California Sea Grant 2013 State Fellows Video Contest Winners Announced

California Sea Grant today announced the winners of the What R U Doing? State Fellows Video Contest, with winning topics covering coastal wetlands restoration, ocean acidification, and marine protected areas.

Ariadne Reynolds, a state fellow from the South Coast Program, State Coastal Conservancy, took home a $1,000 prize for her first place video, “Restoring Southern California’s Coastal Wetlands.” The video describes the work of the California State Coastal Conservancy and its partners to protect and restore the region in which more than 95 percent of the wetlands have been lost to development.

“This year’s video submissions reflect our Fellows’ commitment and contribution to California marine resources and policy,” said Shauna Oh, Associate Director of California Sea Grant. “I hope these will be a helpful resource and educational tool for both policy makers and community stakeholders along the coast.”

Marisa Villarreal, a state fellow from the California Ocean Protection Council, was declared second place winner for her video regarding marine protected areas titled, “Our Coast, Our Heritage.” Judges recognized Hayley Carter, a state fellow from the Ocean Science Trust, as the third place winner for her video titled, “Ocean Acidification on the U.S. West Coast: Issues and Opportunities.” The fellows earned $750 and $500 respectively. Carter won an additional $100 for her early bird entry.

California Sea Grant launched the State Fellows video contest this year. Open to individuals and teams of 2013 State Fellows, the contest was designed to inform the public about the work of CA Sea Grant fellows and provide an engaging, behind the scenes look at state resource management.

The video submissions were evaluated for originality and accessibility to the general public, and will join hundreds of resources available on the California Sea Grant website. These resources provide updates on funded research and information to enhance the understanding, conservation