New radio series delves into history, sea life and economic impact of the Gulf of Mexico
Story Lab at the University of West Florida Innovation Institute and WUWF 88.1-FM will launch a weekly radio series on Sept. 25 titled “Gulf Stories Moments,” which will explore the Gulf of Mexico, its history and how it has shaped our communities.
Each week, Christian Garman, outreach manager for Story Lab at the UWF Innovation Institute, and University scholars will discuss topics including shipwrecks, maritime history, invasive species, economics and business logistics.
“WUWF is pleased to offer this program to our listeners,” said Joe Vicenza, director of content and operations for WUWF. “I think our audience will find it interesting and entertaining, and it’s a great way for us to help get the word out about some of the great things the University is doing in the community.”
The segments, which are three to five minutes in length, will air at 4:30 p.m. each Monday, beginning Sept. 25.
“Gulf Stories Moments” is an offshoot of Mother Mother Ocean, a free online course the Innovation Institute began offering in Spring 2017. The radio segments offer additional insight into issues covered in the course’s myriad video discussions between Garman and University experts.
“After working on our online course, Mother Mother Ocean, and talking to all of these wonderful scholar researchers from UWF, we realized there were so many more topics to explore,” Garman said. “That’s the beauty of this radio series. We were able to go really deep on so many topics that highlight the wonderful research being done in the Gulf of Mexico, on the Gulf of Mexico and on many other waterways on the Gulf Coast.”
Mother Mother Ocean is the first in a series of free, not-for-credit online courses titled “Gulf Stories.” The series highlights the University’s deep connection and engagement with the Gulf of Mexico. Videos in the course are generally shorter than 10 minutes long.
Among Mother Mother Ocean’s video class modules are “Saints & Sinners: Maritime Stories of the Gulf;” “Lions in the Water: The Impact of the Environment on the Gulf Economy;” “Putting the Pieces Together: The Puzzles of the De Luna Expedition;” “The Ever-Changing Face of the Gulf Shore;” and “The $10,000 Pen and other Effects of Logistics on the Gulf.”
“Gulf Stories Moments” is made possible by the UWF Division of Research and Strategic Innovation, which oversees Story Lab at the Innovation Institute.
“The UWF Division of Research and Strategic Innovation is excited to provide ‘Gulf Stories Moments’ as a way to share stories of the significant impact our UWF researchers are having on the Gulf of Mexico and across our region,” said Dr. Pamela Northrup, vice president of research and strategic innovation at the University.
For more information about “Gulf Stories Moments,” visit online. To learn more about Mother Mother Ocean or to sign up for the free course, visit http://uwf.edu/gulfstories/.
