2012 Clean Marina Education

Onondaga County, NY, February 15, 2012 - With spring right around the corner, it won't be long before boats are back on the water. And, as seen in the clips from Syracuse, NY-based Your News Now, News Channel 9 (an ABC News affiliate station) and News Channel 7 (WWNY-TV, a CBS News affiliate station) / News Channel 28 (WNYF-TV, a Fox News affiliate station), the annual Central New York Boat Show returns today (February 15) to the New York State Fairgrounds.

Through a series of demonstrations in the Horticulture Building at the New York State Fairgrounds, you can learn some very important safety information this weekend.

"This year at the boat show, we're going to be doing in-water live life jacket demonstrations," says New York Sea Grant Coastal Recreation and Tourism Specialist Dave White. "We really want to be able to show people how the various types of life jackets work so that they can be thinking about what the best life jacket is for them."

So, how important is it to have a life jacket for someone who has a boat and is getting ready for the spring? "While we're looking forward to the summer and the temperatures that come with the season, but this time of year anyone who's out on the open water on a boat has to wear a life jacket," says White If you're out ice fishing or duck hunting, having something like an immersion suit on is going to provide you with some extra protection. If you do fall into the water, it's bright and you're going to be seen."

This year's boat show takes place in three buildings on the grounds with more than 500 canoes, cruisers, and sail boats on display. Whether you're in the market for a new boat or perhaps just want to see what's out there, many experts are available to talk to.

"It's just a great opportunity for folks to come out, learn about what's new in personal recreation, and begin to think about what they might want to change up this year - a new boat, or new equipment, or new accessory," says White. "It's also a chance for people to make sure they have the latest information on laws and regulations so they're out boating safely, cleanly, and enjoy our upstate bodies of water."

It costs $10 to get into the boat show, and the kids under 13 are free. The show runs through Sunday. For more information, visit www.cnyboatshow.com.

New York Sea Grant (NYSG), a statewide network of integrated research, education, and extension services promoting the coastal economic vitality, environmental sustainability and citizen awareness about the State’s marine and Great Lakes resources, has been “Bringing Science to the Shore” for over 40 years. NYSG, one of 32 university-based programs under the National Sea Grant College Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is a cooperative program of the State University of New York and Cornell University. The National Sea Grant College Program engages this network of the nation’s top universities in conducting scientific research, education, training, and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources.

Your News Now clip ...




News Channel 9 (a a Syracuse, NY-based ABC affiliate) clip ...




News Channel 7 (WWNY-TV, a Syracuse, NY-based CBS News affiliate) and News Channel 28 (WNYF-TV, a Syracuse, NY-based Fox News affiliate) ...