Marine policy project – 4 parts

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Marine Policy Project Overview 2014-15(1).pdf Marine Policy Project Part 1 2014-15.pdf 

This is a Geology project but involves research and writing so I think it should be okay even without a strong geology background as you are an excellent researcher and writer.  Attached is the project overview and a more detailed description of part 1 due on Saturday the 17th.  Please note the full descriptions of each part including the length of each is included on the attached pdfs.  The part due this Saturday is only 1 page max.  

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Marine Policy Project: Overview
Blue Ice Antarctica (from B. Longworth (WHOI) with permission)
This research project will be completed in four (4) parts throughout the term and will require
students to identify, research, and build an argument (pro or con) regarding a specific issue
related to the oceans. At the end of the term each student will have produced at least three
(3) concisely written “letters of appeal,” that may be sent to three different local, regional,
national, international political organizations, corporations, or research institutions. See
Calendar for due dates.
This project is worth 20% of the Final Grade (100 points)
Part 1: Identify the Issue: (10 points)
I will start out by saying that this is the most important part of any research project. If you take
the time now to consider your issue carefully, determine that it is not too narrow or too broad,
and find 4-5 good primary scientific references, you will have a much easier time writing your
research paper in Part 2, and writing your letters of appeal in Part 4. Conversely, if you decide
to pick the first topic that pops into your mind, you may be ‘sweating it” during the writing
phase.
The only restriction on the choice of an issue is that it must be related to the ocean. Read
chapters 14 and 15 in the text book and look online for ideas. Other places to search are the
NOAA Ocean Explorer website; the NASA Oceanography webpage; the USGS Pacific Coast and
Marine Science Center; and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Some ideas include:
Mining Ocean Resources (choose a specific resource or geographic region): oil,
manganese, diamonds, or deep ocean mining, in a specific geographic location.
Tidal and Wave Energy (choose a specific method and/or geographic region)
International Fishing Practices and Legislation: Overfishing, illegal fishing, methods,
or fishing regulations, it would be best to focus on a single species and/or
geographic region.
The Human Impact on Coastal Zone; choose a specific coastal zone issue and/or
geographic region.
Waste Disposal in Oceans: chose one type of waste. For example: plastics, nuclear,
sewage, illegal dumping, and coastal dumping. It would be best to also narrow this
geographically (for example: the Bay Area, Northern Pacific, or the Galapagos Islands
etc.)
Climate change and the oceans is too broad an issue to be adequately covered in a 3-4
page research paper. Students should focus on a single topic related to this issue. For
example, ocean acidification impact on a specific marine ecosystem, the melting of
polar ice impact on the Arctic or Antarctic, the impact of global sea level change on a
specific city or region. Again, global climate change alone is much too large an issue to
adequately address in a 3-4 page research paper.
Ocean Dead Zones (choose a specific dead zone/region)
For Grading Part 1:
Submit your proposed issue, explain why you chose it, and why it is important (Max: 1 page,
double-spaced) and include several preliminary research sources/references. As soon as your
proposal is approved you may continue your research.
Part 2: Research Document (40 points)
Research and produce a concisely written 3 – 4 page paper on your chosen issue. The research
paper should include at least four primary scientific sources that are properly cited using
scientific citing formats (APA), for both the text and bibliography.
See:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/.
Pay special attention to the citation of references in the text:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/
I am expecting to sees (author, year) or (organization, year) in the text. No embedded links!
This paper does not have to be written as an argument, but could be. Your research paper
should have all the supporting information and documentation for the “appeal” you will be
writing in Part 4.
A few comments regarding primary scientific sources/references:
Primary sources of scientific information are books, papers, and articles that have been
through the rigorous process of review by experts in the field. A “peer reviewed” scientific
article has been vetted by experts to make sure the data collection and analysis follow the
principles of the scientific method.
Examples of journals that you can be assured have been through this process are as follows:
Nature, Science, Scientific American, and National Geographic (also conference transactions
and books); websites include NOAA, NASA, EPA, USGS as well as universities, and state,
national
or international research organizations. The New York Times and LA Times are
often used as primary sources because it is well established that the articles have been
through a rigorous editing and fact checking process. National Inquirer is never used as a
primary source.
Wikipedia: Although it is a great place to look for links to primary sources, Wikipedia should
never be cited as a primary source because although some of the information has been
vetted, some have not, and it is hard to tell the difference between the two when they have
been integrated into a Wikipedia page. Even in an article that cites another article, if you are
thinking of using the idea that was in the cited article, make sure you have read the original
article to assure the original authors ‘comments are not being used out of context.
Blogs are particularly dangerous. Although blog authors often start off supporting their
comments with reference to vetted information, sometimes blogs can take bazaar twists. I
recently had a blog link sent to me by a very well-educated friend which started off referring to
Jared Diamond’s book “Collapse” and then veered off on a tyrant that I am pretty sure would
have never been the intent of Diamond. The manner in which the blog entry was written
suggested that the author was presenting Diamond’s ideas. This is very scary!
For Grading Part 2:
The research paper should be typed, not longer than 4 pages + references, double-spaced, with
at least one inch margins, and will be submitted electronically. Proper citing of references using
scientific citing formats is critical.
Part 3: Identify “Targets” for the Letter of Appeal (20 points)
The ultimate goal here is to get your argument into the hands of someone that can and will do
something about your issue. Although the President of the United States can do something
about many ocean issues, it is highly unlikely he or she will. Therefore, Presidents, Prime
Ministers, or the Secretary General of the United Nations should be off-limits because they are
all busy with other issues!
It is best to target elected officials at the local or regional levels; they are much more likely
to be familiar with your issue and its effect on the communities they represent. Students
have had little success in the past with congress and senate members. I am suggesting you
target locally. Your targets can also be individuals within corporations and/or research
institutes.
College professors in particular love to talk about their research topic!
When researching your targets, find out what their background is, and how long they have
been in office or at their job. Find out what their position is on your issue; many should have a
website with stated policy positions.
For Grading Part 3:
You are required to submit a list of at least 3 “targets” with a brief explanation of why you
chose each individual, including their relevance to your issue, policy positions, and any
personal connection you might have. For full credit on this assignment, it is expected that
students will include specific names of an individual within each target organization, and a full
address for each target.
Part 4: The Letters of Appeal (30 points)
Compose your three letters, no longer than 1.5 page single spaced, single sided, with one inch
margins that is each a concise summary of your research paper. The trick here is to condense
all the information included in your research paper to a length and clarity that the recipient can
easily “digest.” Clarity is all important! You no longer have to include your scientific notation,
but should include references if they support your main point.
Your letters are argumentation and must be written in a persuasive style. Things to consider in
the tone of your letter are the recipient, what their position is on the issues, and how much
persuading you have to do. You may find yourself writing several versions of your letter for
different targets.
For more insight on how to write a persuasive argument, here is a link to the University of
North Carolina page. http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/argument.html
Remember, your goal is to get the reader at the other end of your paper to understand your
argument and do something about it. You are trying to get your letter past the summer intern
doing a first pass of all web submissions and letters, and into the hands of your target, or a
member of the target’s staff, who deals specifically with your issue. (I offer my apologies to
those of you who have worked as summer interns in political offices!)
For Grading Part 4:
Submit your final letters. These should be formal letters including full names and address for
your three targets. Students are not required to send your letters to your targets, but it
would be a good idea to do so if you feel strongly about your issue.
For help writing a formal letter go to:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/01/
Extra Credit
If you do send the letters, I would be interested in hearing about any responses you receive. If
you submit your responses to me via e-mail attachment before the final exam, I will give you
extra credit on this assignment (maximum five points this assignment only).
Marine Policy Project Part 1
Blue Ice Antarctica (from B. Longworth (WHOI) with permission)
This research project will be completed in four (4) parts throughout the term and will require
students to identify, research, and build an argument (pro or con) regarding a specific issue
related to the oceans. At the end of the term each student will have produced at least three
(3) concisely written “letters of appeal,” that may be sent to three different local, regional,
national, international political organizations, corporations, or research institutions. See
Calendar for due dates.
This project is worth 20% of the Final Grade (100 points)
Part 1: Identify the Issue: (10 points)
I will start out by saying that this is the most important part of any research project. If you take
the time now to consider your issue carefully, determine that it is not too narrow or too broad,
and find 4-5 good primary scientific references, you will have a much easier time writing your
research paper in Part 2, and writing your letters of appeal in Part 4. Conversely, if you decide
to pick the first topic that pops into your mind, you may be ‘sweating it” during the writing
phase.
The only restriction on the choice of an issue is that it must be related to the ocean. Read
chapters 14 and 15 in the text book and look online for ideas. Other places to search are the
NOAA Ocean Explorer website; the NASA Oceanography webpage; the USGS Pacific Coast and
Marine Science Center; and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Some ideas include:
Mining Ocean Resources (choose a specific resource or geographic region): oil,
manganese, diamonds, or deep ocean mining, in a specific geographic location.
Tidal and Wave Energy (choose a specific method and/or geographic region)
International Fishing Practices and Legislation: Overfishing, illegal fishing, methods,
or fishing regulations, it would be best to focus on a single species and/or
geographic region.
The Human Impact on Coastal Zone; choose a specific coastal zone issue and/or
geographic region.
Waste Disposal in Oceans: chose one type of waste. For example: plastics, nuclear,
sewage, illegal dumping, and coastal dumping. It would be best to also narrow this
geographically (for example: the Bay Area, Northern Pacific, or the Galapagos Islands
etc.)
Climate change and the oceans is too broad an issue to be adequately covered in a 3-4
page research paper. Students should focus on a single topic related to this issue. For
example, ocean acidification impact on a specific marine ecosystem, the melting of
polar ice impact on the Arctic or Antarctic, the impact of global sea level change on a
specific city or region. Again, global climate change alone is much too large an issue to
adequately address in a 3-4 page research paper.
Ocean Dead Zones (choose a specific dead zone/region)
For Grading Part 1:
Submit your proposed issue below, explain why you chose it, and why it is important (Max: 1
page, double-spaced) and include several preliminary research sources/references. As soon
as your proposal is approved you may continue your research.

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