The U.S. National Committee (USNC) is comprised of a broad range of individuals from research institutions, industry, resource management, non-governmental organizations, and other ocean stakeholders. Efforts of the committee members focus on raising awareness of the need for basic research on marine biodiversity, advocating for the priorities of the U.S. research and education communities, securing funding commitments from public and private sources, and coordinating U.S. contributions to the global CoML initiative.
Please contact CoML for more information on how to get involved or explore the featured links below:

CORAL REEF ECOLOGY COURSE 2010!

The Coral Reef Ecology summer course at BIOS exposes the student to the reef ecosystem at all organizational levels, from physiological ecology through population biology, community structure to ecosystem dynamics, ending with consideration of human impacts and climate change. The course has a large practical component, and the field surveys along with complementary laboratory analysis provide trainingin many techniques commonly used in coral reef research. The format and content of the course is geared to upper level undergraduates, graduate students, teachers and professionals. SCUBA certification is recommended.

First round application deadline March 31st, 2010. More information on this course is available at BIOS. Please visit: www.bios.edu or email education@bios.edu.

SUBMIT A NAME OR VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE IN THE SPECIES NAMING CONTEST FOR THE BONAIRE BANDED BOX JELLYFISH!

Join a scientific team and help give the Bonaire Banded Box Jellyfish a species name! This new name will become the official scientific name and appear in several scientific publications. You can learn all about the Bonaire Banded Box Jellyfish and submit a species name (with your reasons for the name) before June 14, 2009. Check back June 19th to 21st to see if your name made the scientists’ top 5 favorites, then vote for your favorite. Check back after June 23rd to see what name won and the actual paper the new name is published in. To learn more or take part in the contest, please visit the Year of Science 2009 website!

EDUCATOR AND STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES FROM THE BRIDGE!

The Bridge, the Sea Grant Ocean Sciences Education Center, offers summer opportunities and year-round courses, workshops, and other programs for educators and students. Students and teachers can use their summers to learn outside of the classroom, meet new people and colleagues, and see new places. Summer opportunities for educators include workshops, professional development courses and internships at institutions including the College of the Atlantic, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and the National Marine Sanctuaries Program. Student opportunities include programs for middle and high school students, undergraduate and graduate students, and those interested in adult education.

TEACHERS! GAIN RESEARCH EXPERIENCE!

NOAA’s Teacher at Sea Program offers Free Teacher Research Experience! K-16 teachers, American and International, can participate in cruises aboard fisheries research vessels, oceanographic and coastal research vessels or hydrographic survey vessels. Cruises take place throughout the year and last anywhere from one week to a month. The Teacher at Sea Program offers great first-hand research experience on government ocean research vessels. For more information visit http://teacheratsea.noaa.gov.

STAY INFORMED!

Finger Lake Productions International (FLPI) offers International Radio for Our World. For the past 19 years, FLPI has produceed and distributeed daily radio programming to more than 400 U.S. radio stations, and internationally to more than 120 countries.

• Our Ocean World is a daily radio feature that brings global news concerning the ocean to its listeners. You can subcribe to the Our Ocean World podcast or visit their site, http://www.ouroceanworld.com/2001/oceanworld.htm, to listen to past shows.

BECOME AN AFFILIATED PROJECT

The Census of Marine Life seeks the affiliation of ongoing projects in marine biodiversity to help it meet its goal to construct a representative picture of global marine biodiversity by 2010, and beyond. The affiliation of projects increases our capacity for sampling coverage and helps the CoML National and Regional Implementation Committees (NRICs) address science priorities in their nations and regions that may not be addressed by one of the 14 global CoML Ocean Realm Field Projects. The affiliated project benefits from the recognition that it is part of a larger program that brings access to information, other scientists and organizations, and a larger global context. Benefits include:

1. Opportunities to leverage funding and shiptime
2. Access to scientific expertise and information
3. Access to technologies and software developed by CoML and Affiliated Projects
4. Increased visibility through website links and other communications
5. Facilitation of access to the Consortium for the Barcode of Life and its facilities for barcoding of marine samples

Criteria for Affiliation

A project may be affiliated with the Census of Marine Life program if it:

1. Meets a number of the criteria for CoML Affiliated Projects (Table 1). Appropriate affiliated projects will meet many of them but it is unlikely that a project will meet all criteria.
2. Falls within the scope of a CoML NRIC
3. Does not fit within the context of an existing global CoML global Ocean Realm Field Project (Note: if it does fit with an Ocean Realm Field Project, then partnership with that project would be a better option for participation in the Census of Marine Life)
4. Is synoptic or integrative in scope or approach
5. Successfully completes the endorsement and approval process

For the full details and obligations of Affiliation to CoML, please review the Agreement for Affiliation.
If you are interested in Affiliation, as per the Agreement, please submit the Application for Affiliation to the appropriate National or Regional Implementation Committee (list of committee contacts included at the end of the Agreement for Affiliation).