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<b style=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><img
src="cid:part1.03050900.03000300@noaa.gov" v:shapes="_x0000_i1025"
height="91" width="624"><!--[endif]--></span></b><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Contact:<span style="">
</span>Shauna
Bingham<span style=""> </span><b
style="">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</b><span style=""> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">805-382-6149, ext 102 <span
style=""> </span>June 26, 2008<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">David Hall<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1in;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">301-713-3066<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">New
Interactive
Touch-Screen Kiosks Offer In-depth Look at <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><b
style=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">NOAA’s
Channel Islands
Sanctuary<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><st1:city w:st="on"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Santa Barbara</span></st1:city><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename
w:st="on">Ventura</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place>
residents and visitors can now explore Channel Islands National Marine
Sanctuary without getting their feet wet through new state-of-the-art
touch
screen NOAA kiosks located at four sites along the coast.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">“The new kiosks are a
visual and auditory showcase of what the
sanctuary has to offer,” said Chris Mobley, superintendent of Channel
Islands
National Marine Sanctuary. “With the touch of a button, users can learn
about marine
life and habitats, and get the latest information about our education
and
outreach programs, research projects and resource protection efforts.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">Developed by the NOAA
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
in partnership with the NOAA National Weather Service, the kiosks also
provide real-time
weather and ocean condition reports and information about the
sanctuary’s
partners, including museums and visitor centers.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">The kiosks have been
installed at the <st1:placename w:st="on">California</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Welcome</st1:placename> <st1:placetype
w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype>
in <st1:city w:st="on">Oxnard</st1:city>, the Ventura Visitor’s and
Convention
Bureau, the Ty Warner Sea Center in <st1:city w:st="on">Santa Barbara</st1:city>,
and the Harbor Patrol office at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename
w:st="on">Santa Barbara</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbor</st1:placetype></st1:place>.
There are existing units at the <st1:placename w:st="on">Santa Barbara</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Maritime</st1:placename> <st1:placetype
w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype>
and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Channel Islands</st1:placename>
<st1:placetype w:st="on">Harbor</st1:placetype></st1:place>. Three more
units are
slated for installation in early 2009.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">For
more information, visit <a
href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/kiosk/kiosk.html">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/visit/kiosk/kiosk.html</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><span style="">
</span>Channel
Islands National Marine Sanctuary was designated in 1980 to protect
marine
resources surrounding San Miguel, <st1:city w:st="on">Santa Rosa</st1:city>,
<st1:city w:st="on">Santa Cruz</st1:city>, Anacapa, and <st1:place
w:st="on">Santa Barbara islands</st1:place>. The sanctuary spans more
than 1,456 square miles
extending from island shorelines to six miles offshore, encompassing a
rich
diversity of marine life and habitats, as well as rich historic and
cultural
resources. <b style=""><span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">The National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, an
agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is dedicated to enhancing
economic
security and national safety through the prediction and research of
weather and
climate-related events and information service delivery for
transportation, and
by providing environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and
marine
resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of
Systems
(GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 70
countries and
the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is
as
integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">On the Web: <br>
NOAA: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.noaa.gov">http://www.noaa.gov</a>
<br>
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries: <a
class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov">http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov</a>
<br>
<st1:place w:st="on">Channel Islands</st1:place> National Marine
Sanctuary:
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://channelislands.noaa.gov">http://channelislands.noaa.gov</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><span
style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Arial;">- 30 -</span></p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Shauna Bingham
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator
NOAA Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
3600 S. Harbor Blvd. #111
Oxnard, CA 93035
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:Shauna.Bingham@noaa.gov">Shauna.Bingham@noaa.gov</a>
(805) 382-6149 ext. 102
Fax (805) 382-9791
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://channelislands.noaa.gov">http://channelislands.noaa.gov</a>
´¯`·.¸¸..><((((º>·´¯`·.¸¸..><((((º>·´¯`·.¸¸..><((((º>·´¯`·.¸¸..
</pre>
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