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School's Back in Session … So, Take a Field Trip to the
NY-NJ Harbor Estuary from Your Classroom During EstuaryLive '05

Contacts:

Laura Bartovics, New York Sea Grant
NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program / New York, NY 10007
Phone: 212-637-3889 / E-mail: info@harborestuary.org

Cathy Yuhas, New Jersey Sea Grant
NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program / New York, NY 10007
Phone: 212-637-3889 / E-mail: info@harborestuary.org

New York, NY, September 15, 2005 - Students in classrooms from around the world will be able to visit the dynamic urban estuary at the heart of the NY-NJ metropolitan region LIVE via the Internet when the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program hosts "EstuaryLive" on Thursday, September 22 at 11:00 AM. This interactive program, broadcast from Liberty State Park's Caven Point Beach in Jersey City, NJ, is coordinated by the Sea Grant programs in New Jersey and New York.

The hour-long event will focus on life in an urban estuary, highlighting the relationship between people and the productive natural ecosystem. Participants will explore the estuary through activities such as testing water chemistry, seining for aquatic organisms, beach combing for natural and man-made objects, and building a watershed model. Throughout the program, students will be asked to contemplate the actions they might take as stewards of the estuary.

"Given the trend of more and more people living near the nation's coasts, it is important for students to be aware of the role estuaries play in the sustainability of our planet," says New York Sea Grant Director Dr. Jack Mattice. "EstuaryLive is an innovative way to capture students' imaginations and help them learn."

The NY-NJ Harbor Estuary is one of five sites across the country hosting "EstuaryLive" broadcasts on September 22 and 23. The national program, sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), kicks off National Estuaries Day, a celebration of the magical places where fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean.

During "EstuaryLive," students will be able to email questions directly to naturalists on-site who will answer them live throughout the program. The goal of "EstuaryLive" is to provide an opportunity for students around the world to experience, in real-time, a field trip to the unique habitat of an estuary. For more information about "EstuaryLive," please visit www.estuaries.gov.

"Managing critical resources like the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary requires doing a better job of balancing human and ecological needs," notes New Jersey Sea Grant Director Dr. Michael Weinstein. "Not only will EstuaryLive introduce students and teachers nationwide to the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary it will offer an excellent opportunity to emphasize the importance of environmental stewardship."

The NY-NJ Harbor Estuary is a dynamic living ecosystem and a center of human activity. In addition to serving as North America's largest east coast port, the estuary also supports commercially harvested fish and shellfish, provides essential habitat for diverse species of wildlife and offers valuable opportunities for recreation. For more information about the NY-NJ Harbor Estuary Program, go to www.harborestuary.org.

Robert M. Nyman, Director of the New York - New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program, added "The EstuaryLive broadcast is a great opportunity for students to get an up close look at the estuary through the eyes of other students."

New York/New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program • 290 Broadway, 24th Floor • New York, NY 10007-1866
Phone: 212-637-3816 • Fax: 212-637-3889 • E-mail: info@harborestuary.org