The Charleston STEM festival is one of twelve community events nationwide supported by the Alfred P. Slone Foundation to increase awareness of the role of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in society. The STEM festival is now in its fourth year with NOAA reaching over 16,000 students and their parents. NOAA's Office of Education and Office of Exploration provided educational material including research highlights from the National Ocean Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Weather Service, Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research and National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service. Major local sponsors of Charleston STEM fest included Bosh, Google and Nucor Steal.

NCCOS scientists provided hands-on opportunity for participants to observe and identify phytoplankton and zooplankton collected in a plankton tow off the banks of the Ashley River. This raised awareness of NOAA citizen science offered through the Phytoplankton Monitoring Network and encouraged new participants in the greater Charleston area.

Left, Charleston 2017 Stem Festival poster. Right, Jennifer Fuquay demonstrates the use of smart microscopes and phytoplankton identification. Photo credit: NOAA

Charleston, South Carolina is home to NOAA scientists from manyline offices, with large representation of the National Ocean Service:Office of Coastal Management, NCCOS' Center for Coastal Environmental Heath and Biomolecular Research and Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston Harbor PORTS, Office of Coast Survey Navigation Manager, the ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Office of Response and Restoration Marine Debris Regional Coordinator. Other NOAA offices include the OMAO Maine Support Facility and the OMAO ships Ronald H. Brown and Nancy Foster.

Left, the Hollings Marine Laboratory at Fort Johnson. Right, NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown stationed at the Charleston OMAO Support Facility in North Charleston. Photo Credits: NOAA

For more information, please contact Steve.Morton@noaa.gov.