MERS Marine Education and Research Society

### Context Profile for MERS Marine Education and Research Society

1. **Organization Mission & Cause**:
   - **Mission**: The MERS Marine Education and Research Society is dedicated to marine conservation through education, research, and response efforts. Their primary focus is on the study and protection of marine wildlife, particularly whales, and their habitats.
   - **Cause**: MERS aims to foster a deeper understanding of marine ecosystems and promote sustainable practices to protect these vital resources.

2. **Type of Activities**:
   - **Wildlife Watching Trips**: MERS organizes excursions, such as the "MERS Fundraising Trip 2025 - Port McNeill," where participants can observe marine wildlife, particularly Humpback Whales, while learning about ongoing research efforts.
   - **Educational Programs**: They provide educational resources and experiences aimed at increasing public awareness and understanding of marine life.
   - **Research Initiatives**: MERS conducts scientific research to monitor and protect marine species and their habitats.

3. **Tone of Voice**:
   - The tone of the website and communications is **friendly**, **informative**, and **inspiring**. It aims to engage the audience with a sense of excitement about marine life and conservation efforts. The language is accessible, aiming to connect with a broad audience, from casual participants to serious supporters.

4. **Emoji Usage**:
   - The website and communications do not prominently feature emojis. The tone remains professional and straightforward, focusing on clear communication about events and initiatives without the use of informal symbols.

5. **Key Facts**:
   - **Founding Info**: Specific founding details are not provided on the website, but MERS has established itself as a key player in marine education and research.
   - **Scale**: MERS has a total of 13 forms and 13 email campaigns, indicating an active engagement with their community.
   - **Impact Metrics**: While specific metrics are not detailed, the organization highlights the importance of funds raised for their education and research work.
   - **Volunteer Info**: Information on volunteer opportunities is not explicitly stated, but the organization likely engages volunteers in their events and research activities.

6. **Writing Guidelines**:
   - **Style**: Use a friendly and engaging tone that invites participation and conveys enthusiasm for marine conservation.
   - **Structure**: Keep content clear and organized, using headings and bullet points where appropriate to enhance readability.
   - **Call to Action**: Include strong calls to action that encourage readers to participate in events, donate, or learn more about marine conservation.
   - **Personalization**: Use personalized greetings in communications (e.g., addressing recipients by name) to foster a connection with the audience.

This context profile serves as a foundational guide for creating tailored content that aligns with MERS Marine Education and Research Society's mission, activities, and communication style.

This event is free, if schools have budget for presentations or if you would like to donate to MERS, the support would be deeply valued. Donations can be added below.

Webinar Registration - MERS Ocean Day - Sperm Whales

Teachers!Join us on June 6th, 2025 for a FREE Ocean Day webinar for schools about Sperm Whales!  Yes, there are Sperm Whales off the coast of British Columbia!  <span fr-original-style="font-size: 14px;;color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal;" style="font-size:14px;color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal"><span contenteditable="false" fr-original-class="fr-img-caption fr-draggable" fr-original-style="width: 600px; display: block; vertical-align: top; margin: 5px auto; text-align: center; position: relative; max-width: 100%; cursor: pointer; padding: 0px 1px; user-select: none; box-sizing: inherit;" style="width:600px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;position:relative;max-width:100%;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1740550352/cezzz3oqm4ugd5qfmdvt.png" style="width:600px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;position:relative;max-width:100%;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit" /><span contenteditable="true" fr-original-class="fr-inner" fr-original-style style="outline:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) solid 0px;margin:auto;display:block;padding:5px 5px 10px;font-size:14px;font-weight:400;box-sizing:border-box;opacity:0.9;width:100%">Illustration by Uko Gorter.  <span fr-original-style="color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal;" style="color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal">Our very own Dr. Felicia Vachon is a Sperm Whale expert and will share with students about this unique “creature of extremes”: their enormous nose, big brains, long dives, complex societies, unique vocalizations, and what we know (and don’t know) about them. To the non-teacher adults reading here, YES you too can join the webinar ☺️. The content will be appropriate for all ages, but the educational approach will be aimed at elementary school students, and they will be the priority for discussion and answering questions. <span fr-original-style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;;color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal;" style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-size-adjust:auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;float:none;color:rgb(5, 5, 5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-style:normal;display:inline !important"><span fr-original-style="color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal;" style="color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal"> <span fr-original-style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;" style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-size-adjust:auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;float:none;display:inline !important">The webinar will be ~30 minutes followed by ~15 minutes for questions. <span fr-original-style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;;color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal;" style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-size-adjust:auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;float:none;color:rgb(5, 5, 5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-style:normal;display:inline !important"><span fr-original-style="color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal;" style="color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal"><span fr-original-style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;" style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-size-adjust:auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;float:none;display:inline !important"><span fr-original-style="color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal;" style="color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal"><span fr-original-style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;" style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-size-adjust:auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;float:none;display:inline !important">Join us to be captivated by the Sperm Whales!  <span fr-original-style="color: rgb(5, 5, 5); font-variant-ligatures: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-style: normal; font-size: 24px;" style="color:rgb(5, 5, 5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-style:normal;font-size:24px">Please be sure to register.  <span fr-original-style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;;color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal;" style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-size-adjust:auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;float:none;color:rgb(5, 5, 5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);font-style:normal;display:inline !important"><span fr-original-style="color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal;" style="color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal"><span fr-original-style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;" style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-size-adjust:auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;float:none;display:inline !important">______________________________<span fr-original-style="color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal;" style="color:rgb(5,5,5);font-variant-ligatures:normal;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);font-style:normal"> <span fr-original-style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration: none; float: none; display: inline !important;" style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0);font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;text-size-adjust:auto;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;text-decoration:none;float:none;display:inline !important">Dr. Felicia Vachon obtained her PhD studying Sperm Whale behaviour, communication, and conservation in the Caribbean. Her work focused on how Sperm Whales learn from each other, and how this knowledge, passed down from one generation to the next, influences their lives. She has been working with sperm whale experts all around the world to piece together the many sperm whale mysteries and advocate for their conservation. Felicia is our Research Coordinator.  <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1740606672/zqhqlnhvwn59y8oxnfxv.jpg" style="width:600px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center" /> Photo: Sperm Whale off British Columbia’s coast taken while on a offshore survey with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.  Taken with a telephoto lens and cropped.

Hello <span contenteditable="false" data-custom-variable="{{firstname}}" fr-original-class="fr-deletable styled-tag-chip " fr-original-style style="background-color:rgb(248, 248, 255);border:1px solid rgb(191, 191, 255);border-radius:4px;color:rgb(42, 42, 196);padding:1px 8px;font-size:11px;display:inline-block;margin:0px;overflow-wrap:anywhere;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit">First name , Thank you for registering for the Sperm Whales - your deep-dwelling neighbours webinar on June 6th, 1:30 to 2:30 PDT with our own Dr. Felicia Vachon.  Please access the webinar via this link <a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87577035290" style="text-decoration-color:initial;user-select:auto;box-sizing:inherit">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87577035290</a>.  We look forward to celebrating Ocean Day with you! With best wishes from the Team at the Marine Education and Research Society.  <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1740606966/iis4hwtsuptivhj0rhib.jpg" style="width:151px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto 5px 0px;text-align:left;position:relative;max-width:100%;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit" /> --------------------------- When: Jun 6, 2025 01:30 PM VancouverTopic:  Ocean Day Webinar - Sperm Whales  Join from PC, Mac, iPad, or Android:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87577035290 Phone one-tap:+16475580588,,87577035290# Canada+17789072071,,87577035290# Canada Join via audio:+1 647 558 0588 Canada+1 778 907 2071 Canada+1 780 666 0144 Canada+1 204 272 7920 Canada+1 438 809 7799 Canada+1 587 328 1099 Canada+1 647 374 4685 Canada+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)+1 689 278 1000 US+1 719 359 4580 US+1 253 205 0468 US+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)+1 305 224 1968 US+1 309 205 3325 US+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)+1 360 209 5623 US+1 386 347 5053 US+1 507 473 4847 US+1 564 217 2000 US+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)+1 646 931 3860 US+1 669 444 9171 USWebinar ID: 875 7703 5290International numbers available: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcUU2teY4H

Teachers!Join us on June 6th, 2025 for a FREE Ocean Day webinar for schools about Sperm Whales!  Yes, there are Sperm Whales off the coast of British Columbia!  <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1740550352/cezzz3oqm4ugd5qfmdvt.png" style="width:600px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;position:relative;cursor:pointer;padding:0px 1px;user-select:none;box-sizing:inherit;max-width:100%" />Illustration by Uko Gorter.  Our very own Dr. Felicia Vachon is a Sperm Whale expert and will share with students about this unique “creature of extremes”: their enormous nose, big brains, long dives, complex societies, unique vocalizations, and what we know (and don’t know) about them. To the non-teacher adults reading here, YES you too can join the webinar ☺️. The content will be appropriate for all ages, but the educational approach will be aimed at elementary school students, and they will be the priority for discussion and answering questions. The webinar will be ~30 minutes followed by ~15 minutes for questions. Join us to be captivated by the Sperm Whales!  Please be sure to register.  ______________________________ Dr. Felicia Vachon obtained her PhD studying Sperm Whale behaviour, communication, and conservation in the Caribbean. Her work focused on how Sperm Whales learn from each other, and how this knowledge, passed down from one generation to the next, influences their lives. She has been working with sperm whale experts all around the world to piece together the many sperm whale mysteries and advocate for their conservation. Felicia is our Research Coordinator.  <img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/hxn9dbuhd/image/upload/v1740606672/zqhqlnhvwn59y8oxnfxv.jpg" style="width:600px;display:block;vertical-align:top;margin:5px auto;text-align:center;max-width:100%" /> Photo: Sperm Whale off British Columbia’s coast taken while on a offshore survey with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.  Taken with a telephoto lens and cropped.

MERS Marine Education and Research Society

FREE Ocean Day Webinar - Sperm Whales, Your Deep Dwelling Neighbours

Online - Zoom

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Webinar Registration - MERS Ocean Day - Sperm Whales

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