Public Education and Outreach is also a key focus area and fertile ground for interdisciplinary collaboration.
As a members of the Census of Marine Life and Gulf of Maine Marine Educators Association, Karen Alexander and Bill Leavenworth have been giving lectures on fish and fisheries history since 2001 to high school and college students, historical societies and museums. They have contributed to public education programs at Maritime Gloucester, the Downeast Fisheries Trail, and the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. In 2014 they were advisers on the Gone Fishing exhibit at the Penobscot Marine Museum and are working with the Maine State Museum to design an upcoming exhibit on long term changes in the Gulf of Maine. In addition, Alexander is a judge on From the Bow Seat’s Ocean Awareness Contest, an international contest promoting ocean literacy in grade school, middle school and high school students.