Environmental Education Week Ends (but EE lives on)!

To commemorate the end of Environmental Education Week and to usher in Earth Week, the Living Planet Aquarium courteously provided some great ocean facts (and we decided to add some extra fun). As you are aware, EE Week focused upon oceans and our relationship to them, so, enjoy these exciting tidbits of which you might not have been previously aware. Thanks TLPA!

• Did you know that a tsunami is a usually caused by an earthquake, volcanic eruption or coastal landslide and is a large ocean wave that can travel at speeds up to 600 mi/hr?! Most tsunamis happen in the Pacific Ocean, but can occur in any body of water.Here's a somewhat sensationalistic, but powerful video from CBS News showing some of the effects of the recent Tsunami that swept into North-East Japan.

• Did you know that scientists are now looking to our oceans to help solve the problems of climate change? For instance, windmill blades are now being manufactured to mimic the fins of humpback whales in order to increase efficiency.

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• Did you know that if you like fishing you could turn it into a career by becoming a fishery scientist? Fishery scientists do things like tag sharks and monitor their movements. They also help come up with alternative methods for harvesting seafood and monitor fish populations.

Here's the Fisheries Science Wikipedia Page

• Did you know that about 25% of the creatures in the ocean live in coral reefs? There are 5,000+ species of fish alone living in coral reefs! Scientists consider coral reefs to be the “rainforests of the ocean.”

Even as Rainforests dramatically shrink, Coral Reefs are supposedly disappearing about four times faster.

• Did you know that most of the water that Utah receives as precipitation (rain, snow, sleet and hail) originally comes from the Pacific Ocean? That means that your water could have been the same water a Great White Shark swam through!

The precipitation from the Pacific arrives on one of the two northern Jet Streams. The trajectory is further determined and complicated by the tilt of the earth's axis, rotation, ocean currents, etc. Utah gets much of its water from the Gulf of California.

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Environmental Education Week Begins!

Today, Environmental Education Week officially begins. Taking place from April 10-16 and in anticipation of upcoming Earth Day, EE Week encourages K-12 teachers and students (along with everyone else) to promote and practice ways of learning through and with the environment.

This year's theme is "Ocean Connections." Though Utah may not border any ocean, these large bodies of water affect the planet, and us, spectacularly. For instance, oceans generate most of the oxygen (about 70% total) on the planet. Oceans are helping us all to breathe. We also affect oceans, for about 80% of all plastic in the oceans comes from trash that has been washed from land into the sea. This plastic accumulates in oceanic gyres, where currents come together and collide; the largest plastic "oceanfill," aka the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch," is twice the size of Texas.

According to the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), the group that runs this event, "When you register for EE Week, you will join a national network of educators dedicated to increasing the environmental literacy of K-12 students. You will also receive:

• Certificates of Participation;
• Monthly e-newsletters packed with EE resources and opportunities for educators;
• Access to an online library of environmental curricula and resources;
• An opportunity to participate in EE Week's webinars for educators; and
• Discounts and special offers on educational materials."

Remember to register as it is free and allows the NEEF to compile a record of the rising (or falling) level of EE interest
throughout the country.

Below, you'll see some of the suggestions NEEF has provided in order to participate this week. Jump on in; the water's fine!

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