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About the Bridge 

The Bridge Ocean Science Education Resource Center is an ever-growing collection of the best marine education materials available online. The Bridge provides educators with a convenient source of accurate and useful information on global, national, and regional marine science topics, and gives research scientists a contact point for broader impacts and educational outreach projects. Resources are organized by subject and are searchable by topic and grade level. Unless otherwise noted, Bridge webpages may be reproduced for non-profit educational use provided that the National Sea Grant Office, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), and the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) are credited.

The Bridge serves as a clearinghouse for a variety of educational content including:

  • Concise multimedia background information on a variety of ocean science topics
  • Downloadable lesson plans that utilize authentic marine science data sets
  • Information about marine careers, internships, and summer activities for students
  • Professional development opportunities for both formal and informal educators
  • Scuttlebutt, a listserv that allows members to informally discuss marine education questions, issues, and ideas with educators, researchers, and outreach professionals around the globe

Unless otherwise noted, Bridge webpages may be reproduced for non-profit educational use provided that Sea Grant, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), and the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA) are credited.

Images used on the Bridge come from a variety of sources; many are in the public domain or available with Creative Commons licenses.

History

The Bridge was founded in 1997 as one of five educational projects funded by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP). Other projects that were funded concurrently included: the JASON Project, the Consortium for Oceanographic Activities for Students and Teachers (COAST), Project Oceanography, and the Rutgers/Woods Hole Summer Research Experience Program. The Bridge is headquartered at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and is supported by the National Sea Grant Office and the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA). 

Contributing Authors

  • Miriam Sutton
  • Susan Haynes
  • Carol Hopper Brill
  • Noelle Relles
  • Laura Rose
  • Kent Hathaway
  • Susanna Musick
  • Chris Hager
  • Juliana Harding
  • Breea Govenar
  • Kerstin Fritsches
  • Francisco Chavez
  • Lisa Ayers Lawrence
  • Chris Petrone
  • Christopher Ryan
  • Ryan Carnegie
  • Bruce Barber
  • John Graves
  • Kirk Havens
  • Donna Bilkovic
  • Dave Stanhope
  • Kory Angstadt
  • William DuPaul
  • Linda Schaffner
  • Bruce Vogt
  • Dave Rudders

Staff

  • Lisa Lawrence – Principal Investigator
  • Celia Cackowski – Project Manager
  • Gary Anderson – Technical Advisor

Founding Co-PIs

  • Lee Larkin
  • Vicki Clark

Regional Representatives

  • Terri Kirby Hathaway – Eastern
  • Rosanne Fortner – Great Lakes
  • Vicki Osis – Pacific
  • Sharon Walker – Gulf
Scripts