Akaroa Seaweek: Gareth Morgan - State of Our Oceans Address

16 February 2012

Akaroa Seaweek; State of Our Oceans Address with Gareth Morgan

Akaroa’s Seaweek Steering group has announced that the guest speaker for the inaugural State of Our Oceans Address will be the well-known economist, author, philanthropist and voyager, Dr Gareth Morgan.

The address will be held in Akaroa on 10th March.

The title of his speech is “The State of the Southern Ocean – a personal perspective” and he will draw on experience from his current voyage and a previous journey to the Antarctic.

In making the announcement, the spokesperson for the Akaroa Seaweek Steering Group, Hollie Hollander, said “This is an event that should not be missed by those who want an independent view of the state of our oceans. Akaroa is very dependent on the marine environment for its livelihood and future well-being. Gareth’s viewpoint on the health of our oceans will be a breath of fresh air and if his previous work is anything to go by he will have strong ideas on what we need to do to protect the quality of our oceans”.

Gareth Morgan is currently leading the 30-day Our Far South expedition to the Antarctic. The objective of the voyage is to raise New Zealanders’ awareness of the importance of the area between Stewart Island and the South Pole. For the journey Gareth has brought together a cross-section of New Zealanders and a team of experts in order lift awareness. Read more about this at www.ourfarsouth.org

The State of Our Oceans Event will be held in the Akaroa Area School Gymnasium at 7.00 pm on 10th March with entry by gold coin donation.

6.00 pm Hall opens – information displays
7.00 pm 2 speakers-The state of Akaroa’s marine environment
• Dr Steve Dawson-the plight of the Hectors dolphin
• Tony Rodgers, Akaroa Harbour Master-managing cruise-ship visits
8.00 pm Dr Gareth Morgan-“The State of the Southern Ocean- a personal perspective”

About Seaweek

Seaweek takes place from March 3-11 2012, but hooks in events and competitions happening throughout January, February and March across the whole country.

Seaweek is an annual, national celebration of the sea coordinated by the New Zealand Association for Environmental Education www.nzaee.org.nz. It provides special opportunities to experience the beauty and mysteries of, and learn more about, the diversity and significance of our marine environment. Seaweek is the only nationwide event dedicated to learning from the sea and developing a better understanding of what sustainability might mean in the marine world. Seaweek is the NZAEE’s flagship event and has been run annually for 20 years.

www.seaweek.org.nz

ENDS