Ocean Outreach Inc.
About Us
Ocean Outreach understands the desire and recognizes the ability of people to affect change in their world. Ocean Outreach believes that marine conservation, protection of our ocean’s ecosystems, and preservation of our underwater archaeological sites are issues of concern for everyone. We seek to increase community, as well as individual awareness of these issues through educational outreach and scientific research support. We help people understand how they can be active stewards of our ocean. We accomplish this in part by creating partnerships between marine conservation organizations, scientists, public and private school systems, local/state/federal governments, corporate sponsors, and other non-profit organizations.
Directors
Ocean Outreach, Inc. is a 501 c3 non-profit ocean education and outreach organization founded in April 2002 and based in Key West, Florida. Ocean Outreach aims to create educational projects and support marine science research.
Tim Taylor
Executive Director
In recognition of his discovery of the Sherwood Forest Reef tract in the Dry Tortugas, Tim was honored as a Fellow National in the Explorers Club in 2004. Sherwood Forest is considered the centerpiece of the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, the largest in the country, and one of the healthiest reefs in the Caribbean Basin. He is currently President and CEO of Research Vessel Tiburon, Inc.
Pat Ayers
Programs Manager
Pat has 35 years experience with providing research services exclusively to the United States Congress as a member of Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS was legislatively created by Congress to serve as its research and analysis arm, and provides non-partisan, authoritative, and customized services to all Members of Congress, congressional committees, and their staff.
Andrew Taylor
Creative Director
Retired Lieutenant Colonel Andy "Opie " Davidson Taylor is a graduate of the Air Force Academy class of 1987. He has spent the last 18 years flying F-16s for the US Air Force and has over 2000 flight hours logged as a command pilot. He served in Operation Desert Storm where he flew 33 combat sorties and Operation Iraqi Freedom where he flew 17 combat sorties. He holds one Meritorious Service medal, four Air medals, and two Commendation medals for his service.
During his tenure he has served as an F-16 pilot, F-16 Inspector, Washington, DC Alert Pilot, and flown numerous combat air patrols over the Capital and New Yorks ground zero post 9/11. He is currently Combat Forces Branch Chief for Air National Guard (ANG), overseeing flight and simulator training for all ANG A-10, F-15, F-16, JF/A-22, JSTARS, and Predator UAV aircraft.
Andrew is President of Hodja Media Productions currently developing short films, documentaries (ocean and aviation fields), and a childrens educational music program in HDV format. He is also a founding board member of Ocean Outreach.
Conservation
Director Ocean Outreach
Outreach
Outreach is always a key element of many of the scientific programs we support. Often times the outreach takes a back seat due to time, resources and the fact that the scientists have enough on their plate an can not cover this element as much as they wish too. Offering multi media and imagery to that forms the foundation our outreach content we are able to capture a key element of this valuable work until now lost to the public.
Contact Us
www.oceanoutreach.org
info_oceanoutreach.org
Tel: 301-758-9610
Outreach Explorers Team
Welcome to our site documenting our summer diving adventure.
Hope you enjoy your visit. It was all made in real time while in the beautiful blue waters of the Bahamas. It is our wish that this site gives you a little insight into another part of the planet that needs our protection.
Best wishes,
Ocean Outreach Explorers 2009
Garett, Joey, Kieran, Oliver
Blue, Andy, Torrin, Taylor, Brooke, Ashley
Sharks
Although it appears that everyone is talking about and filming sharks,we still know very little about these animals and their roles in marine ecosystems. Misinformation and sensationalism is sadly a steady diet one encounters from various media. And the brutal and senseless practice of shark fining continues makes about as much sense as pulling the wings off a butterfly. (Finning is banned in U.S. waters, but continues worldwide.) Providing outreach is one or our main missions. Great White sharks are the the highest profile apex preditors in the ocean. Our ground breaking White shark program is an example of how the private sector, academic and non profit can work together .
Shark Fining Info
GreatWhiteOutreach
Coral
What we are beginning to learn is that corals are diverse animals capable of living in every ocean of our world, at various depths. The breathtaking beauty and abundance of life found on a shallowwater (depth less than 20m/60 ft.) reef can be matched by both mid-level (depth 20-50m/60-160ft.) and deep (depth greater than 50m/160ft.) coral reef tracts. While much of the worlds shallow reefs have been identified and documented, we are just beginning to leverage technologies such as mixed gases in open circuit scuba, closed circuit rebreathers, manned submersibles, and rovs [remotely operated vehicles] to explore these depths.
Why do we care?
An excellent explanation of the importance of coral ecosystems can be found in the recently released report of the Marine Conservation Biology Institute entitled Status of Deep Sea Corals in US Waters, with Recommendations for their Conservation and Management, 2006. [authors - Morgan, L.E., C.-F. Tsao, J.M. Guinotte]
As anyone who fishes, snorkels, or dives knows, fish are often encountered in or near places with complex, three-dimensional habitatfor example, kelp forests, coral reefs, and seagrass beds. The amount of three-dimensional habitat on the seafloor generally correlates with the level of biodiversity
(Krieger 1993, Love et al. 1991, Risk 1972, Yoklavich et al. 2000). Coral ecosystems not only increase local microhabitat, but may also cover vast areas, thus providing resources to uncountable numbers and types of creatures.
Understanding the origins of our oceans and their earliest inhabitants is fundamental to good ocean stewardship. Nearly three-quarters of the earths surface is covered by water (approximately 320 million cubic miles) and yet we have explored less than 5% of the seafloor.
OO is engaged in research support on the very first life forms on earth cyanobacteria (prokoryatic bacteria) from 2.5 billion years ago. The residual structures formed by the bacteria are known as stromatolites; there are both fossil stromatolites and modern specimens.
Pulley Ridge
Deep Coral Exploration
As noted by Dr Sylvia Earle, Executive Director of Conservation Internationals Global Marine Division and Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, We are protecting less than one percent of our oceans. If we are to protect this priceless natural heritage for future
generations, we must learn to value marine life less as commodities and more as part of the natural world on which we too depend. Conservation of our marine ecosystems is a daunting, complex task which requires assistance from everyone around the world. In many ways, from large, international efforts to everyday, individual practices, we can make a difference.
Ocean Outreach seeks partnerships with individuals, organizations, scientists, businesses, and governmental institutions to work on the many, many issues of conservation.
Fisheries
