ENSTU 300: Critical Thinking & Communication in Environmental Studies

Ocean Acidification and Coastal Communities

Jennifer Lagunas, Environmental Studies Program, California State University, Monterey Bay

____________________________________________________________________________

An aerial view of the Florida Keys. Image courtesy of NASA

Introduction

An increase in greenhouse gasses, specifically CO2 emissions, has been an issue that has caused
major change globally. One of the effects of increased CO2 is ocean acidification due to the
ocean's nature to collect CO2 (Manzello et al.,2012). The reason this is now a problem comes
from the excessive amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, which is causing an excessive amount of
CO2 in the oceans as well. When an environment is altered this can cause many issues for the
organisms that take part in that environment. Ocean acidification has already messed with marine
life and while it doesn’t affect all organisms it still is causing a problem to many and humans as
well. Ocean acidification makes it more difficult for marine organisms, such as coral and some
plankton, to form their shells and skeletons, and existing shells may begin to dissolve (Cornwall
& Eddy 2015). As this continues to become a problem this can also alter the marine food web
and the supply of food to many people globally.

Reduced carbonate concentrations in seawater make it more difficult for marine organisms to
produce bones and shells (Cornwall & Eddy 2015). Increased breakdown and erosion of
skeletons and shells occur in more acidic oceans, jeopardizing the survival of creatures that rely
on them. (Cornwall &Eddy 2015) Coastal tourism brings in billions of dollars for local
communities each year through recreational fishing, diving, and boating (Hall et al.,2020).
Coastal tourism activities help local companies including hotels, restaurants, and stores. Coastal
tourism is responsible for over 90% of new economic development in some localities, such as the
US territory of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Healthy coral reefs attract tourists and
protect coastal infrastructure (hotels, resorts, and other structures) against storm surge and other
natural disasters. (Page et al., 2021) Ocean acidification poses a serious threat to the coral
ecosystems that support these commercial activities since their calcium carbonate structures will
erode rapidly. (Page et al., 2021) Increased acidity in tissues and body fluids will impair the
physiology of fish as a result of ocean acidification. Long-term consequences on metabolic
functioning, growth, and reproduction are possible for fish in their early stages of development
such as eggs, larvae (Cornwall & Eddy 2015).

There are many policies right now that are focusing on different aspects in order to help with the
crisis of ocean acidification. The Marine Sanctuary of the Florida Keys focuses on helping
marine life, as well as funding educational programs, to help people who want to learn about the
destruction of our oceans and things like ocean acidification. (NOAA, 2011) The public and
policymakers should implement solutions to dramatically reduce the use of fossil fuels which
contribute to climate change, and in this case ocean acidification. When trying to solve
environmental issues like ocean acidification, stakeholders include government representatives,
businesses, scientists, and local communities which use natural resources. Ocean acidification is
a perfect example of the involvement of the different stakeholders and their involvement in
policy making. Stakeholder involvement is critical since the effects of issues will be felt
primarily by them, and their contributions and expectations will help to improve environmental
management that will be long-term sustainable (United States National Marine Sanctuary).

History

While climate change as a whole has been a prevalent issue for many years, ocean acidification
has only been studied for a few years. Scientists say that they have been studying the ocean’s pH
level for over 30 years but in recent years (2003) is when they discovered a rapid shift in pH and
coined the term ocean acidification (NOAA). CO2 absorption by the oceans was once thought to
be beneficial because it helped to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. However, new
research led by Livermore scientists Ken Caldeira and Michael Wickett indicates that continued
CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel combustion may cause the oceans to become more acidic than
they have been in millions of years. Since the start of the Industrial Revolution, we have seen an
increase in CO2 emissions in a way that we haven't seen occur naturally. And CO2 emissions
and greenhouse gas emissions have mini effects on our environment including our oceans. The
pH of the worldwide ocean has fallen by a tenth of a point since the mid-18th century when
mankind began using fossil fuels in large quantities (NOAA)

Figure 2 Coral Bleaching

Background

Greenhouse gases (specifically) carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves in the ocean,
causing ocean acidification. As a result, the pH of the water drops, making the ocean more
acidic. Ocean acidification is developing as a result of excessive carbon dioxide emissions into
the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide isn't a novel substance, and its presence in small amounts isn't a
problem. It's a problem that we're pouring it into our environment at such a rapid rate. One of the
biggest causes is the combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas for human activity
(Page et al., 2021). Ocean acidification has occurred naturally in the past, but over considerably
longer periods of time. It's happening now at a faster rate than it has in the last 20 million years.
Higher ocean temperatures cause coral bleaching and death, which is a concern for species that
rely on calcium carbonate to create shells and skeletons, such as coral reef organisms (Cornwall
& Eddy 2015).

Figure 3 NOAA PMEL Carbon Program

Policy Options

The effects of climate change have caused adverse effects on the ocean. Specifically, ocean
acidification has become a very prevalent problem that needs a proper policy to be implemented.
Ocean acidification policy making combines the views of scientists, resource managers,
policymakers, and the general public to investigate and monitor the effects of the ocean on
economically and ecologically vital ecosystems like coral reefs (Micucci, 2018).

Federal Ocean Acidification Policy

While there have been policies that focus on the overall term of “climate change,” there weren’t
many policies that focused on specific issues like ocean acidification until recently. The Federal
Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009, explains the main concern of the
increase in CO2 entering the oceans causing a decrease in pH level. Leading to changes to the
ocean and the marine environment produced by greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere, such as
carbon dioxide. This act directed that an “Interagency Working Group on Ocean Acidification
would be established by the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST)
(IWG-OA). SOST established the IWG-OA in October 2009, with participation from a variety of
organizations.” (Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act, 2009) The National
Science Foundation (NSF) director is required by this legislation to continue conducting ocean
acidification research by financing competitive, peer-reviewed proposals for ocean acidification
research and monitoring. It also requires NASA's administrator to ensure that space-based
monitoring capabilities are employed as effectively as possible to monitor ocean acidification
and its impacts. Understanding the way the ocean is changing is essential to the issue of ocean
acidification. This research will only further explain the ways we have to act to help solve the
issue.

The purposes of this Act are to provide for:

1. development and coordination of a plan to

a. monitor and conduct research on the processes and consequences of ocean
acidification on marine organisms and ecosystems; and
b. establish an interagency research and monitoring program on ocean acidification;
2. establishment of an ocean acidification program within the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration;
3. assessment and consideration of regional and national ecosystem and socioeconomic
impacts of increased ocean acidification; and
4. research on adaptation strategies and techniques for effectively conserving marine
ecosystems as they cope with increased ocean acidification. (Federal Ocean Acidification
Research and Monitoring Act 2009)

Table 1. Funding/Authorization of appropriations

Fiscal Year NOAA NSF

2010 8,000,000 6,000,000

2011 12,000,000 8,000,000

2012 15,000,000 12,000,000

2013 20,000,000 15,000,000

State Policy

While the federal policy on research helps with the issue of ocean acidification, state policy is
equally important when it comes to the effects we are currently seeing. Ocean acidification
doesn’t just affect marine life, it is also taking a toll on the local economy, due to the secondary
effects on the marine environment. On November 16th, 1990, the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary and Protection Act was passed and made public law. The aim of this Act is to
safeguard the resources of the region mentioned in section 5(b), to teach and inform the public
about the marine environment of the Florida Keys, and to manage the Sanctuary's human uses in
accordance with this Act. Nothing in this Act is intended to limit activities that do not have a
negative impact on the Sanctuary's resources or property, or that do not damage Sanctuary users.
(Department of Commerce) While this act isn’t only focused on ocean acidification, on the coast
of Florida, it is protected against many events that can lead to higher acidification, and further
hurt the coral reefs in the area. The resources of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary are
in danger and the 2011 Condition Report demonstrates that they are not adequately protected.
Natural and cultural resources, according to the evaluation, were in fair to fair/poor state and
were mostly stable or declining (NOAA).

1. Elevated salinity, hazardous algal blooms, and storm effects all contributed to the death of
seagrass and sponges in Florida Bay.
2. Corals weakened by a cold spell in 2010 and two summers of mild water temperatures in
2014 and 2015 succumbed to the stony coral tissue loss disease, which spread rapidly.
3. Coral reefs were shattered, seagrass was pulled apart, sponges were suffocated, and the
seascape was transformed by Hurricane Irma.
4. As boating becomes more popular, habitats continue to be impacted. (Department of
Commerce)

Due to the threats that the sanctuary continues to face despite the Act, in 1997 Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan was used as a way to help solve the threats listed.
(Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Protection Act. 1990) The proposed Management
Plan's goal is to achieve a balance between comprehensive resource protection and multiple,
complementary uses of those resources in order to guarantee the long-term viability of the Keys'
marine environment.

International Policy
Ocean Acidification is an effect caused by many actions that include climate change. Ocean
acidification is also getting worse due to excess nutrients from waste that end up in the ocean.
The 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by the Dumping of
Wastes and Other Matter, was passed and rules were set internationally to the countries who
agreed to this policy. Its goal is to encourage effective regulation of all causes of marine
pollution and to take all reasonable actions to prevent pollution of the sea from waste and other
materials being dumped. All dumping is forbidden by the Protocol, with the exception of
potentially acceptable trash, which is listed (NOAA). This policy explains the effects of rising
CO2 levels in the atmosphere and, as a result, in the marine ecosystem, and ensures that future
climate-engineering technologies that have the potential to affect the marine environment are
adequately managed and regulated (Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine
Pollution by the Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1996). The final solutions on carbon
sequestration were recently included in the Acts Annex 1 and became effective February 2007.
According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the 2007 amendment allows
Parties to "regulate carbon capture and storage (CCS) in sub-seabed geological formations for
permanent isolation, as part of a suite of measures to address the challenge of climate change and
ocean acidification, including, first and foremost, the need to further develop low carbon forms
of energy."

For policy options, the three I will be elaborating on are education outreach programs, increased
funding for ocean acidification policies and stricter regulations on fossil fuels. My table of the
evaluation of alternatives, has the criteria used to evaluate each policy option. The criteria are as
follows; ecological, economic, health and community. The terms of criterion and policy
alternatives listed in Table 1 may appear basic and straightforward. The implementation of the
basic concepts, on the other hand, is somewhat difficult. Evaluating the options requires relying
on the data and the input from experts.

Science-based programs are important stakeholders, because of the intensive research that is
done on their part to address the issue and collect data on the issue. Their research can also be of
great help with the advancement of technologies that can help combat ocean acidification. The
Ocean Acidification Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
states on their website “NOAA's Ocean Acidification Program serves to build relationships
between scientists, resource managers, policymakers, and the public in order to research and
monitor the effects of changing ocean chemistry on economically and ecologically important
ecosystems such as fisheries and coral reefs.” (NOAA) From science research and programs like
NOAA, it has shown that about 30% of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is
absorbed by the ocean. The scientific community also has evidence to prove their claims that the
amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the ocean increases as atmospheric CO2 levels rise due to
human activities such as burning fossil fuels and altering land use. “The data show that we’re
seeing the symptoms of acidification arrive and progress at a much faster rate than we would
have expected even just a few years ago,” said Kathryn Sullivan, acting administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) The scientific community, is
advocating for the regulation of CO2 emissions which is causing ocean acidification.
Republican Party Perspective
While there is ongoing research on the effects of ocean acidification, and data that has been
reported to back up these claims, there are still people who are climate change deniers or who
believe that it is not caused by human-related activities. Various members of the republican party
are still deniers of climate change-related issues like ocean acidification. Due to the party’s take
on climate change it has affected the funding of certain groups like NOAA. We can see a slight
shift in some Republicans’ views on climate change, but not enough for real change to happen on
their side anytime soon. Congressman Kevin McCarthy and other Republicans continue to
oppose President Biden's climate proposals, which include a clean electricity standard that would
require utilities to gradually increase the amount of electricity they generate from wind, solar,
and other renewable sources until they no longer burn fossil fuels (Friedman, 2021). Leading
Republicans continue to spread the myth that Vice President Biden intends to make Americans
lose their jobs by switching from fossil fuel to renewable, and changing the agricultural ways.

Local Economy Perspective

For an ocean state like Florida, issues like ocean acidification can and are already causing real
trouble for communities and businesses (Conathan, 2015). Coral reef tourism alone supports
more than 70,000 jobs and generates $2.8 billion in local income (University of Miami, 2016).
For many fishermen, climate change isn't a problem for the future but a problem now, and it's
costing fishermen both money and jobs. Individuals who rely on the ocean for a living are
already suffering the price for delaying action, while fossil-fuel advocates and their political
allies continue to spread fear as they claim impending economic destruction if restrictions on
carbon emissions happen in public policy (Searles, et al., 2018). Fishermen who believe climate
change is occurring outweigh deniers four to one, despite the fact that about two-thirds of them
identify as "conservative" or "moderate" politically (Conathan, 2015). When asked to rank the
environmental difficulties facing their profession, 36% of fishermen cited "ocean warming" as a
key issue (Edge Research). Fishermen are a few of the many people who rely on the ocean as
their main source of income. They continue to be a key role in policy making, because they are
the ones who are feeling the effects of ocean acidification.

Table 1. Stakeholder Perspectives

Stakeholder Stakeholder Contributions Stakeholder Concerns

Value
 United States Utilitarian Policy implementation Economic feasibility
Government
Regulation setting Political security

Funding

Scientists Ecologistic Education Climate change

(NOAA) scientific
Reliable Data Funding from
government

Local Economy Economy Awareness to tourist Funding from

government
Ecologistic Research
Cost

Environmentali Moralistic Building awareness Climate change

sts
Funding for research Lack of
programs implementation of
regulations
Education

For policy options, the three I will be elaborating on are education outreach programs, increased
funding for ocean acidification policies and stricter regulations on fossil fuels. My table of the
evaluation of alternatives, has the criteria used to evaluate each policy option. The criteria are as
follows; ecological, economic, health and community. The terms of criterion and policy
alternatives listed in Table 1 may appear basic and straightforward. The implementation of the
basic concepts, on the other hand, is somewhat difficult. Evaluating the options requires relying
on the data and the input from experts.

Table 2: Policy Options in Ocean Acidification

Criteria Option 1: Education Option 2: Increase Option 3: Stricter
outreach programs funding for policies regulation on fossil
(ocean acidification) fuels.

Ecological Respect for the More research can be Less greenhouse

environment can help funded, and allow for gasses to be added to
with the conservation technological the atmosphere,
of things like coral advance that can help helping to not
reefs. with the destruction increase destruction
of ocean of climate change.
acidification.

Economic Finding funding Increasing funding Reducing climate

could be hard to do. can be hard due to change and its effects
Not enough people political ideologies. like ocean
think that education acidification, will
on climate change is help reduce the cost
important. of environmental
disasters in the future.

Health Exploring the Humans will benefit Less pollution overall

(Mental/Physical) outdoors can help from a healthy if we reduce fossil
with physical and environment. fuel emissions. (water
mental health. pollution)
People with anxieties Mental health with
about climate change economic stability
can find peace in when we help protect
these programs. areas.

Community Brings the Communities Cleaner waters

community together impacted by ocean especially to certain
to understand and acidification will groups that suffer the
address benefit from the most, those who live
environmental issues protection of their near the coast.
impacting their areas.
neighborhood.
Policy Option 1: Education Outreach Programs
The first option is to invest in educational outreach programs in order to educate the public;
communities who in this case are being or will be affected by the consequences of ocean
acidification. This policy option is proposed as a way to get communities to fight for climate
justice. When looking at the criteria this option meets the community, ecological and health
aspect, and there is a concern with the economical aspect. If more people start to develop a
relationship with nature, they can gain respect for the environment and have a deeper
understanding on this issue and curiosity on ways to help. (United Nation, n.d) Funding will be
hard to get because solutions to ocean acidification are currently technologically based and not
many people think that education is a tool for fighting against ocean acidification. As for health,
exploring the outdoors can help with physical and mental health for all people. (Hubbart, 2021)
People also have anxieties about climate change and ocean acidification can find peace in these
programs when learning about solutions. Currently there are educational outreach programs in
places being affected by ocean acidification, like the state of Florida. The Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary, currently has educational programs from elementary level, to critical research
programs in order to help educate on this issue. (National Marine Sanctuary, 2021) This
sanctuary is administered by NOAA and is jointly managed with the State of Florida. These
stakeholders also believe in the importance of education within our communities in order to
succeed with the fight against climate change. The public's awareness and understanding of
ocean acidification must be improved through education and outreach. (NOAA, 2019) This
includes not just raising public awareness of the current state of ocean acidification, but also
understanding current scientific knowledge and the consequences of our ocean's changing
chemistry.

Policy Option 2: Government Funding for Policies

Option two is to increase funding for policies based on ocean acidification. The more we fund
research, the more we allow for technological advances that can help. This policy option meets
three out of the four criteria, not fully meeting the economical aspect. The reason for not fully
meeting this criteria, is that increased funding from the government can be hard to acquire.
Political parties and stakeholder play a large role on what gets funding. Currently political parties
are on different sides when it comes to climate change. (Friedman, 2021) Stakeholders have
influence as well, and if coal companies want more funding, and less for climate action, they
tend to have the upper hand. (Conathan, 2015) As for human health and community, this option
encourages research, to investigate how and why things happen, and benefit the communities
that will be protected in these policies. This can help bring the community together to understand
and address environmental issues impacting their neighborhood. The more research that can be
funded, will allow for technological advance that can help with the destruction of ocean
acidification. (NOAA, 2019) Currently we have groups like NASA and NOAA, who benefit
from the funding given by the government, to continue research and monitoring of ocean
acidification. The Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009, is a policy
that does exactly what is being mentioned. It provides enough yearly fundings to programs to
continue research and look for possible solutions. While this is a great start there is still so much
that cannot be done due to funding. Protection of communities impacted, as well as new
development of technology to help stop the destruction of marine life due to ocean acidification
all rely on government funding. (EPA, 2O21)

Policy Option 3: Fossil Fuel Regulations

Option three is stricter regulations on fossil fuels, in order to decrease the amount of greenhouse
gasses that are emitted into the atmosphere. We understand that climate change is an overall
issue that is affecting our earth. Ocean acidification falls as a category under climate change
because it is an effect as a result of climate change. Climate change is a result of excessive
amounts of greenhouse gasses being released into the atmosphere, specifically carbon dioxide.
(Searles, et al., 2018) This policy option meets three of the criteria and didn’t fully meet the
economical one, due to lack of funding. This policy option meets both the ecological, and
community criteria. Less pollution (from CO2) will happen if we reduce fossil fuel emissions
and it'll help the people who are currently being impacted by ocean acidification. (Page et al.,
2021) Ecologically speaking, the less greenhouse gasses we add to the atmosphere, the more it
can help decrease the destruction of climate change. Economically, reducing climate change and
its effects, like ocean acidification will help reduce the cost of environmental disasters in the
future. (Micucci, 2018) This will help the overall economy, but the cost to invest in reusable
energy and move away from fossil fuel is where it gets hard. Many stakeholders, like coal
companies, are afraid of policies that will regulate fossil fuels or completely eliminate them
because of their values, which in this case involves money. (Conathan, 2015) Currently we have
many efforts to reduce fossil fuel, or regulate them, to decrease our use of fossil fuels. Policies
like the Paris Climate Accords, pledge to implement regulations to decrease usage of fossil fuels
significantly. While this is a great step to get multiple countries to do this together, we need a lot
more effort from everyone, including local governments.

Recommendation
All policy options are key to fighting the destruction of ocean acidification, but realistically, we
have to consider the biggest problems to solve first. Many people are still deniers of climate
change as a whole, and refuse to see dangers we are seeing with ocean acidification. I
recommend imposing stricter regulations in order to refuse greenhouse gas emissions. The main
issue with ocean acidification is the excess co2 emissions that are being absorbed by the ocean.
We have to tackle the problem from its source which is excess amounts of greenhouse gases
being released by mainly big companies. When we apply pressure to ensure that the ones
responsible for this issue are the ones who fix it we will be able to combat the problem
successfully. We are currently seeing this option being implemented by many companies due to
outside pressure from the general public. We are seeing positive results but we have to create
stricter regulations to really help the environment and the people for years to come.

Literature Cited

Bennett, J. (2019, June 20). Ocean acidification. Smithsonian Ocean. Retrieved November 13,
2021, from https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/ocean-acidification.

BORUNDA, A. L. E. J. A. N. D. R. A. (2019, August 7). CO2 and ocean acidification: Causes,

impacts, solutions. Union of Concerned Scientists. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from
https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/co2-and-ocean-acidification.

Conathan, M. (n.d.). Fishermen's views of a Changing Ocean. Center for American Progress.
Retrieved October 25, 2021, from
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2015/01/15/104573/fishermens-vi
ews-of-a-changing-ocean/.

Department of Commerce. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; Supplemental Final

Regulatory Flexibility Analysis: Commercial Treasure Salvors. Federal Register, volume
62 issue 131 (Wednesday, July 9, 1997). Retrieved October 4, 2021, from
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1997-07-09/html/97-17709.htm.

Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d.). EPA. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from
https://www.epa.gov/ocean-acidification.

Ex. Rept. 110-21 - 1996 PROTOCOL TO THE CONVENTION ON THE PREVENTION OF

MARINE POLLUTION BY THE DUMPING OF WASTES AND OTHER MATTER.
https://www.congress.gov/congressional-report/110th-congress/executive-report/21

Florida Key Marine Sanctuary. (2011, March 29). Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center. Retrieved
November 13, 2021, from https://floridakeys.noaa.gov/eco_discovery.html.

Friedman, L. (2021, June 23). Some Republicans find failure to grapple with climate change a
'political liability'. The New York Times. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/23/climate/climate-change-republicans.html.

H.R.5909 - 101st Congress (1989-1990): Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and Protection
Act. (1990, November 16). https://www.congress.gov/bill/101st-congress/house-bill/5909

Hubbart, S. (2021, July 6). How to reduce the environmental impact of Your Outdoor GearSarah
Hubbart. NEEF. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from
 https://www.neefusa.org/health/outdoor-activity/how-reduce-environmental-impact-your-
outdoor-gear.

Janis Searles, Jones, J. S., Author, Ono, R., Blogger, G., Frey, M., & Spencer, E. (2018, February
12). Our ocean under trump. Ocean Conservancy. Retrieved October 25, 2021, from
https://oceanconservancy.org/blog/2018/02/06/our-ocean-under-trump/.

Micucci, C. (2018, October 16). Congress, states look to address impacts of ocean acidification.
Retrieved from
https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/congress-states-look-address-impacts-ocean-acidif
ication/

NOAA. (2021). Ocean acidification. Ocean acidification | National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. Retrieved November 13, 2021, from
https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-acidification.

Page, H. N., Hewett, C., Tompkins, H., & Hall, E. R. (2021). Ocean acidification and direct
interactions affect coral, macroalga, and sponge growth in the Florida keys. Journal of
Marine Science and Engineering, 9(7), 739.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.csumb.idm.oclc.org/10.3390/jmse9070739
S.173 - 111th Congress (2009-2010): Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring
Act of 2009. (2009, January 8).
https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/senate-bill/173

United Nations. (n.d.). What is Education and Outreach? Unfccc.int. Retrieved November 13,
2021, from
https://unfccc.int/topics/education-youth/the-big-picture/what-is-education-and-outreach.