NARRAGANSETT, R.I. – April 21, 2022 – NOAA and the University of Rhode Island invite media to two events on Saturday, April 30. The first is a tour for media of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, the only federal vessel dedicated to ocean exploration, while the ship is docked at its homeport at Naval Station Newport.
The tour will be followed in Narragansett, Rhode Island, by a special event hosted by the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography at its Narragansett Bay Campus to celebrate Ocean Exploration Partnerships for the Future.
The media will hear from URI and NOAA leaders about the work that NOAA, NOAA’s Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI) and our partners are doing to explore, characterize and map U.S. territorial waters, develop and deploy new technologies, and train a diverse ocean workforce for a growing Blue Economy.
WHAT: A ship tour for media in Newport followed by a special event in Narragansett: Ocean Exploration Partnerships for the Future
WHERE: Ship tours will take place at Naval Station in Newport Rhode Island, 690 Peary St., Newport, RI, 02841
Special Event: Ocean Exploration Partnerships for the Future will take place at the University of Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Campus, Ocean Science & Exploration Center, 215 South Ferry Road, Narragansett, RI 02882
WHEN: Ship tour for media, Saturday, April 30, 11:00 a.m. EDT
Ocean Exploration Partnerships for the Future event, Saturday, April 30, 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT
WHO: The speaking program will be held at the start of the Special Event celebrating Ocean Exploration Partnerships for the Future in Narragansett and will be followed by a tour of URI’s Inner Space Center that will include a live video connection with scientists and students aboard the Ocean Exploration Trust’s E/V Nautilus on an active NOAA OECI ocean exploration mission, a briefing on the upcoming uncrewed Saildrone Surveyor mission to explore the Aleutian Arc, and presentations by Blue Economy workforce interns. A light reception in the outdoor courtyard will conclude the event.
Confirmed speakers include:
- Paula S. Bontempi, Ph.D., Dean, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography
- Rick Spinrad, Ph.D., NOAA Administrator
- Adam Soule, Ph.D., Professor, University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography and Executive Director of the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute.
RSVP: All journalists must RSVP by Tuesday, April 26, by 2 p.m. EDT if they plan to attend both or either the ship tour in Newport and special event in Narragansett. Please RSVP by email to: monica.allen@noaa.gov and oeci@etal.uri.edu
Journalists must bring a picture ID to Newport Naval Station for the ship tour portion of the event.
COVID guidance: Masks are required to board the ship. We also require guests to self-screen and report any COVID symptoms. For media activities that require audio, such as video interviews, masks may be removed for audio clarity.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative InstituteUniversity of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography