Seaweek

Seaweek is New Zealand’s annual national week about the sea. It’s all about exciting and inspiring New Zealanders to renew their connections with the sea! Seaweek takes place from the 1 – 9 March 2014.

The theme for Seaweek 2014 is our fragile and finite taonga. Seaweek is a time to treasure the marine environment. Hosted by the NZ Association for Environmental Education (NZAEE), Seaweek focuses on learning from the sea. It’s your chance to get involved in some fun sea- themed events for families, schools and individuals.

Seaweek has just launched a new website at www.seaweek.org.nz and everyone is encouraged to go online to nominate and vote for their “Ocean Champion” to celebrate all those individuals, groups and organizations who work so hard to look after our seas and the marine life that lives in them. The Ocean Champion can be a group, school, student, local activist, or unsung hero. Anyone can be an Ocean Champion if they help to look after our oceans! The closing date for nominating your Ocean Champion is Friday 28 February.

New for Seaweek 2014 will be the launch of more great opportunities to get children involved in citizen science. The ‘Marine Metre Squared’ project, overseen by the NZ Marine Studies Centre, encourages schools, families, communities and iwi to get involved in collecting valuable data and monitoring their local seashore environment. The MM2 project is launching a new guide for soft sediments in 2014, so that sandy and muddy shores can be assessed along with rocky shores. Data entered into the MM2 website at www.mm2.net.nz will be used to help scientists improve coastal management.

There lots of fun, sea themed events happening in Otago. To find out more check out the Seaweek website : www.seaweek.org.nz.

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