Ocean First Education to Host Webinar on Coral Reef Expedition on June 7

Ocean First Education, offering digital marine science curricula for grades K-12, will host a free webinar on Tuesday, June 7 featuring Dr. Caine Delacy, director of science and research for Ocean First Education. Delacy will present information about his three-year effort to conduct one of the largest coral reef fish surveys ever attempted. View a brief video about this expedition here.
 
During this free webinar, Delacy will explain the trials and tribulations of bringing this scientific idea to reality.  It started with his realization that there was a lack of reef fish data for the east coast of Africa. Unlike the Caribbean and the Great Barrier Reef, East Africa had seen comparatively little research from coral reef scientists.
 
Given that 30 million people rely on the resource for their livelihoods and income, Delacy found the lack of research surprising. He spent the next three years organizing a team of entrepreneurial-minded and early-career scientists for this expedition. Over four months, the team travelled by boat from South Africa to Northern Kenya and back again, conducting stereo-video surveys on reef fish communities between five and 30 meters below the surface.
 
To learn more about how Delacy made this scientific expedition a reality, the challenges he faced along the way, and what they learned from the team’s research, register for this webinar at http://bit.ly/25Bzy3T. 
 
About Caine Delacy
As the director of science and research at Ocean First Education, Caine Delacy, Ph.D., aligns educational efforts with current scientific research. Dr. Delacy’s background as a marine ecologist focuses on understanding the structure and function of reef fish communities and the role Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and other management strategies play in conserving these communities. He has studied tropical and temperate reefs throughout the world, focusing largely on the East African coastline. He earned a Ph.D. from the University of Western Australia, and became a divemaster at age 20.
 
About Ocean First Education
Founded in 2008 and based in Boulder, Colorado, Ocean First Education provides innovative and dynamic digital marine science curricula for K-12. Our team of educators, scientists and researchers are committed to increasing awareness of marine environments and engaging students through interactive experiences. Ocean First Education is grounded in its mission to inspire our students, teachers and community to become stewards of the sea. For more information, visit www.OceanFirstEducation.com

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Michelle Baum

Media Relations

Moxie Mettle

(1) 720-339-6483

michelle@moxiemettle.com