FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – FOR MORE INFO CONTACT CATHY SAKAS
912-598-2417 • 912-660-7164 • www.savannahoceanexchange.wordpress.com
(SAVANNAH, GA September 13, 2010) – The Savannah Ocean Exchange Launches 10 Days of Ocean Lectures, Ocean Art, Ocean Cooking, Ocean Films, Ocean Story Tellers, Ocean Water Sports, Ocean Vessels, Ocean Music, Ocean Boat Building for Kids, Ocean Lighthouses, etc. September 17- 26, 2010.
This is a global event here in Savannah, Georgia. The world is invited.
During the annual Savannah Ocean Exchange this September, vessels of all types will move up and down the Savannah River. At any time of day or night Ocean-going ships and working port vessels can be seen from River Street. Musicians, Film Producers, Lecturers and Story Tellers from near and far share their Ocean-inspired talents. Local Chefs showcase superb Savannah Coastal Cuisine in their own restaurants. Coastal Forts, Aquariums, Education Centers and Lighthouses offer special programs. Knowledgeable Naturalists and Professional Guides help the adventurous explore the ways Ocean, Land and Man interconnect while cruising, kayaking, diving, sailing, birding and in almost every water sport available.
“Savannah Ocean Exchange invites all to renew body, soul and mind by experiencing our Coast and Ocean in familiar and new ways. Inspirational passions, creative accomplishments and achievable solutions are showcased. Connections are made while celebrating Coast and Ocean. We encourage you to stretch your muscles, expand your mind and feed your body and soul’ says Cathy Sakas, a founder of the Savannah Ocean Exchange.
Friday, September 17 – Sunday, September 19
Performances & Presentations: Gray’s Reef Ocean Film Festival • Location: Trustees Theater – 216 East Broughton Street. NOAA Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary offers Ocean films and documentaries for the general public and for children. Although admission is free, you must secure tickets from the Trustees Theater box office either in advance or just prior to a showing. For a complete list of offerings, please visit: http://graysreef.noaa.gov/news/events/film_festival_2010/welcome.html. For more information about Gray’s Reef Ocean Film Festival, please call 912.598.2345 or visit http://graysreef.noaa.gov/.
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Saturday, September 18 at 7pm
Performances & Presentations: Sea Chanteys • Location: Ships of the Sea Museum – 41 Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard. Art Rosenbaum and Around the Globe Sea Chantey Singers perform a concert of traditional tunes and sea chanteys, many collected from around Georgia and southern ports. Admission is free and the event will be held under the tent in the Ships of the Sea garden. For more information about Art Rosenbaum, please visit http://www.artrosenbaum.org/musician.html. For more information about Ships of the Sea Museum, please call 912.232.1511 or visit http://shipsofthesea.org/.
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Sunday, September 19 starting at 10am
Excursions & Events: Pond Yacht Build and Regatta • Location: Ships of the Sea Museum – 41 Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard. The first annual Pond Yacht Build and Regatta for kids and adults is offered where participants build their choice of wooden sailing ship and float them in a provided water trough. A fee of $10.00 includes a kit and two free Museum admissions. Call Karl DeVries at 912.232.1511 for information and to pre-register. For more information on Ships of the Sea Museum, please visit http://shipsofthesea.org/.
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Monday, September 20 at 7PM
Performances & Presentations: Dolphins of the Southeastern USA • Location: Jepson Center – 207 West York Street. Tara M. Cox, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marine Sciences at Savannah State University will give a presentation on her ongoing research on our playful dolphins of the southeastern USA and in particular those in trouble in the waters near Brunswick, Georgia. Admission is free. For more information on the presentation, please contact Dr. Cox at coxt@savannahstate.edu. For more information on the Jepson Center for the Arts, please call 912.798.8800 or visit http://telfair.org/visit/jepson-center/overview/.
Bio: Dr. Cox’ expertise is in large marine vertebrate spatial ecology and conservation and her main areas of interest are marine mammal biology, human interactions with large marine vertebrates, policy and management. Her current projects include studies on the foraging ecology and begging behavior of bottlenose dolphins as well as photo- identification. Additionally she is working on a global assessment of by-catch of marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds; seasonal and individual movements of bottlenose dolphins in Georgia; and bacterial community composition in dolphin tissues. Most of her work takes place in Wassaw Sound and the Savannah River Estuary.
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Tuesday, September 21 at 7PM
Performances & Presentations: North Atlantic Right Whales • Location: Jepson Center – 207 West York Street. Clay George is Georgia Department of Natural Resources Nongame Conservation Section wildlife biologist who conducts research on right whales and manatees. His presentation will focus on the natural history and population status of and conservation efforts for the most endangered great whale in the world, the North Atlantic right whale. Admission is free. For more information about GDNR Coastal Resources Division, please call 912.264.7218 or visit http://crd.dnr.state.ga.us/. For more information on the Jepson Center for the Arts, please call 912.798.8800 or visit http://telfair.org/visit/jepson-center/overview/.
Bio: Clay George is a wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Nongame Conservation Section. Since 2004 Clay has coordinated the DNR’s marine mammal conservation program, which includes coordinating the Georgia Marine Mammal Stranding Network and conducting research on right whales and manatees. Clay lives in Brunswick, GA with his wife Jenn and their 5-year-old daughter Laney.
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Wednesday, September 22 at 7PM
Performances & Presentations: The Venerable Shark • Location: Jepson Center – 207 West York Street.
Matthew R. Gilligan, Ph.D., Professor and Coordinator of Marine Sciences at Savannah State University, will give an overview of the amazing, awe-inspiring sharks that ply our waters off the Georgia coast and the southeastern seaboard. His presentation is based on the natural history, life history and ecology of sharks. Information for his presentation is included in the Ichthyology course that he has taught at Savannah State University for the past 30 years and from his lifelong experiences with sharks. Admission is free. For more information on the presentation, please contact Dr. Gilligan at gilliganm@savannahstate.edu. For more information on the Jepson Center for the Arts, please call 912.798.8800 or visit http://telfair.org/visit/jepson-center/overview/.
Bio: Matthew R. Gilligan, Ph.D. is professor and coordinator of marine sciences at Savannah State University (SSU) in Savannah, Georgia. He earned a B.A. degree in Biology from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York and Ph.D. degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona. He was the Board of Regents 2001-2002 Distinguished Professor at SSU, is a member of the Education Sub-panel of the Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel, and chairs the Education Committee of the National and Southern Associations of Marine Laboratories. He has also served on and chaired the NOAA Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Panel.
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Thursday, September 23 at 6PM
Performances & Presentations: Story Telling • Location: Ships of the Sea Museum – 41 Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard. Spellbinding J’miah Nabawi, teaching/performing artist and national award-winning professional storyteller, will perform Ocean-inspired stories that delight old and young alike. Admission is free and the event will be held under the tent in Ships of the Sea garden. For more information on J’miah Nabawi, please visit http://www.southernartistry.org/jmiah_nabawi or call 912.655.7788. For more information on Ships of the Sea Museum, please call 912.232.1511 or visit http://shipsofthesea.org/.
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Thursday, September 23 at 7PM
Performances & Presentations: Sea Chanteys • Location: Ships of the Sea Museum – 41 Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard. The Savannah Ceili Band will perform a concert of traditional tunes and sea chanteys collected from around our great country and the globe. Admission is free and the event will be held under the tent in Ships of the Sea garden. For more information on Savannah Ceili Band, please visit http://www.myspace.com/savannahceiliband1. For more information on Ships of the Sea Museum, please call 912.232.1511 or visit http://shipsofthesea.org/ .
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Friday, September 24 at 7PM
Performances & Presentations: Sharing the Beach with Sea Turtles • Location: Jepson Center – 207 West York Street. The staff of Tybee Island Marine Science Center will give an introduction to the amazing lives of sea turtles that includes their anatomy, adaptations and nesting challenges on a developed island. Also featured will be Tybee Island’s conservation efforts. Admission is free. For more information on Tybee Island Marine Science Center and the Loggerhead Sea Turtle Volunteer Program, please call 912.786.5917 or visit http://tybeemarinescience.org/. For more information on the Jepson Center for the Arts, please call 912.798.8800 or visit http://telfair.org/visit/jepson- center/overview
Presenters: Maria Procopio, Executive Director, Lisa Girardin, Education Coordinator and Tammy Smith, Tybee Island Sea Turtle Project Coordinator
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Saturday and Sunday, September 25-26 starting at 10am
Excursions & Events: Boatbuilding-from-Kit Weekend • Location: Ships of the Sea Museum – 41 Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard. The second annual two-day Boatbuilding-from-Kit Weekend offers the opportunity to build a 12’ Bevin’s skiff and launch it on Sunday. Minimal woodworking skills are required. Cost: $40/adult or per adult and one child. Pre-registration is required. For more information and to register, please call Karl DeVries at 912.232.1511 or visit http://shipsofthesea.org/.
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Saturday, September 18 through Sunday, September 26 at Various Times
Excursions & Events: Field Excursions • Location: Participating Organizations in Savannah and Coastal Area – Various Addresses. Field Excursion Vendors offer kayaking, canoeing, fishing, cruising, birding scuba diving, photography and many more Ocean and Coast activities. For a current list of participating organizations, please visit savannahvisit.com/event/172.
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Saturday, September 18 through Sunday, September 26 at Various Times
Culture & Cuisine: Savannah Coastal Cuisine • Location: Participating Restaurants in Savannah and Coastal Area – Various Addresses. Local area Chef’s offer their best Ocean inspired Savannah Coastal Cuisine featuring Georgia wild caught shrimp for special prices during Savannah Ocean Experience. For a current list of participating restaurants, please visit savannahvisit.com/event/172.
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Saturday, September 18 through Sunday, September 26 at Various Times
Culture & Cuisine: Education Opportunities • Location: Participating Organizations in Savannah and Coastal Area – Various Addresses Coastal area Forts, Lighthouses, Aquariums and Education Centers offer special programs during Savannah Ocean Experience. For a current list of participating organizations, please visit savannahvisit.com/event/172.
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Saturday, September 18 through Sunday, September 26 at Various Times
Vessels & Venues: International Flag Ships • Location: River Street along the Savannah River. Ocean-going ships and port vessels move up and down the Savannah River all day and all night. View these massive Bulkers, Freighters, Tankers and Cargo Ships sailing under many different international flags as well as our local hard-working port vessels as they make way connecting Savannah to other ports all over our Planet Ocean. Best views are along River Street.