State, Smithsonian Promote Ocean Health with Mobile App

Reed Saxon/AP file photo

Conservationists -- and even NOAA -- have often cited the ocean and its inhabitants as indicators for the global enviornment . The State Department is now getting in on that idea with the release of a software application highlighting the ocean's import to the world.

Former ambassador to Korea and Acting Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Kathleen Stephens blogged about the Amazing Ocean Mobile App, a joint venture between the department and the Smithsonian Institute's Museum of Natural History.

Stephens says the Web and mobile app has been downloaded in 52 countries after pilot programs in China, India, and Indonesia. The app features stories and photos from agencies, including NOAA, the Smithsonian and the Interior Department, as well as aggregatied links and information from National Geographic, Discovery Communications and other places around the Web. The app's purpose is to engages viewers on matters of conservation, Stephens said. The app is available for download for iOS and Android devices and is viewable on PCs.

The app is the first in a series of joint educational projects State is pursuing, according to Stephens.