Online Marine Education Program


Here is a press release that speaks for itself. We may be too late for the kick-off webcast but whale watchers can log onto the site and mark their calendars for later webcasts.

SANTA BARBARA, CA - May 17, 2000 (INB) -- Ocean Futures Society today announced a ten-week Internet learning campaign to educate the public about killer whales or orcas, and to inspire action to protect these remarkable creatures - as well as the oceans they inhabit. "Keiko and His Kin: A Closer Look at Orcas" kicks off Thursday, May 18 at 9:30AM Pacific Time/12:30PM Eastern with a live interactive webcast featuring Ocean Futures founder and President Jean-Michel Cousteau. The webcast and learning campaign are available to Ocean Futures members only, but membership is free to all. Those interested in participating in the webcast, previewing "Keiko and His Kin," and learning more about the oceans can join online at www.oceanfutures.org.

Ocean Futures, a marine education and conservation group, is rehabilitating Keiko, the whale star of the hit film Free Willy, for reintroduction to the wild. Keiko's story is a centerpiece of the learning campaign.

"The health of our oceans is in decline," said Cousteau. "Orcas, and particularly Keiko, have captured the public's heart, and therefore these magnificent creatures serve as the perfect window through which to explore and understand broader ocean issues and to help inspire the preservation of our water planet."

During the learning campaign, fresh content will be available to participants every two weeks on topics ranging from orca ecology to the science underlying Keiko's reintroduction. Live webcasts with experts, moderated by Ocean Futures Society Executive Vice President Charles Vinick, will be a regular feature, as will interactive exercises, images, and regular news updates from Klettsvik Bay, Iceland, where Keiko's trainers are preparing him for reintroduction.

After Thursday's live event, the next webcast will feature Keiko trainer Jeff Foster, live from Iceland, on May 24.

In addition, Ocean Futures will offer and staff special discussion boards, where participants can post questions, interact with one another, and share ideas for increasing public awareness of the ocean's plight.

The copyright of the article Online Marine Education Program in Environment is owned by Kenneth Friedman. Permission to republish Online Marine Education Program in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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