Class dates:  Mondays, Feb 9, 16, March 2, 9, 16 (5 weeks)

Class time: 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Location: Online (via Zoom)

Seventy percent of the Earth's surface is ocean. This planet could be re-named "Ocean"; we are citizens of an ocean planet with islands the size of continents. The ocean is the most important resource on Earth because it controls weather, provides food, and creates 50% of the world's oxygen. Awesome life forms are constantly being discovered at all depths of the ocean. Remarkable life forms inhabit the deepest ocean where there is no light! As scientists pursue all types of marine research, they consistently advocate for caution because exploration and exploitation of the ocean's resources have a history of positive and negative consequences. One might say that the romantic ship-narrative has sailed, replaced with a heightened appreciation for the human impact on marine health and the human pressure on beings who live in or depend on the sea. Education is the key to understanding the ocean of the past, present, and future. This quest to learn more will highlight the following:

 

1. Maps: What You See and What You Don't See

2. Marine Specimens

3. Ocean Voyagers: Seafarers and Refugees

4. Innovative Marine Museums

5. Stories Told by Artists and Scientists

Instructor: Catherine Hunter was museum curator, educator, and consultant for over twenty years. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History of Art from Cornell University and began her career as a curator in the Department of Textiles at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Hunter has been developing and teaching zoom courses for adult learners since 2019. Her courses reflect a lifelong interest in the intersection of art, art history, science, and culture. Hunter is a sailor with a broad interest in all things nautical. She is a member of the New Bedford Whaling Museum and the International Congress of Maritime Museum (ICMM).