University of Rhode Island, Graduate School of Oceanography

Marine Outreach at URI

GSO's marine outreach programs are spread among a variety of groups. The Office of Marine Programs, the Rhode Island Sea Grant (through Sea Grant Extension), the Coastal Resources Center, and individual faculty and scientists may all engage in outreach programming on an ad hoc basis or through specific programs.

As a marine outreach arm of the Office of the Vice Provost for Marine Programs, the Office of Marine Programs (OMP) targets audiences which include scientists and engineers, educators and students at all levels, volunteers, the general public, journalists and the media, alumni, donors, and friends of the Graduate School of Oceanography. OMP outreach efforts are focused in the areas of marine and environmental education and science communications. Aslo see:

The outreach component of Rhode Island Sea Grant is Sea Grant Extension (SGE). This group targets audiences including coastal and fisheries managers, consumers, and fishermen, seafood processors, and aquaculturists. SGE activities are focused in three major programmatic areas: coastal management; fisheries, aquaculture and seafood science; and communications. Also see:

The Coastal Resources Center at the University of Rhode Island is dedicated to advancing coastal management worldwide. In addition to assisting in the development and implementation of coastal management programs in Rhode Island and the United States, the Center is active in countries throughout the world promoting the sustainable use of coastal resources for the benefit of all. Implementing coastal management projects in the field, building capacity through education and training, and sharing lessons learned and information throughout the coastal community are the foundation of the Coastal Resources Center's work.

The mission of Coastal Institute is to advance knowledge and develop solutions to environmental problems in coastal ecosystems. The purpose of the Institute is to increase our understanding of the relationships between human activity and the condition of the coastal environment and its resources. The Coastal Institute works in partnership with local, state, federal, and international agencies to use this understanding to contribute to the solution of the complex problems of human use and development in coastal environments. The Coastal Institute is a neutral setting where knowledge is advanced, issues discussed, information synthesized, and solutions developed for the sustainable use and management of coastal ecosystems. The Coastal Institute works across and beyond traditional structures to encourage new approaches to problem solving.

The Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting provides fellowships each year for journalists in print, broadcast, and electronic media to learn about science and the research process, from interpreting marine and environmental issues to understanding the principles of scientific research. The missions of the Metcalf institute are To promote clear and accurate reporting of scientific news and environmental issues;
to strengthen understanding and working relationships between members of the scientific community and members of the news media; and to provide opportunities for beginning journalists to learn, on both a formal and an informal level, how to improve their skills in marine and environmental reporting.

The outreach program Guiding Education in Math & Science Network (GEMS-NET) provides support for science teachers in elementary schools. the mission of GEMS-NET to prepare all students to be scientifically literate, enabling them to meet the challenges of an expanding body of knowledge within an increasingly technologically complex and changing global society.

Coastal Institute on
Narragansett Bay
and the
Helen Mosby Center

Teacher resource room in the Coastal Institute Building

Jason Project

CI Auditorium hosting
Jason Project