ECORD: European Consortium for Ocean Research Drilling

From October 3 to 7, 2005, outreach, education and media activities have been organised by ECORD and CNRS-INSU in collaboration with the Université de la Polynésie Française, in Papeete, Tahiti, before the offshore phase of the expedition starts.

:: Outreach

Public Lecture by Gilbert Camoin (Co-chief Scientist) and Catherine Mével (EMA Director) at the Université de la Polynésie Française as part of their “Conférences Savoirs pour Tous" (literally “Knowledge for all”) outreach session. This conference has been pre-announced on local radio and had an attendance of ~60-70 people (mostly university students).

Briefing to Mr. Jean-Marius Raapoto, French Polynesian Minister of Education, Higher Education, Research,
A reception, hosted by CNRS-INSU, was held at the Sheraton hotel with a brief presentation of the expedition by GIlbert Camoin. It was attended by VIPs: representatives from the State and from the Polynesian Governement, from the French Navy, from the University and other research Institutes in Papeete, etc. It offered the opportunity to convey a message about international scientific cooperation under the frame of IODP, about the scientific content of the expedition, and to explain why this drill ship will be sitting just outside the reef for 6 weeks.

:: Education

Presentation by Catherine Mével and Gilbert Camoin at Lycée Paul Gauguin to Terminale class (final year students 17 years old).
DP Hunter drillship visit by the same high school class (photos below) and a few journalists, which included a tour of the safe parts of the ship, led by Andy Kingdon (ESO). Students were shown ship bridge, aft bridge (DP operations centre) drilling equipment/derrick from bridge deck, ESO operations room, lifeboats then coring tools, subsea camera and logging tools (with explanations in French from Gilles Guérin and Florence Einaudi, EPC) from the safely accessible areas of the deck.

All photos are IODP/ECORD (click on each picture to see an enlarged view)

Presentation by Catherine Mével at Papara high school to two Terminale classes (final year students 17 years old) in Papara, a small town south of the island of Tahiti (No guided tour has been organised as the DP Hunter had already departed).

:: Press and Media

Press conference to four newspaper and one French news agency journalists, one local radio and two local TV journalists.
TV and radio interviews of Gilbert Camoin following press conference.
Articles published in "Les Nouvelles de Tahiti" (local paper, no website) consecutively for three days 4-6/10/05 and in "La Depêche", another local newspaper.
Polynesian language coverage of school kids drillship visit including interview with Gilbert Camoin shown evening of 6/10/05.

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