Sail around Americas gauges ocean health

A Rockefeller, a Cousteau and ship’s captain reflect on BP

msnbc.com

updated 4:53 p.m. ET, Mon., June 7, 2010

What a difference a year makes — that’s how long it has taken a crew of scientists and conservationists to sail and motor the 25,000 miles around both North and South America.

The biggest change since they left: the BP oil spill.

Now making their way up the West Coast, the Ocean Watch crew have been observing ocean health — or lack thereof — since setting off from Seattle, Washington, on May 31, 2009.

The Around the Americas expedition isn’t your Greenpeace-style exploit, either. No activists unfurling banners, just real scientists collecting jellyfish, taking water temperatures and testing pH levels of the seas — the latter a key concern as increasing carbon dioxide emissions make for more acidic oceans.

Download PDF

Follow a Journey Around the Americas – With Free Materials for Educators

Monday June 7, 2010

Around the Americas, a 28,000 mile sailing circumnavigation of the American continents launched by Sailors for the Sea, has started a campaign to “inspire, educate and engage citizens of the Americas to protect our fragile oceans.”

As part of the campaign, educators can download free educational curriculum about ocean issues, or become an Ocean Watcher and take a pledge to do things in your normal life that will help the oceans.

The campaign is ambitious, with a goal of getting the information out to 28,000 students by the start of the fall 2010 school year.

Teachers – if you download the materials, let me know what you think!

Learn More:

Around the Americas Expedition

Recorded: Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Running Time: 30 minutes
visit www.madmariner.com

Jan 8, 2010

Scientists aboard the Ocean Watch, a 64-foot yacht on a year long voyage circling the americas, are testing the waters as they go.  Instruments on the vessel have picked up evidence of ocean acidification, another result of of the spewing of carbon dioxide from tailpipes and smoke stakes they say.

Full Story

IT’S NOW three months since Mark Schrader, intrepid captain of the 64-foot, steel-hulled sloop Ocean Watch, sailed south from Halifax with Dave, David and Herb, and I’m happy to report that they have crossed the equator and, after weeks of stewing in horrendous heat, rounded the easternmost tip of Brazil. With the wind pretty much abeam, they’ll now head a long way south, and westward to the Pacific.

Full Story

Around the Americas Press Coverage – November, 2009

An update of media stories about the journey of Ocean Watch

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The crew of Ocean Watch is on a journey few have imagined and fewer still have actually experienced. The Around the Americas project is committed to raising awareness about the fragile nature of our oceans throughout North and South America. Daily logs from Herb McCormick and his fellow crew members allow readers to feel as though they are on the boat, sharing in the adventure. Stories in the media are another important way to get the word out about the expedition. Periodically we will let you know what the press is saying about Ocean Watch. Look here for the latest updates.

From Halifax to San Juan

Heading for San Juan theexplorersweb.com  http://www.theoceans.net/news.php?id=18845

University of Miami  Around the Americas Scientific Expedition Arrives in Miami | News …

Miamithebeaches.com  Ocean Watch boat to stop in Port of Miami
Miami Herald  Ocean Watch boat to stop in Port of Miami
Miamithebeaches.com  Sailboat on Americas voyage arrives Monday
Scientific 65-foot steel-hulled Ocean Watch arrives in Miami on Monday
Stockhouse.com  –Miami is Sixth Official Port Stop since transiting the Northwest Passage
PR Newswire  Crew of Ocean Watch Arriving in Miami Monday October 19 After …
Earthtimes.com  Crew of Ocean Watch Arriving in Miami Monday October 19 After …
Sys-con.com  Crew of Ocean Watch Arriving in Miami Monday October 19 After …
Miami Topix.com  Crew of Ocean Watch Arriving in Miami Monday October 19 After Topix
Spokenworld.com  Audio Around the AmericasSpokenWordorg
Charleston thedigitel.com  Team sailing around the world make a stop in Charleston
Charleston bymnews.com  Around the Americas: Ocean Watch in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston Post and Courier  Chasing adventure on top of the world
Charleston Post and Courier  http://www.postandcourier.com/search/?q=+Around+the+Americas&operator=search
Charleston Sailing Anarchy  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wocmH6rxI4
Charleston wmbfnews.com  Ocean Watch vessel arriving in SC
Charleston wmbfnew.com  Ocean Watch vessel arriving in SC
Mrytle Beach sunnews.com  Ocean Watch vessel arriving in SC South Carolina & Regional Wire …
Charleston  SailWorldcom Ocean Watch going the wrong way in a Gulf Stream gale
Charleston bymnews.com  USA. Jeppesen Marine provides electronic navigation cartography for Around …
New York WCBS Radio  http://www.wcbs880.com/pages/5368268.php
Intrepidmuseum.org  Intrepid Welcomes Ocean Watch to Pier 86
Reuters.com  Crew of Ocean Watch Arriving in New York Saturday, October 3
New York Times  Views on an Opening Arctic Ocean
New York Daily News  http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2009/10/05/2009-10-05_sailing_away_for_oceans_sake.html
New York Academy of Sciences http://www.nyas.org/Publications/Media/PodcastDetail.aspx?cid=deae4a90-2c2b-4a86-9c8a-728866e4c629
Newport Daily News  www.newportdailynews.com
Providence Journal  Ocean Watch sails into Newport with a cargo of climate-change datahttp://www.projo.com/news/content/OCEAN_WATCH_NEWPORT_10_12_09_BRG00J2_v24.3989cb3.html
Providence Journal  Ocean Watch sails into Newport with a cargo of climatechange data …
Halifax CBC News  http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/09/13/ns-ocean-watch.html
Canadian News  Boat lands in Halifax after Northwest Passage trip to highlight climate change

Around the Americas Press Coverage – August, 2009

An update of media stories about the journey of Ocean Watch

Monday, August 03, 2009

The crew of Ocean Watch is on a journey few have imagined and fewer still have actually experienced. The Around the Americas project is committed to raising awareness about the fragile nature of our oceans throughout North and South America. Daily logs from Herb McCormick and his fellow crew members allow readers to feel as though they are on the boat, sharing in the adventure. Stories in the media are another important way to get the word out about the expedition. Periodically we will let you know what the press is saying about Ocean Watch. Look here for the latest updates.

August, 2009

Associated Press http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CN_CANADA_ICE_RETREATS?SITE=JRC&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
July, 2009

Reuters http://ewatch.prnewswire.com/rs/display.jsp?a=56644-703100166-1531068549-0
Yahoo News Canada  http://ewatch.prnewswire.com/rs/display.jsp?a=56644-703092762-1531051637-

Forbes.com  http://ewatch.prnewswire.com/rs/display.jsp?a=56644-703096602-1531061748-0
Puget Sound Business Journal  http://ewatch.prnewswire.com/rs/display.jsp?a=56644-703095688-1531059039-0

Boston Business Journal  http://ewatch.prnewswire.com/rs/display.jsp?a=56644-703095656-1531059007-0

June, 2009
Nome Nugget (print) http://www.nomenugget.net/#Anchor-Corp-60572

KING-TV (NBC) http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_052009WAB-research-ship-SW.20a21676.html

Three Sheets Northwest (online) http://www.threesheetsnorthwest.com/2009/05/around-the-americas-crew-leaves-sunday-for-western-hemisphere-circumnavigation/

Soundings (periodical/online) http://www.soundingsonline.com/news/todays-top-stories/234726-setting-out-on-a-13-month-voyage

University of Washington (online) http://uwnews.org/uweek/article.aspx?id=50568

KING-TV (NBC) http://www.king5.com/video/index.html?z=y&nvid=363742&shu=1

Grist (online) Around the Americas mission raises sails—and awareness

Tacoma News Tribune (print) http://www.thenewstribune.com/adventure/story/718432.html

Real Science (print/online) http://www.realscience.us/2009/06/03/watch-out-for-ocean-watch/

Juneau Empire (prin t) http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/060809/loc_448715983.shtml

Times Colonist (British Columbia print)http://www.timescolonist.com/Green+sheets+wind/1654144/story.html

NASA (online) http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/scool-sails.html

KIRO-TV (CBS online) http://mynorthwest.com/index.php?sid=175526&nid=11

KIRO-FM (CBS  online) http://mynorthwest.com/index.php?sid=173705&nid=11

CHEK-TV (British Columbia June 1 broadcast/online)http://www.chtv.com/ch/cheknews/video/index.html

Des Moines Register (Iowa print) http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009906120331
Blue Water News (Thoreson online) http://bluewaterstudios.blogspot.com/2009/06/voyage-of-ocean-watch-begins.html

Grist (online) http://www.grist.org/article/2009-06-01-around-americas-raises-sails/

News Tribune (Seattle print) http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2009/05/19/news/chihuly-donates-glass-floats-assist-ballard-based-research-vessel

News Tribune (Seattle print) http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2009/03/30/news/research-vessel-christened-here

News Tribune (Seattle print) http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2009/05/31/news/ocean-watch-begins-its-voyage-and-research

KOMO-TV (ABC reporter Robert Santos did story on May 30/story not posted on website)

Earthwitness (NASA magazine attached)

48 North (sailing periodical attached)

KUBC-TV/FM (Dutch Harbor public television/radio attached)

06.17.09

A NASA program that has inspired children to study clouds on every continent but Antarctica has set sail to conquer new frontiers – the oceans.

The Students Cloud Observations On-Line(S’COOL) program at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va., is teaming up with the Pacific Science Center and Sailors for the Sea for a 25,000-mile (40,234 km) sailing journey to raise awareness about the health of the world’s oceans.The boat departed from Seattle early last week and the crew intends to sail all the way around North and South America. They head north first, and will take advantage of the drastic decline in summer Arctic sea ice to make around northern Canada –the famed Northwest Passage, a route that’s rarely been followed but is becoming easier because of the dramatic loss of summer sea ice in the Arctic.

Full story

Full Story