Walden Media, producer of such films as "Bridge to Terabithia" and "The Chronicles of Narnia," teamed up with NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries in 2008 to promote ocean conservation to the public - especially children - by developing educational materials for the film "Nim's Island." A 16-page educator's guide was distributed to over 500,000 elementary school teachers, and thousands of bookmarks were made available at participating Borders bookstores. NOAA and the national marine sanctuaries were also featured on a one-hour Animal Planet special hosted by Jeff Corwin, and the "Be Wildlife Wise" public service announcement featuring Sanctuary Sam was included on the two million copies of the "Nim's Island" DVD that were released to the public in the summer. By partnering with Walden Media, thousands of children were reached with the message that they can be stewards of the ocean by learning more about the marine environment and how to protect it. Click here for more information.

The National Marine Sanctuaries Media Library, an online vault featuring a comprehensive collection of high-resolution still images and video clips from across the National Marine Sanctuary System, made its debut in 2008. The Media Library provides sanctuary staff, partners and the general public with instant access to a searchable database of media files for a variety of purposes, ranging from education and outreach and PowerPoint presentations to media B-roll and commercial use. Managed by the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the Media Library contains thousands of images captured by NOAA scientists, educators, divers and archaeologists. This project is part of a continuing NOAA effort to enhance public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the marine environment. To access the Media Library, click here.

In November 2008, Monterey Bay and Channel Islands national marine sanctuaries were awarded a Department of Commerce Silver Medal for their Multicultural Education for Resource Issues Threatening Oceans (MERITO) program. The award, which is one of the highest forms of recognition granted by the Secretary of Commerce, was presented for MERITO's work in implementing a bilingual outreach program that expanded awareness to Latino communities and sparked community involvement in ocean issues throughout California's Santa Cruz, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. The MERITO program was initiated by the Monterey Bay sanctuary in 2002 and expanded to the Channel Islands in 2004. It provides inspirational ocean-themed educational programming and opportunities for thousands of participants and has had a media impact in the millions. Click here for more information.

In March 2008, the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries gave students and adults alike the opportunity to experience Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary via innovative, real-time Internet broadcasts. The "Immersion Presents Monterey Bay" mission - hosted in partnership with renowned ocean explorer Dr. Robert Ballard, Immersion Presents and the Institute for Exploration - used cutting-edge telepresence technology to take viewers beneath the waves, transmitting live images of the sanctuary's marine life and habitats to classrooms and Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. The 33 live broadcasts conducted during the five-day mission aboard the research vessel Fulmar were also made available to the general public through OceansLive.org. The presentations highlighted ocean literacy messages, kelp forest ecology, deep-sea biology and exploration, and gave viewers the chance to interact with the expedition team in real time.Click here for more information.