From March 2–7 2008, Immersion Presents Monterey Bay, a cutting-edge, interactive educational program led by Dr. Ballard and a team of scientists from the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), will use telepresence technology – a combination of satellite and Internet connections – to transport young people live to a scientific expedition in Monterey Bay.

Students will explore in real-time one of the planet’s most spectacular and most important biodiversity hotspots where they will experience majestic 100-foot-tall kelp forests, take a day trip out to the deep sea in the sanctuary’s research vessel R/V Fulmar, and study endangered marine mammals like the grey or blue whale and the threatened California sea otter. 

Live Broadcasts

Immersion Presents broadcasts will allow students, educators and researchers to participate in the ocean expedition live.  Using special camera systems that were developed and installed in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary by the Institute for Exploration, the Inner Space Center will receive the live video from the expedition site via Internet2.  Immersion Presents will retransmit those images to a network of partner Immersion Sites and Boys & Girls Clubs across the nation via satellite, the Internet2 high-speed network, and the Internet.  The daily live broadcasts, which are part of a larger interdisciplinary science curriculum designed for upper elementary and middle school students, will air from March 2–7, at 11 am, 12 pm, 1 pm, 2 pm, and 3 pm EST.  To view the feeds LIVE over the internet, please go to http://oceanslive.org or http://immersionpresents.org. 

Three special live events will also be hosted during the Monterey Mission:

Our first special event will be Immersion Presents: Nim’s Island Adventure

As an additional special event for the Immersion Presents: Monterey Bay Expedition, the National Marine Sanctuary Program and Immersion Presents have partnered with Walden Media, a production company that has brought some of the most inspiring movies to the silver screen, on the release of their newest adventure: Nim’s Island.   Catch a glimpse into this exciting movie through the Immersion Presents special event: Nim's Island Adventure. This special show will be hosted on Monday, March 3 from 3:40-4:00 PM EST from the decks of the R/V Fulmar. Tune in to see the Monterey Bay team interact with Walden Media staff to tell the story of how although Nim's Island is a make-believe place, there are special places in the ocean called national marine sanctuaries; and learners are encouraged to extend their enthusiasm for the movie into stewardship actions for their environment.

Nim’s Island is a heartfelt and hilarious adventure that chronicles the exploits of Nim, a young girl living a high-tech Robinson Crusoe existence on an unspoiled tropical island with her marine scientist father and her best friends—a motherly sea lion, a rambunctious iguana and a sea turtle.  Catch the movie April 5th in theatres across the nation, but make sure to catch a special glimpse through the Immersion Presents special event: Nim's Island Adventure.  You can make a difference.  Be a hero of your own story.  To learn what you can do to protect our ocean world, visit nimsisland.com, and watch this special event through oceanslive.org and immersionpresents.org.

Our second special event will be Immersion Presents: Spanish Kelp Forest Program

As a special event for the Immersion Presents: Monterey Bay Expedition, the National Marine Sanctuary Program and Immersion Presents will be offering a Kelp Forest Ecology program in Spanish for our Latino viewers.   This special show will be hosted on Thursday, March 6th from 3:45 to 4:10 PM EST from the decks of the R/V Fulmar.  Tune in to learn more about the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and its lush kelp forests. 

The sanctuary's kelp forests are one of the most productive places on earth.  Catch a glimpse of this undersea forest, discover some of its fascinating features, its many creatures and even discover what kelp products may be in your home!  You’ll see why this special place is a national treasure. 

To learn what you can do to protect our ocean world, watch this special event through oceanslive.org and immersionpresents.org. 

Our third special event will be Immersion Presents: Connecting the Sanctuaries LIVE! 

This special program will be a live connection between the Immersion Presents: Monterey Bay Expedition and the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary located in Alpena, MI.  This show will cover the natural resources within the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, but will also compare and contrast the Monterey Bay and Thunder Bay sanctuaries and their cultural resources.  The show will be hosted *Thursday, March 6th from 4:30- 4:50 EST* off the R/V Fulmar stationed in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Join us on OceansLIVE.org to watch this special event, and to learn more about the different resources between these two very special places, and why they need to be protected.

Curriculum

Immersion Presents programs also include comprehensive curricula packed with realistic research activities that educate kids about the environment.  The Monterey Bay curriculum, underscoring the importance of scientific discovery and its impact on everyday life, teaches kids how kelp and other seaweeds are used to produce commercial products such as shampoo, toothpaste and ice cream.  It also prompts kids to think about water quality as they make a homemade hydrometer and estimate the salinity, or saltiness, of several mystery water samples.  Other activities in the curriculum introduce kids to California sea otters, bioluminescent deep sea creatures, and marine science careers. Two of the lessons developed for this mission are available for download via http://oceanslive.org in the “For Teachers” section of the website.