Milestones

Approximately 20,000 Houston residents attended the energy education event

CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. (CSA) was a proud participant of Energy Day 2013, an event that drew over 20,000 attendees to Hermann Square in downtown Houston. The day-long family festival was oriented towards K-12 students in an effort to raise awareness of energy-related careers and new energy innovations. CSA demonstrated its ocean sound and protected species monitoring capabilities to throngs of eager young visitors who regularly crowded the exhibition booth. Of particular interest were CSA's three interactive science stations: a demonstration of how marine mammals utilize blubber to stay warm in frigid ocean waters, an ocean sound presentation that allowed participants to hear the underwater calls of marine species, and a hydrophone exhibit that let the children visualize on a monitor how their voice would sound beneath the waves.

CSA project scientist Heidi Etter noted, "We feel that the importance of Energy Day resonates not only in the education of our youth, but also in bringing awareness to the community about the various aspects of science and technology." In addition to this community awareness, CSA also called attention to the continuing environmental efforts made by the industry. "For us, it is important to demonstrate how diligently the energy industry and the environmental sciences sector work together to understand the needs of marine ecosystems," said CSA senior oceanographer Jordan Krumm.

In addition to providing a fun-filled family afternoon, Energy Day was aimed at addressing the mounting shortage of qualified industry workers. "Many of our most experienced workers are or will be approaching retirement age soon, and there is a real need within the industry to have qualified people to take their place," said an Occidental Petroleum Corporation spokesperson commenting on the impending brain drain within the industry. Numerous Energy Day exhibits hoped to ignite the interest of the young minds in attendance and educate them on the great potential offered by a career involving the energy industry.

CSA has positioned itself to help support the energy industry's need by fostering environmental education and awareness. As part of this effort, CSA enthusiastically welcomes the opportunity to participate in events such as Energy Day as a means of providing a "hands on" experience that allows the public to visualize and better understand environmental stewardship. As the energy industry expands, CSA stands ready to help maintain its growing environmental education needs.

For more information on CSA, its services, or its participation in future events, visit www.csaocean.com or call 772-219-3000.

CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. specializes in consulting services for Federal, State, and private industry clients in multidisciplinary projects, integrating science and technology to evaluate environmental activities throughout the world. CSA offers a wide variety of services related to environmental management and community planning to support clients working in marine, estuarine, wetland, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats throughout the United States and overseas.