Opening a Window to the Sea: The Potential of the Ocean Observatories for Education

A major goal of our education and outreach group is to bring observatory data to a variety of users. COSEE-MA is working on a plan for developing web products and programs that facilitate timely connections and exchange of information between ocean scientists and educators. One such program is centered on the Lagrangian Transport and Transformation Experiment (LaTTE), an NSF funded project focused on the Hudson River outflow. LaTTE is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional project with a strong linkage between the scientists engaged in the research and the educators bringing the research to the students and the general public. On example of this interaction grew out of a partnership Rutgers developed with the Liberty Science Center (LSC) in Jersey City, NJ. Through this partnership a pilot program "On the Hudson River", a professional development workshop for 12 educators in August of 2005. Participants interacted with Rutgers scientists and COSEE-MA educators for 3 days to learn about the Hudson River estuary and related resources they can use with their students. With these new and innovative projects, public outreach and education has become an important component of research in the Hudson River Estuary. An additional effort is focused on training the next generation of operational oceanographers. The Rutgers University Graduate Program in Oceanography (GPO) has initiated a new Masters Degree in Oceanographic Technologies. The program was designed with input from a pair of AMS Interactive Workshops on Operational Oceanography, and with comments requested from experienced employees of both Navy and NOAA operational centers. Within the collaborative setting of the Rutgers University (R.U.) Coastal Ocean Observation Lab's (COOL) Operations Center, students will receive hands on training in the use of advanced ocean observing technologies and will participate in the year-round field activities supported by the Center. Course work includes three of the core courses in physical, biological, chemical or geological oceanography and three hands-on courses to support the technology training in data analysis, platforms and sensors, and in atmospheric and oceanic modeling. Completion of a full Master thesis including its defense to demonstrate both written and oral communication skills was considered essential by all potential employers. Potential Masters thesis topics include improvements to the capabilities of sensors and sampling platforms, the analysis of the observatory datasets for a wide spectrum of applications, and atmospheric and ocean modeling applications. Graduates will be able to directly support the rapidly expanding sustained technology needs of the Ocean Observing Initiative and the Integrated Ocean Observing System