07/05/2011 12:00 MDT - The Ocean for Life (OFL) field study is a GLOBE Near East – North Africa research project that brings together students of diverse cultures to learn about marine science, conservation, and how the ocean connects us all. This year, from 14-26 July 2011, the Ocean for Life project will include twelve students from the United States representing American Samoa and the states of Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Rhode Island and Washington, along with sixteen students from GLOBE schools in Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, in the Near East - North Africa Region.
The U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's marine sanctuaries provide the optimal setting for this unique opportunity to create a stewardship ethic for the ocean while improving cross-cultural understanding. The two-week immersive field study will be held in Santa Barbara, California, and on Santa Cruz Island hosted by Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Ocean science activities will focus on kelp forest ecosystems, marine life of the Santa Barbara Channel, rocky intertidal monitoring, watersheds, water quality monitoring, climate change, ocean acidification and much more.