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 Monday, August 24, 2009 Media Advisory:SEAPLEX: Scripps Cruise Returns Seeking the science of the Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch PRESS CONFERENCE Scripps Institution of Oceanography / University of California, San Diego MEDIA ADVISORY: PRESS CONFERENCE: AUG. 27Worldwide media access available via Web and teleconference WHAT: Let's Talk Trash: Scripps Institution of Oceanography SEAPLEX scientists who recently returned from a 20-day expedition to the "Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch" will recount their research expedition and be available for one-on-one interviews. SEAPLEX is the Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastic Expedition. WHO: Scripps Oceanography scientists will provide the first glimpse into their scientific research experiences from the recent journey onboard Scripps research vessel New Horizon into the vast and little-explored North Pacific Ocean Gyre. Speakers will include Miriam Goldstein, chief scientist of the SEAPLEX expedition; Tony Haymet, Scripps director; Doug Woodring, cofounder of Project Kaisei; and other members of the science team. VISUALS: "Garbage" collected in the gyre by the science team will be on display. WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009 TIME: 11 a.m. (PDT) formal remarks from the SEAPLEX science team. Opportunities for one-on-one interviews will immediately follow formal remarks. WHERE: Scripps Seaside Forum Auditorium, Scripps Institution of Oceanography 8610 Kennel Way (formerly Discovery Way), La Jolla, Calif. Directions: I-5 north, exit La Jolla Parkway west, right/north onto La Jolla Shores Drive, left/west onto El Paso Grande; immediate right/north into Scripps parking lot. Look for media parking signs. BACKGROUND: The North Pacific Ocean Gyre is roughly a thousand miles off California's coast. Just what effects the accumulation of human-produced plastic and other debris has on this ocean area is a subject of current speculation. Scientifically, very little is known about the size of the "garbage patch" and threats to marine life and the gyre's biological environment. From August 2-21, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, with support from UC Ship Funds, Project Kaisei and the National Science Foundation, dedicated a scientific mission to exploring and analyzing the problem of plastic in the North Pacific Ocean Gyre. The graduate student-led SEAPLEX expedition aboard the Scripps research vessel New Horizon explored the ocean patch from several angles, with research that included surveys of plastic distribution, investigations of floating plastic and assessments of impacts on sea life. Daily blogs, still viewable, were posted on the SEAPLEX Web site: http://sio.ucsd.edu/Expeditions/Seaplex/ PHOTOS AND VIDEO: Photos and video from the SEAPLEX expedition will be available the day of the press conference on the Web: http://sio.ucsd.edu/Expeditions/Seaplex/ (Click on Newsroom), and will be available at the event. LIVE WEB ACCESS/TELECONFERENCE MEDIA PRE-REGISTRATION AND CONTACTS: This press conference will be available via live Web video streaming (QuickTime 7 or above required to view video streaming) and teleconference for local, national and international media. Members of the press are required to pre-register for this press conference to insure adequate access to the science team. Please register at this Web address: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dEViLXZpVTQ0dkxlbUh4MlNSb2htenc6MA.. # # # Note to broadcast and cable producers: University of California, San Diego provides an on-campus satellite uplink facility for live or pre-recorded television interviews. Please phone or e-mail the media contact listed above to arrange an interview. Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at University of California, San Diego, is one of the oldest, largest and most important centers for global science research and education in the world. The National Research Council has ranked Scripps first in faculty quality among oceanography programs nationwide Now in its second century of discovery, the scientific scope of the institution has grown to include biological, physical, chemical, geological, geophysical and atmospheric studies of the earth as a system. Hundreds of research programs covering a wide range of scientific areas are under way today in 65 countries. The institution has a staff of about 1,300, and annual expenditures of approximately $155 million from federal, state and private sources. Scripps operates one of the largest U.S. academic fleets with four oceanographic research ships and one research platform for worldwide exploration. Project Kaisei |
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