For the 11th consecutive year, Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) and SECOORA collaborated to bring IOOS and ocean observing to the St. Petersburg Science Festival. The October 15 festival took place virtually with thousands of students and educators from about 100 schools tuning in to explore science, technology, engineering, art and math.
The IOOS-themed YouTube broadcast by GCOOS’s Dr. Chris Simoniello and Grant Craig and SECOORA’s Abbey Wakely, gave participants the opportunity to learn about ocean observations and how IOOS is benefitting society. It also allowed the students the opportunity to test their deciphering skills using the International Code of Signals.
Since 2011, the St. Petersburg Science Festival has inspired children to get excited about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Last year, it is estimated 3,000 students tuned in virtually.
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