Take One Boat: From offshore science to onshore dissemination

The International Ocean Discovery Program is a unique, global scientific research program dedicated to exploring sea floor and sub-sea floor environments using specialist drilling platforms. Teams of international scientists acquire data and analyse samples to unravel the history of Earth. However, how can we best disseminate the results to a diverse range of non-specialists? The European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling (ECORD) Outreach Team has been investigating ways to reach wider audiences. This presentation will look at the success of past activities from a range of organisations, in particular the Arctic expeditions of Cape Farewell, looking at lessons learnt and what could be applicable for IODP in the future. It will concentrate on informal science education, assessing outreach routes such as interactive displays, touring exhibitions, and introducing "Science in a Suitcase" - a compact teaching resource that concentrates on specific aspects of each IODP Expedition.