The 2018 Atlantic Cup - Sailors for the Sea

The 2018 Atlantic Cup

 June 14, 2018  | By: Oceana

The Atlantic Cup is a 3-stage, double-handed offshore race that begins in Charleston, SC heads north to New York City and ends in Portland, ME for inshore racing. Known as the most environmentally responsible sailing competition in the United States, this race has been participating in the Clean Regattas program for the last five iterations, with the last four being Platinum Level certified. Since 2012, both the teams and race management have worked together to create a fully carbon neutral race.

At each stopover, the Atlantic Cup hosts a Kids Day where students from the local schools take field trips to meet with the skippers onboard their boats and to learn about sustainability and marine science. Our Education Director, Shelley, attended all three stopovers to participate in the Atlantic Cup Kids Day to teach over 1,000 local students about the marine environment. With the sailors taking a similar route to North Atlantic right whales and humpback whales, we focused our activities on whale migration and diet. After learning about migration, students discovered how whales protect themselves from icy cold waters with our Whale Blubber activity. We also discussed how these two species use baleen to feed on plankton and small fish. We collected plankton off the docks with plankton tows and tried to identify the species. Both activities were a big hit with the kids and their teachers!

These activities (Whale Blubber and What’s Hiding in the Water?) are a part of our KELP (Kids Environmental Lesson Plans) program. Visit our KELP page to download these and other fun activities focused on marine science for free. 

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The ocean is

30%

more acidic due to absorbing excess CO2.

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