Toolkit Purpose
This toolkit is a guide to help you promote the newest project from our Biodiversity Funding Portfolio.
Below we have provided content for you to use, please feel free to edit to fit your personal online voice, or use verbatim. We will also be promoting this through all Lenfest Ocean Program channels, and we encourage you to help amplify those posts. Please post (or re-post) as often as you can, and make sure to tag us!
About the Project
The Lenfest Ocean Program has joined forces with the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Oceankind Labs to support Dr. Stephen Palumbi, Stanford University, and Dr. Stefano Mariani, Liverpool John Moores University, to use environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess and monitor the distribution and structure of marine biodiversity in the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary (CHNMS).
The researchers partnered with Tribal leaders and other experts to elucidate the relationship between traditional and scientific knowledge and co-design the project. Throughout the work, they will engage students, fishermen, and others in collecting and interpreting the data, and seek insight on the historical context for patterns in species distributions, including what is known from cultural heritage sites, museum exhibits, ethno-botany records, oral histories, and other cultural records. Through such collaboration and knowledge sharing, the researchers and the community hope to paint a much richer picture of coastal biodiversity.
Webinar - March 14
Join the Lenfest Ocean Program on March 14th at 10 am PT (1 pm ET) for the launch of the recently funded project, Understanding the Ecological Diversity of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary! This event will be 90 minutes in total and will include both a presentation and a Q&A.
Speakers:
Violet Sage Walker, Northern Chumash Tribal Council
P.J. Webb, Proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary Advisor
Stephen Palumbi, Stanford University
Stephano Mariani, Liverpool John Moores University
Moderated by Jason Landrum, Lenfest Ocean Program
Social Media Posts - Webinar
Join @LenfestOcean for a virtual launch of their newly funded project on March 14th! @spalumbi, @stefanako71, @bluevioletsage, & P.J. Webb will be presenting on Understanding the Ecological Diversity of the @CHNMSanctuary, followed by a Q&A. bit.ly/CHNMSLOP
The @CHNMSanctuary is the first marine sanctuary to be Tribally nominated. On March 14, leaders of this effort @bluevioletsage & P.J. Webb will be joining @spalumbi & @stefanako71 to discuss new work to understand the ecological diversity of the area. bit.ly/CHNMSLOP
Social Media Posts - General
To better understand the biodiversity of the proposed @CHNMSanctuary, @LenfestOcean is funding @spalumbi & @stefanako71 to lead a team of researchers gathering eDNA. bit.ly/3k3FC4e #CHNMS
Researchers are using eDNA to determine ecological diversity of the @CHNMSanctuary. This technique involves gathering samples of soil, water, rock, air & other physical substrates & sequencing DNA to characterize groups of species & their genetic variants. bit.ly/3I7TAK9
In this new project, the research team will work with educational liaisons on the #NorthernChumash Tribal Council to engage students, fishers, and other community members in collecting data to determine the ecological diversity of the @CHNMSanctuary. bit.ly/3I7TAK9
Understanding the Ecological Diversity of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary bit.ly/3k3FC4e #CHNMS
Images & Videos
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