Marine Education--It Matters Now

The ocean is like the air...it´s always been there...won´t go away soon...so why spend precious class time talking about it? This is the attitude that seems to prevail among educators as we travel throughout Texas and neighboring states, conducting inservice workshops for elementary and secondary school teachers. Some teachers are better informed. Either they live near the coast or have a natural interest in the marine environment. These teachers are beginning to realize that the ocean is the new thrust, not just of education, but of Americans´ lives and economic well-being. The concept of education about the world of water is new only in degree. There always have been elements of marine education in the curricula, simply because it has been unavoidable. It is doubtful that teachers have tried to ignore the world of water, but its importance has been submerged beneath what appears to be greater urgencies. We are already late in calling for education about the marine environment. A marine literate society will take at least a generation to develop, even after momentum toward the goal of such a society is achieved. Before this generation passes, however, the problems of this marine environment will loom much larger in the public eye.