Continuing Outreach Activities at ASLO Meetings to Assist Ocean Scientists

University Of Delaware, Newark DE

Investigators

Abstract

Scientists are increasingly called upon by the public, media, and policymakers to explain their science, yet training on how to do this effectively is hard to come by. This award to the University of Delaware provides funding for a set of workshops that will help scientists become better communicators. The workshops will be held at the American Society for Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) winter conference, one of the largest conferences for marine scientists, in 2014 and 2015. The proposed workshops will provide training to scientists on a variety of communication skills, including the production of short science videos and communication to the general public. Planned workshop events for the February 2014 meeting include 1) a Video Workshop that provides advice to help scientists create videos that maintain accurate science and are interesting and compelling to a broad audience, 2) two half-day workshops on Science Communication - one for graduate students and one for all meeting participants, 3) a Science Communication workshop for about 24 participants to focus on their specific science communication issues, and 4) a Panel Discussion on public communication as part of the mid-morning plenary talks.