By Jennifer Magnusson
Every two years, the Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM) brings together the global ocean science community for what is, in my experience, one of the most energizing weeks in our field. This February, about 6,000 scientists, educators, and communicators gathered in Glasgow, Scotland — the first time OSM has been held outside North America — and I was fortunate to be among them.
I’ve been attending OSM since 2012, and one of the things I love most about this meeting is how deeply rooted it is in science. But what keeps drawing me back is watching the education programming grow. Session by session, year by year, ocean educators have been carving out more space at this table — and Glasgow felt like another meaningful step in that direction.
L: Arriving at the Scottish Event Campus for OSM26; R: My poster on the EARTH Workshop Model
This year I attended in my role as an independent contractor with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), co-chairing a session with my colleague George Matsumoto on educator workshop effectiveness — what works, and what doesn’t. I also presented a poster on the EARTH Workshop model, which connects research, outreach, and education to help bring data literacy into classrooms and informal learning environments. Discussing our work in conversations with the broader international community was both validating and genuinely inspiring.
Beyond my own session, one of the highlights of the week was a social evening co-hosted by NMEA, SWIMS (Society for Women in Marine Science), and ASLO (the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography). Meeting so many early-career scientists and educators in that kind of informal setting reminded me why community matters as much as content at a meeting like this.
L: Attending a social event with Tami Lunsford from NMEA; R: An audience participating in a “silent disco of science” at a presentation in the large hall
Glasgow itself was wonderful — the Scottish Event Campus made it easy to slip into the city for sightseeing, and the conference had its own spirit of place. OSM26’s official mascot was a highland cow named Clyde, and the meeting even commissioned an official conference tartan, registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans, its colors drawn from the logos of the three partner societies and woven through with ocean imagery — deep blues lightening toward the surface, the green of the Earth, the red of the Sun. Hidden in the thread count is the launch date of HMS Challenger, the 1872 expedition widely considered the founding voyage of modern oceanography.
L-R: Out and about, enjoying some of the highlights around Glasgow
One of the unexpected joys of a meeting this size is spotting a familiar face — or a familiar coastline in someone’s research. This year I was struck by how many presentations had Pacific Northwest roots. Larissa Zip (Blue Robotics) brought her work on open-source marine robotics for K–12 education. Lauren Hudson (University of Victoria) co-chaired an ocean engagement poster session. Tracy Crews (Oregon Sea Grant) presented on scientist-educator co-creation. Teresa Kennedy presented on advancing ocean literacy across inland and underserved communities. And all the way from Alaska, Lauren Bien of the Prince William Sound Science Center presented From Polyps to CORaL, showcasing the CORaL Network’s collaborative, community co-created approach to science outreach in communities still living with the legacy of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.
Not all of these folks are NAME members yet — but they should be! If you know them, give them a nudge. And if you’re reading this and you presented at OSM26, we’d love to welcome you into our community.
L: Tracy Crews (center) presents an eLightning talk; C: Larissa Zip talks to attendees at her poster session; R: Lauren Bien discusses her outreach program
The ocean sciences community, as OSM’s own words put it, is like an ocean current — directed, persistent, and shaped by its surroundings. NAME is part of that current and our members are doing the work to connect, engage and support people of all ages and backgrounds to learn and teach about freshwater and ocean ecosystems.
I’m sharing all of this because I want NAME members to know: this meeting is worth your time. And the good news is that the next Ocean Sciences Meeting will be held right in our backyard from February 27 – March 3, 2028 in Vancouver, BC. Let’s showcase the broad reach of Pacific Northwest aquatic and marine education in Vancouver!
We honour the memory of Dr. William C. Austin (affectionately known as “Bill the Glass Sponge Guy”), a highly regarded marine biologist and marine educator, who was a member of the Northwest Aquatic & Marine Educators Association for many years beginning in the early 1990’s. Bill co-chaired the BC Chapter of NAME (2000-2002), and served as interim Director of the BC Chapter (2002-2003). Bill inspired people with his unparalleled knowledge of, and passion for, marine life and marine ecosystems. He was one of those marine scientists who truly understood the importance of educating people of all ages about our ocean and water resources. He generously took the time to teach the general public, graduate students, schoolteachers and children of all ages about the incredible marine life of our coast.
I have been a marine educator for over 35 years. Besides working with various school and scout groups, I have the opportunity to work with over 1300 amazing volunteers along the Oregon coast who have adopted a mile of beach and are asked to report officially, quarterly, on the state of their beach. My job is to make sure our volunteers are introduced to the most recent research, coastal concerns and interesting findings on the beaches they’ll be visiting.