Promoting Ocean History

Because of the importance of the ocean today – in terms of climate, health, economy, food supply, recreation, coastal habitation, and many other areas – the time has come to historicize our human relationship with the ocean. A grassroots effort to articulate principles of ocean literacy, which culminated in the adoption of international standards by UNESCO, focuses on science but includes the principle that  “the oceans and humans are inextricably interconnected”(http://oceanliteracy.wp2.coexploration.org/)Here are some projects that aim to explore and promote such interconnections.  Ocean history can, and should, be promoted through formal teaching as well as informal education, using various forms of popular media, museums, and art.  The projects featured here are mine or ones with which I was involved; see “Fellow Fathomers” for work by others.

Oceans in Depth book series, University of Chicago Press

Read an interview with series editors Katharine Anderson and Helen M. Rozwadowski

Fathoming the Oceans Through History | TEDxBoston

University Teaching

HIST/MAST 2210, History of the Ocean, is taught regularly at UConn.

The course explores the cultural, environmental, and geopolitical history of the ocean from prehistory to the present. Examines the impact of migration, industrialization, modernization, and globalization on the relationships between people and oceans.

Helen Rozwadowski talks about the history of the oceans and how these oceans have shaped human history in profound ways.

  • Listen to Time To Eat The Dogs Interview
  • Listen to Finding Sustainability Interview
  • Listen to Words to That Effect interview

Athena – Public Art in New London

The bronze statue of Athena by sculptor Renee Rhodes was dedicated in the port city of New London, Connecticut, in summer 2018.  The base includes a plaque whose text is a short public history of the relationship between the people of this area and the ocean written by Helen Rozwadowski. 

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