Sci-Art Aquaweek 2015

Sci-Art AquaWeek 2015
27 July – 1 August 2015
SEAFDEC/AQD’s 42nd Anniversary, AQD Museum’s Year 22, FishWorld’s Year 15

Rationale of Sci-Art AquaWeek

The SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department advances responsible aquaculture and supports sustainable development in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.  SEAFDEC FishWorld is dedicated to science and environment education of the general public—children, adults, students, teachers, researchers, public officials, tourists, local residents, etc.— particularly about aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity, aquaculture and fisheries, and marine conservation.

Sci-Art AquaWeek seeks to build understanding and appreciation among school children and teachers in Panay of the research and development work of SEAFDEC/AQD and the relations between aquatic biodiversity, aquaculture, fisheries, human nutrition, and economic advancement.   Such understanding is then expressed through contests with various outputs.  Sci-Art AquaWeek 2015 focuses on (1) ocean literacy; (2) aquaculture and its importance to food security, and (3) the Philippines being the center of the center of marine biodiversity and how Filipinos should know more about this natural heritage.  Six contests are open to all high schools, and four contests are open to all elementary schools.  The AquaWeek contests are funded from FishWorld visitor fees; there is no registration fee.

Invitations to Principals, descriptions of the contests, and Participation Forms are available from FishWorld, phone (33)-315-5665 and 0921-559-0824, and on the website www.seafdec.org.ph/2015/aquaweek.  Sample quizzes and other information materials may also be downloaded.

In keeping with 20 years’ practice, invitation letters and descriptions of contests are sent to the Principals of about 50 schools in Iloilo and Guimaras when classes start in June.  Principals choose contestants and coaches as soon as possible.  Students, pupils, teachers, and parents work together and do background research, collect specimens, practice drawing and presenting, and make all related preparations for the competitions in July.  Principals fill in the Participation Forms with the contestants’ and coaches’ correct names and submit the forms to SEAFDEC FishWorld, 5021 Tigbauan, Iloilo, or fax them to (33)-511-8709 as soon as possible before Friday, 24 July 2015.  The FishWorld staff needs lead time to prepare Certificates of Participation, other materials, and logistics.

Ocean literacy is understanding the influence of the ocean on us and our influence on the ocean (see attached pdf file Ocean Literacy from http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/literacy/ocean_literacy.pdf.).  An ocean-literate person:

• understands the essential principles and fundamental concepts about the functioning of the ocean;
• can communicate about the ocean in a meaningful way;
• is able to make informed and responsible decisions regarding the ocean and its resources

The seven essential principles (each supported by several fundamental concepts) are:

1. The Earth has one big ocean with many features.
2. The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of the Earth.
3. The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate.
4. The ocean makes Earth habitable.
5. The ocean supports a great diversity of life and ecosystems.
6. The ocean and people are inextricably interconnected.
7. The ocean is largely unexplored.

The Philippines is an archipelagic country with a huge marine territory and 7,107 islands surrounded by various marine habitats with an amazing diversity of species — fishes, crustaceans, mollusks, corals, echinoderms, other invertebrates, as well as seaweeds, seagrasses, mangroves, sea turtles, dolphins, and whales. The country has 100 million consumers of fish, about 60 million residents of coastal barangays, and probably 20 million workers in fisheries, aquaculture, fish trade, and marine transportation.  The ocean and marine biodiversity are essential to daily life in the Philippines.  How much do our students know of the importance of the ocean and marine biodiversity, the threats to them, and the interventions implemented by various sectors of society?  How much love and respect do our people have for the ocean and marine biodiversity? We should all strive to be ocean-literate.

FishWorld urges students and teachers to visit the AQD library and website (www.seafdec.org.ph) and find out what the SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department has accomplished in aquaculture research and development.  After all, the key to food security is the responsible harvest and use of wild food species through fisheries and the responsible farming of domesticated species through aquaculture (and agriculture).  More Filipinos should now take advantage of aquaculture science and current technologies to produce more aquatic products (1) to feed an ever burgeoning national population, (2) to gainfully employ rural communities, (3) to earn foreign exchange, and (3) to conserve and restore aquatic resources.