitted by children under e competition eme at e Chiang Mai Night Safari. During e ceremony, scholarships and certificates were presented to all e winners under sponsorship from IOI and its partners e Siam Commercial Bank Co. Ltd., e Federation of Thai Industries, King Power Group International Co., Ltd., Thai Life Insurance Co., Ltd, and Thai Equipment Research. The Ceremony on 18 May was presided over by H.E. Dr. Smi Dharmasaroja, Honorary Advisor of IOI Thailand and Chairman of e Committee of National Disaster Warning System Administration and accompanied by many distinguished guests from e partnering organisations. The celebrations rewarded e work of four contest groups including Kindergarten, Primary School and Secondary School levels. IOI-Thailand received all togeer 247 artworks from 53 schools in 23 provinces of Thailand. The pictures were subsequently exhibited at e Chiang Mai venue. (Below: Ceremonial inauguration by H.E. Dr. Dharmasaroja; (Right) Collage of e winning pictures. information should be sent to e International Ocean

5 International Ocean Institute August 2009 IOIHQ/ES 09/09 p5 IOI Ukraine A number of events were organized to celebrate World Ocean Day in Sevastopol targeting different audiences and attracting e attention of different organizations. On e 4 June, a student's conference dedicated to World Ocean Day drew e participation of 87 students while a showcase exhibition of art and handcrafts made from seashells reflected e dedication and work of e 12 persons attending a special course at e Rehabilitation centre for Disabled Persons. A Blue Flag Seminar organised in e Municipality of Yalta city on 27 of May, preceded e events. (Left: The award winning marine-inspired handcrafts) IOI USA IOI-USA organized a community event for Ocean Day. The film A Sea Change which highlights ocean acidification was screened at e auditorium of e Florida Fish & Wildlife Research Institute. A panel comprising 3-4 experts moderated e discussion following e film. (Left: Invitation to IOI USA s Ocean Day Screening.) Photo credits roughout go to e Directors and staff of e respective centres wi anks. information should be sent to e International Ocean