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An Interview with 2011 NSPS Keynote Speaker Kara Lavender Law

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Jake Fish
US SAILING Communications Manager
jakefish@ussailing.org

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. (January 19, 2011) - Oceanographer Kara Lavender Law will be a keynote speaker at US SAILING’s 2011 National Sailing Program Symposium on Thursday, Jan. 27 at the Marriott Suites in Clearwater Beach, Fla. Kara is on the oceanography faculty at the Sea Education Association (SEA) in Woods Hole, Mass. where she has taught more than 200 students in 10 SEA Semester classes. Learn more about Kara and what she’ll have to say at NSPS in this one-on-one with US SAILING.

US SAILING: Can you give us a brief synopsis of your NSPS presentation on the science behind ocean pollution? What do you want attendees to learn from your presentation?

Kara Lavender Law: I will be presenting the latest scientific research on the topic of marine debris, commonly referred to as ocean “garbage patches”. While this ocean pollution issue has received a lot of media and public attention, many misconceptions about the problem continue to be perpetuated. I will be presenting scientific results from the Sea Education Association (SEA) in Woods Hole, Mass., where SEA Semester students and staff scientists have collected plastic debris for more than 20 years. I hope to leave the audience with an accurate picture of this serious, but relatively poorly understood, problem of marine debris in the ocean.

US SAILING: How is science evolving to help us understand the relationship between the ocean and foreign debris like plastic?

Kara Lavender Law: Science is absolutely essential to understanding and preventing the problem of marine debris. Without accurate measurements and careful studies we cannot gauge the scale of the problem, or understand how marine debris impacts the ocean ecosystem, including animals that enter the human food supply, or begin to develop a reasonable strategy to tackle this problem.

US SAILING: What are you most looking forward to at NSPS?

Kara Lavender Law: I am looking forward to meeting a community of sailors that extends beyond my experience in the sail training industry. I am also looking forward to educating an environmentally concerned audience on the topic of marine debris. And since I’m currently living in Western New York, I’m really looking forward to being in Florida in January.

Learn more about Kara and the entire 2011 NSPS Keynote Speaker roster.

US SAILING's 2011 National Sailing Program Symposium, presented by LaserPerformance, is the premier event for sailing education in the United States. This year's event takes place on Jan. 26-30 at the Marriott Suites in Clearwater Beach, Fla. NSPS brings together the very best people and resources in instruction, program operation, equipment, and more. From professionals to volunteers, NSPS offers networking at its best. Each year, 250 instructors, program directors, volunteers and industry representatives gather for four days of workshops, networking and product demonstrations.

Find out how you can attend

About US SAILING
The United States Sailing Association (US SAILING), the national governing body for sailing, provides leadership, integrity, and growth for the sport in the United States. Founded in 1897 and headquartered in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, US SAILING is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization. US SAILING offers training and education programs for instructors and race officials, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, issues offshore rating certificates, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including National Championships and the US Sailing Team AlphaGraphics. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.