The document discusses ocean science communication in Japan. [1] It describes the activities of the Ocean Literacy and Education Panel (OLEP) of the Oceanographic Society of Japan, which aims to promote ocean literacy and education. OLEP publishes reference books and online materials for teachers and students. [2] It discusses the presenter's experience with different forms of science communication, including one-way communication, mutual communication using blogs and social media, and new face-to-face methods like science cafes. [3] It concludes that the most effective communication is face-to-face but can be supplemented by new media, and the goal should be mutual understanding between scientists and the public.

1. AGU 2011 Fall Meeting, PA33C-04
7 December 2011, San Francisco
Ocean Science Communication in Japan
Hiroshi ICHIKAWA
Research Institute for Global Change (RIGC),
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
(JAMSTEC)
Chair, the Ocean Literacy and Education Panel (OLEP),
Oceanographic Society of Japan (JOS)
E-mail: ichikawah@jamstec.go.jp

2. Contents
1. Activities of Ocean Literacy and Education
Panel (OLEP/JOS)
2. My experience of science communication with
non-professionals
3. Conclusion
Session title: Earth Science Communication in a
Changing Media Landscape

3. 1. Activities of Ocean Literacy and Education Panel
(OLEP) of Oceanographic Society of Japan (JOS)
JOS is established in January1941 for advancement and
spreading of Oceanographic research in Japan (about
1900 members as of April 2011), and one of academic
society members of Japan Geosciences Union (JpGU)
since 2005, the year of its establishment.
OLEP is established in April 2003 for sharing the ocean
literacy with the public and promoting the ocean science
education in schools and colleges (39 volunteer
members as of April 2011).
JOS Website: http://www.kaiyo-gakkai.jp/main/
OLEP Website: http://coast14.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/osj/

4. Reasons why OLEP is established.
While ocean science is holistic, its
education in Japan is not.
In primary school, education specified on
the ocean science has not been authorized
in nationwide official education system.
A part of ocean science education is
conducted only by a few very active school
teachers with many efforts.

5. Science education in junior-high and high
schools in Japan is divided into four courses
on Physics, Chemistry, Biology and
Geosciences.
Ocean science education is done as a part
of Geosciences education, with close
connection only with atmospheric science
and physics educations, but not with
chemistry and biology educations.

6. For correcting this wrong situation, not only
OLEP/JOS, but also some other ocean-
related organizations such as Ocean Policy
Research Foundation, and Japan Society of
Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers, are
working.
Another problem is that Geosciences
education is losing its position in high-
school science education, i.e., number of
students learning Geosciences are
decreasing.

7. Examples in actions of OLEP/JOS
• Publishing reference hard books
• Publishing materials on website for primary
school teachers and students
• Supporting seminars on board of research
vessel for high-school teachers and students.
• Supporting Oceanographer's talks at sea side
for primary school students
• Operating 'Ocean Science Cafe' for the public,

8. “Trivia of Oceans” Vol.1 (June 2005)
“Trivia of Oceans” Vol.2 (Sept. 2006)
for primary school teachers, and
parents.
“Learn on the Ocean” (April 2003) for high school
students, primary and junior-high school teachers, and
parents.

9. “Ocean is going around, Sciences on the Ocean supporting the
society and livings” (in press) for freshmen in universities and
colleges.

10. Learning Material on the Web： “Let’s learn on the Ocean”
URL： http://coast14.ees.hokudai.ac.jp/osj/umi_o_manabou/

11. “Let’ learn on the Ocean on board of a research vessel”
Participants: 60 students + 20 teaches in nation-wide high schools
5 or 7 days in August of five years, 2006—2010.
Ocean Observations Analysis in laboratory presentations
on the sea on land

12. Leaning at the sea side
Place and date: Manazuru Town at Izu, on 2 days in July of
2009, 2010, and 2011
Participants: 40 primary school students (2 classes, 9 years
old) with teachers in each year
Works: Sampling planktons at a wharf, and watching
planktons by microscope.
Plankton sampling Microscope watching

13. Ocean Science Café
twice a year since 2008
March 2008, Tokyo
September 2009, Kyoto March 2010, Tokyo

14. 2. My Experience of science communication with
non-professionals
1) One-way science communication using old media
(books, articles, lecture, etc.)
2) Mutual Science Communication using new media
a. Blog b. Social Networking Service
3) New style Face-to-face Science Communication
a. Science Café b. panel discussion
The science communication by scientists should not be
one-way but really two-way with strong wish to
understand well what people wish to know and have
difficulties to understand, and where they stop learning.
I believe that the new media can help it.

15. 2) Mutual Science Communication using new media
a. Blog in Japanese from January 2007
about 180 articles in 5 years (3 articles per month),
about 200 PV a day by Google Analytic,
Main topics of articles:
• basic knowledge on the ocean,
• additional explanations to scientific topics in mass
media,
• opinions on the science literacy, STEM education,
science and technology policy, science and society etc.
By Blog, if comments, replies, and track backs work well,
scientists can make well mutual communication with
non-professionals.

16. 2) Mutual Science Communication using new media
b. Social Networking Service
Facebook from April 2009 (not active for a long time),
Twitter from December 2009
(about 400 followers, and about one tweet a day).
Main Topics of my tweets:
• announcements of meetings
• new scientific findings in Journals, and Media
Twitter may work well in limited information exchange
with other people, but not enough in complicated
discussions with non-professionals.

17. 3) New style Face-to-face communication
a. ‘Ocean Science Café’ twice a year since 2008.
Sponsored by OLEP/JOS. Gathering less than 25
persons (age:16-70) in a small coffee shop.
The first 20 minutes: A talk by a young speaker using
only printed material (without screen and
microphone)
Next 80 minutes: Discussion in small groups with 3-
5 people and 1-2 JOS members.
Last 20 minutes: Discussion with all other
participants.
Ocean Science Café changes young speakers and other
supporting JOS members.

18. 3) New Style Face-to-face communication
b. A panel discussion on “Spreading and influence of the
ocean contamination after the Great East Japan
Earthquake” during the Science Agora 2011
(Japanese Science Festival held in Tokyo in this
November), sponsored by “JOS Working Group for
responding to Great East Japan Earthquake”.
New approach: two of six panelists were non-
professionals (female science communicators)
It was very successful in making the discussion
understandable for the public, especially mothers,
because of the new approach.

19. Conclusion
One-way communication is just one-way,
i.e., there is no way for the public to tell to
the scientists what they want to know on the
scientists and the science.
Among various kinds of mutual
communication, face-to-face communication
may be the best and new media such as
Blog, Twitter, Facebook, and others is its
supplementary.

20. Conclusion
The science communication by scientists should
not be one-way but really two-way with strong
wish to understand well what people wish to know
and have difficulties to understand, and where
they stop learning.
I believe that the new media can help it with some
improvements.
It is necessary to develop learning materials not
for remembering the body of knowledge, but for
helping “Inquiry-based Ocean science education”