Developing education and outreach programs in regional coastal ocean observing systems

The global community has consistently expressed the need for a coordinated ocean observing system. In 2000, the United States established Ocean.US, a federal interagency office that is charged with coordinating the implementation of a national integrated ocean observing system (IOOS). IOOS is envisioned as a network of regional ocean observing systems that will form the backbone of coastal observations for the United States. In addition to the observation, collection and analysis of data, one important element that has been identified is the development of a complementary outreach and education component to these regional entities, and the national system, both to provide information and education to ocean and coastal users and to design a user needs assessment for educators and researchers in the development of useful products and services. How might these education and outreach functions be structured and developed for these regional associations? This paper will provide examples from the Southeast Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System (SEACOOS) and Gulf of Mexico Coastal Observing System (GCOOS) who are in the process of organizing their education and outreach functions.