This project should serve to increase public knowledge about Lake Erie by:
Developing and broadcasting by radio a series of public service announcements about the lake; and 2. Making available to listeners the printed and illustrated scripts as resource materials. The research portion of the study will: 1. Indicate the feasibility of designing an ongoing informational radio series originating with Ohio Sea Grant; and
Measure audience contact levels, interest, optimum broadcast time and message effect from this study for incorporation directly into program design.

Sea Grant Programs in Michigan and Wisconsin indicate that public awareness through radio of specific Sea Grant services has increased, based on the number of information requests initiated by programming.

Thirty PSAs for radio (one minute each) were developed and broadcast by six radio stations. Listeners called in for additional material. Random phone surveys in the listening area before and after broadcasts showed increased knowledge about Ohio Sea Grant.

Accomplishments:
Handouts for callers sewed as seed ideas for MAS programs. Radio spots reached about 6% of available audience (twice what is expected for radio). Greater visibility for Sea Grant activities in central Ohio. Trained 15 undergraduates in environmental communications technique for radio, and five graduate students in phone survey methods.

Benefits:
The project is expected to provide benefits by way of: 1. Increasing public knowledge and understanding of the characteristics and importance of Lake Erie; 2. Increasing public use of lake resources through increased awareness of their availability; 3. Initiating contact with potential users of Ohio Sea Grant information and services; 4. Providing data to Ohio and other Sea Grant College Programs on the effectiveness of radio as a medium of communicating about a natural resource; and 5. Training environmental communicators in marine and aquatic resource education.