Winners of Ocean 180 Video Challenge Announced During Ocean Sciences Meeting
MELBOURNE, FLA.—Thousands of students around the world cast their votes for the top science videos competing in the Ocean 180 Video Challenge at the 2014 Ocean Sciences biannual meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Ocean 180 Video Challenge was a project of COSEE Florida; members include Florida Institute of Technology, Indian River State College, ORCA and the Smithsonian Marine Station. Winners, announced Feb. 25, receive up to $6,000 in cash prizes.
Winners were:
Wavechasers and the Samoan Passage
Matthew Alford, University of Washington, and Jennifer Isenhart, Wide-Eye Productions
How a Microscope Team Alters the Course of Carbon in the Atlantic Ocean
Laurence Yeung, University of California, Los Angeles, and Meg Rosenburg, California Institute of Technology
Bite Size: Bull Shark Predation of Tarpon
Neil Hammerschlag, University of Miami, and Gareth Burghes, Lagomorph Films
Emerging concepts and research in marine and ocean sciences were shared by hundreds of scientists from around the world. Also in attendance, the voices and opinions of nearly 40,000 middle school students, offering their thoughts on how scientists can share their discoveries with a broader audience.
The global team of middle school students joined forces in January, lending their critique of scientists as part of the Ocean 180 Video Challenge. Sponsored by the Florida Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE Florida) and funded through a grant from the National Science Foundation, the Ocean 180 Video Challenge called upon ocean scientists to submit three-minute films highlighting the findings of a recently published research paper.
Designed to inspire scientists to communicate the meaning and significance of scientific research to non-scientists, the Ocean 180 Video Challenge asked students to evaluate the films for their clarity, creativity and message. After weeks of classroom viewing and deliberation, the three winners emerged.
Organizers of the Ocean 180 Video Challenge shared the top films and student comments at the Feb. 25 meeting. As the importance of creating effective communication skills in science fields steadily increases, this was an excellent opportunity for scientists in attendance to explore new ways to share their work beyond the science community.
A list of the winners and recording of the announcement is available on the Ocean 180 Video Challenge website http://ocean180.org. Questions regarding the Ocean 180 Video Challenge may be directed to mwatson@fit.edu.
For information about the 2014 Ocean Sciences Meeting, visit the conference site http://www.sgmeet.com/osm2014.
About COSEE Florida
COSEE Florida’s mission is to spark and nurture collaborations among scientists and educators to promote ocean discovery and literacy, and to enhance the public’s understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of the ocean. Visit us online at http://www.coseeflorida.org. COSEE Florida is funded through a National Science Foundation Grant through the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) Program.
