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June 2, 2003

Media Contacts: Mario Aguilera or Cindy Clark, (858) 534-3624; scrippsnews@ucsd.edu

MEDIA ADVISORY

Are we forgetting how the oceans used to look?
Public Forum at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Addresses
Shifting Baselines and the Declining State of the Oceans
Event set to coincide with the national release of the Pew Oceans Commission landmark report

What: The Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography will host a public forum highlighting Shifting Baselines, a unique partnership of scientists, environmental groups, and Hollywood, dedicated to increasing public awareness about the deteriorating state of the world’s oceans. The Shifting Baselines project was launched to communicate to the broad public a clear description of the decline of the world’s oceans. The event, which also will include the official opening of the Shifting Baselines display at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps, will address the science underlying the question: "Are we forgetting how our oceans used to look?"

Shifting Baselines

Who: The event’s featured speaker is Scripps Professor Jeremy Jackson, a distinguished marine ecologist and founding member of the Shifting Baselines project. Jackson recently led a landmark scientific study on marine ecosystem collapse that garnered worldwide attention. He has spent more than three decades studying coral reefs in the Caribbean and is now actively communicating the threats they face.

When: Wednesday, June 4, 6-9 p.m.
The evening includes a reception and display viewing, followed by a presentation by Jeremy Jackson and a public forum that will include a roundtable discussion with panelists from a variety of backgrounds, including science, ocean conservancy, government, and entertainment.

Where: The Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography,
2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla, Calif.

Why: The Shifting Baselines public forum is being coordinated in conjunction with the national release of the Pew Oceans Commission report outlining major policy recommendations for the governance of the oceans. It is the first comprehensive review of U.S. ocean policy since 1969.

The Birch Aquarium at Scripps invites you to cover this important event.

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NOTE: The public is invited to participate in the event. Suggested donation is $10. Seats are limited.

Call (858) 534-5873 for more information. (Information for members of the media: (858) 534-3624.