Organized by Coastal America, the 3rd National Student Summit on the Ocean & Coasts in Washington, DC, will bring together high school students from around the United States and Mexico to explore the Third Principle of Ocean Literacy - the ocean is a major influence on weather and climate.  Attending the summit are Murphy High School students Ahiah Breland, Sarah Gaither, Hunter Hutto and Roderick Powe, who will present their action plan to address global climate change to leaders in the environmental policy, science, and research community.

The Alabama students, working with the Education and Outreach Program (Discovery Hall Programs) at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, have been researching and conducting outreach on how global climate change affects our local habitats, specifically how associated sea level rise may impact marshes.  Their action plan focuses on marsh restoration and education.  In the process of learning about marsh restoration, this dedicated team of high school students has given talks to elementary school students, and has developed a three-minute video about their project.

While in Washington, the Alabama delegation will be joined by student-leaders from 18 other Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers around the nation.  The Summit will provide students an understanding of the interconnectedness of climate and the ocean through presentations by internationally recognized ocean leaders, including Dr. Sylvia Earle, Jean-Michel Cousteau and Jack Hanna.  The intent is to inspire students to become more involved in their community, to learn more about climate and its relationship to the ocean, and explore academic and career paths in related science, technology, engineering, and/or mathematics disciplines.

In addition to presentations, students will discuss their action plan with a panel of federal scientists and regulatory personnel and present a prepared poster about their projects to the public in the Sant Ocean Hall in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. With feedback from the environmental policy and scientific communities, students will be well equipped to return to their community to begin or continue the implementation of their action plan. The students will also have the opportunity to go on field trips to the White House, the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, The Newseum and the Naval Observatory.

The public will be able to view the Student Summit on its event webcast, from 8:30 am – 6:30 pm EST, February 15, 2011, at http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-news/coastal-america-student-summit-2011.