Webinar Series
The National Marine Sanctuaries Webinar Series provides educators, students, and the interested public with educational and scientific expertise, resources and training to support ocean and climate literacy. This series generally targets formal and informal educators that are engaging students (elementary through college) in formal classroom settings, as well as members of the community in informal educational venues (e.g. after school programs, science centers, aquariums, etc.). However, the series is open to anyone interested in the topics listed below.
For distance learning programs about marine mammals and other protected species in the wild, please visit our Wildlife Viewing Guidelines and the NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources' Marine Life Viewing Guidelines to ensure you are aware of the regulations.
Upcoming Webinars
Every River Reaches the Ocean: Engaging Students in Plastic Pollution Education
October 27, 2026 at 12 pm Hawaii | 3 pm Pacific | 5 pm Central | 6 pm Eastern
Shanelle Naone, Pacific Region Communications Coordinator, NOAA Marine Debris Program and Sarah Fishbach, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Integrated Marketing Communication, Pepperdine University
The NOAA Marine Debris Program is celebrating 20 years of reducing and preventing the adverse impacts of marine debris on our ocean, waterways, and Great Lakes. Learn how their work around the U.S. benefits the environment, the economy, and navigational safety. You’ll also get to meet Poppy the Puffin, an initiative designed to make the issue of single-use plastic pollution engaging and accessible to elementary school students through a graphic novel. This webinar will dive into both programs, as well as introduce you to a wide variety of relevant educational materials. Educators will also have an opportunity to sign up for a randomized giveaway of free classroom materials.
2026 Ed Ricketts Memorial Award and Lecture: Between Pacific Seamounts: Water, Heat, and Solutes from Rocks to Octopus and Back Again
November 5, 2026 at 6:30 pm Pacific
Andrew T. Fisher, Ph.D., Researcher and Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Earth & Planetary Sciences Department, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz
Dr. Andrew T. Fisher has been a positive force in deep-sea research and teaching at the University of California, Santa Cruz for more than 30 years. He is an effective teacher who uses quick wit and an exceptional knack for humor to enliven topics and create lasting understanding of serious and complex subjects. His work in the two connected worlds of the deep-sea and water/groundwater management provides a deep well of relevant material for sanctuary audiences. Dr. Fisher will provide a lecture showing and linking results from field and modeling studies to illustrate how novel tools and computing help create new opportunities in subseafloor exploration and discovery.
The Ed Ricketts Memorial Award was created to honor scientists who have exhibited exemplary work throughout their career and advanced knowledge, appreciation, conservation and/or protection of the marine environment. Recipients are selected by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Research Activity Panel.
For the lecture abstract and history of the Ed Ricketts Memorial Award, see the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s Research Activity Panel Page.
Meet Me in the Middle: Humpback Whales Coordinate to Hunt Along the Seafloor
December 8, 2026 at 12 pm Hawaii / 2 pm Pacific / 4 pm Central / 5 pm Eastern
David Wiley, Ph.D., Research Ecologist, NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
Beneath the surface of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off Massachusetts, humpback whales work together to capture one of the region's smallest and most elusive fish. A newly published study led by scientists at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary provides the first direct documentation of humpback whales cooperatively hunting along the seafloor. The whales repeatedly approached one another in coordinated formations, corralling schools of northern sand lance before opening their mouths to capture the fish at nearly the same time. Join Dr. David Wiley to learn more about this research.