The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation is pleased to announce the award of five grants from the Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Trust Fund. These grants, which range from $15,000 to $24,839, fund projects that will increase public awareness of ocean resources and motivate the American public to steward those resources.

The focus of the Trust Fund is on five priority subject areas: marine debris, human interaction with marine mammals, non-point source pollution, oceans and human health, and ocean acidification. The ocean acidification priority was added in 2010, highlighting the importance of this issue in the future of ocean health. This year, the Foundation also initiated a focus on national marine sanctuaries, giving additional consideration to those projects that highlighted the role of sanctuaries in ocean awareness and protection.

“Each of this year’s awardees promotes our national marine sanctuaries in a meaningful way that underscores the importance of sanctuaries in better understanding, appreciating, and protecting our ocean,” said Jason Patlis, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation President and CEO. “Our grantees collectively support America’s most special underwater places and greatly leverage the work of the Foundation. We congratulate all the awardees.”

The five projects selected for funding represent opportunities to build awareness of national marine sanctuaries and engage the public in ocean conservation at the local, regional, and national levels. This year, all five projects focused on outreach to the general public, and all five projects partner with one or more national marine sanctuaries to accomplish their project work.

National Aquarium – Washington, DC
$24,839 to construct scale-exhibit models of the “America’s Aquatic Treasures” signature exhibits for the new National Aquarium on the Mall in Washington, DC. The models will be used to evaluate technical exhibit aspects and build enthusiasm among visitors and key partners for the new exhibits featuring national marine sanctuaries that are planned for the future Aquarium site.

Stellwagen Alive! – Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
$23,500 to use cutting-edge technology to bring easily updatable “singlecasts” on sanctuary stewardship and educational messages to the public through their cell phones. The project will link existing exhibits highlighting Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and expand the resource protection messaging currently available at those exhibits. The project will also provide a means of disseminating educational information in non-exhibit locations, such as whale-watch departure points. A “passport” will guide participants to additional stops on the audio tour. The multi-platform project will feature information available via web, phone, and podcast.

Green Fire Productions – La Grande, Oregon
$20,000 to support the documentary titled “Ocean Frontiers,” which will tell the story of on-the-ground conservation work to both reduce human impact on ocean and coastal ecosystems and foster sustainable ocean-based economies. Stories will profile conservation practices being implemented by a range of people from coast to coast who are having a significant positive impact on ocean health, including the pioneering marine spatial planning work at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to reduce the risk of ship collisions with whales. The film is intended to bring audiences to a better understanding that there are roles for everyone in fostering ocean stewardship.

Media Interchange – Novato, California
$18,600 to support the California Thank You Ocean podcast project in producing bi-weekly podcasts highlighting a variety of ocean-related topics, featured on the Thank You Ocean! website: www.thankyouocean.org. The project will include English- and Spanish-language podcasts, as well as video podcasts, all exploring ocean threats, benefits, and how we as humans are affected by and affect ocean health. The Thank You Ocean! campaign is a partnership between NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the California Natural Resources Agency.

Environmental Defense Center – Santa Barbara, California
$15,000 to support the development and distribution of a Public Service Announcement building public awareness on the topic of ocean acidification. The PSA will highlight the causes and risks of ocean acidification and the strategies adopted by the National Marine Sanctuary System to monitor and address the problem. The PSA will be a tool available to national marine sanctuaries and ocean advocates to spread a basic message about the looming danger of ocean acidification.

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation established the Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Trust Fund in 2005 as a tribute to former U.S. Senator Ernest F. Hollings (D-SC), and his longstanding commitment to promoting ocean stewardship. During his tenure of service to the nation, Senator Hollings championed many ocean-related issues, including increasing the public’s understanding of the marine environment through research and education. The Ernest F. Hollings Ocean Awareness Trust Fund is a competitive grants program administered by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation to foster projects that build public engagement in ocean conservation and stewardship.

Homepage photo: Steve Lonhart, SIMoN NOAA