8/7/2019 The Ocean Project's Partners in Action: a Conversation with Peggy Sloan

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Applying the research fndings rom

America, the Ocean and Climate Change

Lets begin with congratulations: isnt it true that

your aquarium recently received a rather large

grant rom the Ofce o Education at NOAA?

Yes, its true. NOAA recently awarded our aquarium a little

over $580,000 or a project that will use marine mammals

to help communicate solutions to ocean problems, with a

ocus on the problem o climate change. We will be working

in partnership with the North Carolina Museum o Natural

Sciences, the Nicholas School at Duke, the Elumenati, and

several AZA aquariums. Te project includes a proessional

development institute or inormal grassroots educators

who will host outreach events aimed at 14-17 year olds, using

presentations in an inatable theater, called a GeoDome,developed by the Elumenati, (www.geodome.ino). And

here at our own aquarium we will be updating an exhibit to

include content rom the GeoDome, content that is being

developed in conjunction with Duke researchers.

Did the market research provided by The Ocean

Project play a role in shaping that proposal?

It really was a serendipitous situation. As I was reading

the announcement about the unding opportunity I received

the initial round o market research. We had been thinking

about the GeoDome, and about marine mammals, but the

market research really helped us ocus, especially in our

thinking about who our audience would be. It led to our

decision to ocus on teens and tweens. So really rom

the beginning the research has helped us shape this eort.

As someone who is at an aquarium that already

does a lot o work with teens and tweens,

did you fnd that this research still has oered

new insights about that

audience?

I was surprised that when it

came to the actual numbers,

the level o concern and

the willingness to take action

among teens and tweens.And it reinorced what we

already knew rom our own

work, which is that parents

are listening to their kids on

these issues.

Was there any concern about addressing climate

change?

No, not really. Te research showed that this really is the

environmental issue o interest right now. But at the same

time I would add that we are not planning to bill this as

a climate change program because I think starting a conver-

sation with the words climate change can immediately

turn some people o. So instead we will be talking about it

in the context o threats to marine mammals.

How and why will you be doing that?

We are still in the preliminary stages on the how question.

Tat said, there are a ew species like polar bears and ice-

loving seals where there is enough data to suggest negative

impacts o climate change. It is likely that other species,

such as gray and humpback whales, may expand their range

in warming seas. Looking at climate change impacts on

marine mammals is an emerging feld o research, and most

work to date ocuses on polar species. Much o the content

well develop will iner connections between what we know

about marine mammal ecology, what we know about ocean

impacts rom climate change, and how this inormation

relates to a compelling group o animals.

peggy sloanEDUCATION CURATOR AT THE NORTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM AT FORT FISHER

Q&A: a conversation with

8/7/2019 The Ocean Project's Partners in Action: a Conversation with Peggy Sloan

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On the larger point though the why we know our visitors

are interested in marine mammals. We are using them to

engage audiences. Eventually we hope to relate impacts in this

region, specifcally around Cape Hatteras, NC which appears

to be a signifcant habitat or a number o marine mammal

species. We could talk to our visitors about climate science in

the abstract, but who wants that on an aquarium visit?

Has this market research also had an impact on

your other outreach eorts?

Aside rom what I already mentioned about doing more to

target the teen audience, it also reinorced our interest in

reaching out to Spanish speaking households.

And it has encouraged us to be pro-active in terms o our

conservation messaging. We already knew that people werecoming here to have un, spend time with their amilies and

see animals. And, we keep our mission to inspire apprecia-

tion and conservation o North Carolinas aquatic resources

in mind during program planning. But there was a concern

that we would undermine that un actor i we provided too

much conservation inormation. Te research showed that

visitors expect us to provide conservation solutions, and they

want to know how they can help. We are actively working to

provide more in-depth conservation inormation including

suggestions or personal actions in our exhibits and programs.

What do you hope your visitors will do with the

inormation you provide them?

Te proessional development part o our new project is set to

address just this question. What are our specifc goals or

behavior change? What are the things that teens would be

willing to do themselves? What might they ask their parents

to do? Well test some o those ideas in our junior volunteer

program, and look later, such as in the tracking survey sum-

maries rom Te Ocean Project, to see i we made an impact.I would say our hope is to create an experience where people

recognize their impact on the environment, and eel

empowered to take active steps to minimize that impact.

The research indicated that the best way to

increase the publics understanding o an

environmental problem is to provide them with

suggestions as to how to be part o the solution.

Exactly. Te

example I use

is that everyone

knows that

speeding is wrong,

but most people

still do it.

Awareness is not

the goal, but it is

to create concern and connection. We want to develop a

program that engages teens, and helps them identiy things

they can do. I think most kids are aware o climate change,

but i it doesnt resonate with them and they dont know what

to do about it, we cant expect them to take an active interest

When it comes to using this market research, doyou have any advice or others in similarly ocused

positions at similarly sized aquariums?

I would say that one o the great things about working at a

zoo or aquarium is being part o our communities. We know

rom the research and this to me was a key part o the

results that our communities want and expect us to provide

specifc inormation about conservation solutions, not only

problems. By identiying methods to communicate ocean

issues, and corresponding solutions, every acility is capable o

competing or available unding.

At the end o the day, are you eeling more or less

hopeul about the role zoos and aquariums can

play in inspiring the public to protect the ocean?

Ill admit I had to get past an initial look at the research and

attitudes that hadnt changed much over the last ten years.

Ater that though, I am hopeul. Te research shows some

real opportunities or us, as zoos and aquariums, to make

a dierence. We can ocus our eorts on receptive audiences

with the hope o having a positive impact.

2 Q&A: a conversation with peggy sloan THE OCEAN PROJECT MAY 2010

P.O. Box 2506, Providence, RI 02906

tel: 401.709.4071

www.TheOceanProject.org