This began as the North Carolina Student Delegation's action project for the Coastal America Student Summit on Ocean and Coasts. Coastal America is a federal partnership involving many federal organizations, non-governmental organizations, and non-profits that are focusing on coastal issues. Fifteen years ago Coastal America began to incorporate Coastal Ecosystems Learning Centers (CELCs) from across the nation. There are now 23 CELCs including the North Carolina Aquariums. In February of 2011 Coastal America hosted its third Student Summit on the Oceans and Coasts. This year they focused on Ocean Literacy Principle three and how the ocean impacts climate. Coastal America invited the 23 CELCs to participate in the summit by creating an action plan to address a local issue associated with the oceans and climate. Nineteen of the CELCs accepted, including the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF).

The NCAFF decided to focus on education. The aquarium interviewed students from a local high school to assist in the project. Together we chose to create a film focused on the potential impacts of a changing climate on our unique resources. The students titled their project “We Sea Change.” In addition to the film, a supplemental curriculum was created to help teachers use the film in their classroom. The students have been keeping a blog which includes many of their pictures and thoughts on the project. You can visit the blog at capefearstudentsummit.blogspot.com.