6 Building Bridges to Science: Making Coastal Science Better Understood
59
6.4
Making Coastal Science Better Understood
In the context of coastal management the provision of education and interpretation
provides an opportunity to: 1) explain and promote the relevance of science and the
scientific process in environmental decision-making; and 2) improve the dialogue between the range of organisations involved in decision-making. The social role of science in coastal zone management cannot be underestimated, particularly in relation to
health and safety issues such as water quality and levels of contaminants in food resources. However, many concerned individuals and interest groups do not want the
technical information or raw data sets, preferring to have the science translated and
presented into a more user-friendly format. With information technology playing such
a significant role within the industrial marine sector and scientific community, environmental educators need to seize the opportunities currently being presented byelectronic transfer of data and multimedia applications to get information across to increasing numbers of visitors and home computer users. However, the scientific process
must not be compromised. To achieve this, it is necessary to "access the inaccessible",
"provide a public window to the marine environment" and" share the secrets of the sea".
6.5
Accessing the Inaccessible
The marine environment is for most people inaccessible, both physically and intellectually. It is dangerous and requires specialised equipment to go below the surface. It is
also inaccessible to most people scientifically, because its characteristics are poorly
understood. The growth in wildlife tourism and increasingly large numbers of visitors
to the coast have presented providers of educational and interpretative resources with
many new opportunities and challenges. In England the establishment of Voluntary
Marine Reserves has played an important role in both raising awareness of the marine
environment and encouraging capacity-building amongst the variety of stakeholders
at a site-based level. The phenomenal rise in communications technology and multimedia provision (personal computers, CD-ROM and Internet accessibility) has given
visitor centres an opportunity to provide innovative interpretation and learning opportunities which complement more traditional interpretative techniques such as guided
walks and practical hands-on activities to facilitate discovery, observation, investigation and research.
In the UK the technological approach to interpretation is being used to good effect
as a means of capturing the imagination and interest of visitors to the Dorset coast.
Here, marine interpreters are providing new education and interpretation initiatives to
inform the visiting public and school groups as well as encouraging community involvement in management tasks such as data collection. Innovative techniques such as
seabed hydrophones, clifftop and underwater cameras are being used to observe and
monitor coastal habitats and wildlife and transmit "live" sounds and pictures into visitor centres where the information is then interpreted. Such remote techniques enable
large numbers of visitors, including the disabled, to have access to coastal habitats and
wildlife with minimum damage and disturbance. Advances in multimedia provision
within interpretation centres are actively engaging the public in "hands-on" science
59
6.4
Making Coastal Science Better Understood
In the context of coastal management the provision of education and interpretation
provides an opportunity to: 1) explain and promote the relevance of science and the
scientific process in environmental decision-making; and 2) improve the dialogue between the range of organisations involved in decision-making. The social role of science in coastal zone management cannot be underestimated, particularly in relation to
health and safety issues such as water quality and levels of contaminants in food resources. However, many concerned individuals and interest groups do not want the
technical information or raw data sets, preferring to have the science translated and
presented into a more user-friendly format. With information technology playing such
a significant role within the industrial marine sector and scientific community, environmental educators need to seize the opportunities currently being presented byelectronic transfer of data and multimedia applications to get information across to increasing numbers of visitors and home computer users. However, the scientific process
must not be compromised. To achieve this, it is necessary to "access the inaccessible",
"provide a public window to the marine environment" and" share the secrets of the sea".
6.5
Accessing the Inaccessible
The marine environment is for most people inaccessible, both physically and intellectually. It is dangerous and requires specialised equipment to go below the surface. It is
also inaccessible to most people scientifically, because its characteristics are poorly
understood. The growth in wildlife tourism and increasingly large numbers of visitors
to the coast have presented providers of educational and interpretative resources with
many new opportunities and challenges. In England the establishment of Voluntary
Marine Reserves has played an important role in both raising awareness of the marine
environment and encouraging capacity-building amongst the variety of stakeholders
at a site-based level. The phenomenal rise in communications technology and multimedia provision (personal computers, CD-ROM and Internet accessibility) has given
visitor centres an opportunity to provide innovative interpretation and learning opportunities which complement more traditional interpretative techniques such as guided
walks and practical hands-on activities to facilitate discovery, observation, investigation and research.
In the UK the technological approach to interpretation is being used to good effect
as a means of capturing the imagination and interest of visitors to the Dorset coast.
Here, marine interpreters are providing new education and interpretation initiatives to
inform the visiting public and school groups as well as encouraging community involvement in management tasks such as data collection. Innovative techniques such as
seabed hydrophones, clifftop and underwater cameras are being used to observe and
monitor coastal habitats and wildlife and transmit "live" sounds and pictures into visitor centres where the information is then interpreted. Such remote techniques enable
large numbers of visitors, including the disabled, to have access to coastal habitats and
wildlife with minimum damage and disturbance. Advances in multimedia provision
within interpretation centres are actively engaging the public in "hands-on" science