Thus, I am enacting #8 of our Core Values here at Deep Sea News. “Call to Action. We believe that an open dialogue is just the first step, and seek to turn words into action.” We have done lots of talking, but now is the time to start the doing. My friends, the ocean can’t speak for itself on the congress floor, so here are 5 easy ways you can give the oceans a voice.

1) Make it Easy. Make it Fun. Do it Together.

If you don’t make it easy and fun for yourself, you won’t do it. Start by setting aside 1 hour a week to do your civic duties whether that be writing letters, calling your reps, or just making yourself aware of the issues. Use this POCKET GUIDE to keep track of the points you are passionate about and your elected officials contact info. Make it fun by thinking of innovative ways to get your representatives attention or decorating your post cards. Creativity is key to sending a memorable message. Join a group of friends* to hold yourself accountable in contacting your representatives and to open larger discussions about the issues.

*Friends+Wine=Extra Fun

2) Tell Your Ocean Story.

Members of Congress and other elected officials need real life stories to tell to make their case against a policy or budget. Share your stories with them in ways that will grab their attention. Maybe through a video or a photo or artwork. The ocean is a beautiful place, perhaps you send them 50 cards- one with a portion of a larger mural they can staple up in the office. Again I reiterate BE CREATIVE. Use the power of social media to your advantage. Remember Congress goes into recess soon and it’s good to go to your Town Hall meetings prepared.

3) #OurEPA

Join the 500 Women Scientists in their support of the Environmental Protection Agency through the #OurEPA campaign. Send postcards to EPA offices to thank them, but also to Congress to enforce the importance of the EPA and what they do. Find out how here.

If you are a lady scientist, might I even suggest starting or joining a 500WSPod in your area? Or if you have some extra time in your 1 hour a week of civic duties, check out this and this.

4) NOAA

Just in case you were unaware….the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association helps you do you everyday. In the proposed budget, NOAA doesn’t fair too well. You NEED them and right now they NEED you too. Call your reps with the following or put it on a billboard outside their offices. We can’t reiterate this enough….here it is one more time thanks to @southernfriedscience:

“Hello,

 My name is [NAME] and I am a constituent of [CONGRESSPERSON/SENATOR].

I’m calling to ask [CONGRESSPERSON/SENATOR] to oppose any reduction in the budget for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

NOAA provides essential services to the American people, including weather services, coastal resilience, hurricane monitoring, and fisheries management. Programs like SeaGrant are the lifeblood of coastal communities, providing education, job training, and research grants to fund local development. NOAA’s Hurricane Center is critical for tracking hurricanes. One-third of the US economy relies upon services provided by NOAA. Any reduction in NOAA’s budget would be catastrophic to the United States’ coastal economy.

Thank you.

 **If your livelihood depends on NOAA, consider adding “I am a [FISHERMAN/BUSINESS OWNER/AQUACULTURIST/ETC] in [CONGRESSPERSON/SENATOR]’s district and my livelihood and family depend on the services that NOAA provides.”

If you are feeling extra feisty and passionate, might I recommend sending this same letter to every member of the appropriations committee? Here and Here.

5) #IAmSeagrant

Recently, our own Jarrett Byrnes put a call out for stories from people influenced by the Sea Grant program. This is an excellent way to amplify your message. Additionally, SeaGrant has put out some great letter templates for public use along with fact sheets to send in with your letters. The Sea Grant program “works hard to connect science to communities and address local priorities in water quality, marine ecosystems, STEM education, coastal resiliency, maritime transportation, and much more.”

Sea Grant is completely on the budget chopping block. Many, many people will loose their jobs. Critical research will cease and numerous students and professionals could face significant if not detrimental career set backs. The time to act is now.

BONUS: Choose Your Own Adventure

What have we missed regarding taking action for ocean issues in the current political climate? What innovative ways have you discovered to make your voice heard? Consider this a running document and add your ideas in the comments below. Note our commenting policy. We look forward to the continued dialogue and inspired action.

—

Find your Members of Congress and Senators by going online to:

House of Representatives and search by your ZIP code

U.S. Senate search by your state

The post The Ocean Lover’s Guide to Contacting Your Elected Officials first appeared on Deep Sea News.

My wife, with over a decade of nonprofit experience, spoke those words to me six years ago .  She was describing how she viewed what I was striving for with Deep-Sea News. Those words still ring true to me.

You may notice a different feel here at DSN. The banner is new. The website is sleeker. The new DSN Giant Squid logo brands our Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and our forthcoming YouTube page. But the facelift and consistent image represent more than just cosmetics. A new and exciting path lies ahead for Deep-Sea News. But not DSN the blog. Rather DSN the community including you our readers, commenters, and participants, along with us.

The end of October brought the first DSN retreat. All six of us bloggers here at DSN converged on Atlanta*. What happens when six ocean bloggers assemble in a single location? Of course, there is now a little less C2H6O in Atlanta but the city still stands so I consider it a win for everyone. Besides the expected festivities, something significant and exhilarating emerged from our three days together.

We realized our collective passion, experience, and backgrounds in science and outreach can be leveraged for grand endeavors. Likewise, we recognized that DSN is a conduit in which many voices, beyond just us, sound. Jointly, we can accomplish more and illuminate a new pathway for dialogue about the oceans and ocean science.

With these realizations, we sought to define the purpose of DSN. What have we tried to accomplish for the last six years? What does success in the next six years look like?  Within an hour sitting around a board room table in the basement of the Georgia Aquarium (cue evil laugh, bwahahahaha), we produced DSN’s first mission statement.

Demystifying and humanizing science in an open conversation that instills passion, awe, and responsibility for the oceans.

With this in place, we crafted a set of eight core values that will form the foundation on which we perform and conduct ourselves.  Indeed, we believe these eight values are vital for success in realizing our mission.  In the next few weeks, we will be posting a series of essays that expand on these core values and discusses their relevancy to all scientific communication and outreach.

1. Direct from the bench and the trench. We believe in directly communicating science to the public without barriers and intermediaries.
2. Saying things others do not. We will move the conversation forward by providing ocean science content from the obscure to the controversial.
3. Reverently irreverent. We will be true to who we are in real life, leveraging humor to keep the science dialogue informal and accessible.
4. Promoting ocean literacy. We will help the public make informed and responsible decisions regarding the ocean and its resources by interpreting the essential principles and fundamental concepts of ocean science.
5. Perspective through a plurality of voices. We believe the conversation between the public and science should not be one way. Vision, growth, and intelligent progress can only come through an open conversation that includes all stakeholders. We strive to provide a platform for diverse voices to be heard.
6. Awareness through scrutiny, not negativity. We believe that a critical assessment of ongoing ocean issues and science is vital, but that open conversation is hindered by negativity. We will strive to be professional, diplomatic, empathetic, and rational in our evaluation.
7. Expanding the culture of ocean science. The ocean and our lives as scientists are part of the larger fabric of human culture. We will highlight areas where the ocean touches our society, and seek to provide a window into our lives both as scientists and a member of the public embedded in ocean culture. We will strive for a future that allows for scientists and the public to be partnering stakeholders in sustaining and preserving our oceans.
8. Call to Action. We believe that an open dialogue is just the first step, and seek to turn words into action.

How does this translate into tangibles for DSN’s future?

I am reminded of the words of Arthur Clarke, “How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.”  In one part I hope that in our future it will not be awkward or trite to refer to this as planet Ocean.

Our vision of the future is

• a public craving ocean exploration and knowledge,
• ocean scientists eager to be the guides for both, 
• resulting in a global commitment for protection and restoration of our oceans.

In this,

Deep-Sea News will become a leader of an open conversation about ocean science both on and offline. Our five-year goals aim to rejuvenate our blogging core, integrate our social media, and leverage our knowledge and experience to expand into on- and off-line opportunities.

Specifics are forthcoming so keep your eye on DSN as there will be a variety of ways for you to participate both online and offline!  Your first task is to engage in the dialogue through commenting on the set of upcoming posts detailing our core values. My hope is that this series generates excitement as we share our vision and jointly establish a new path.

*Special thanks goes to our gracious host the Georgia Aquarium, the Coral Reef Alliance for lodging, and AirTran for covering travel.

The post From the Editor’s Desk: The Future of Deep-Sea News first appeared on Deep Sea News.