Workforce Development Supporting the Blue Economy: A Master’s Program of Integrated Ocean Observing at Rutgers University

Today's students will be challenged over their professional lifetimes to provide society with 60% more food, 55% more water and 80% more energy for a growing global population forecast to exceed 9 billion by 2050. This can only be realized through scientific understanding that applies emerging technologies to optimize sustained observations and forecasts. It requires a workforce with a variety of skills capable of working together as a team to operate new observing technologies in frontier areas, curate the data flow, and produce forecasts with quantifiable uncertainties appropriate to inform decision makers. They will be faced with real data and imperfect models, and will be required to turn it into actionable information. That data is never perfect, and one must see the sensors and platforms, and understand how they work, to fully understand their limitations. To address these issues, Rutgers University has developed new educational programs focused on conducting research by analyzing authentic data collected and delivered to shore in near real-time from the growing global network of ocean observatories. Here we summarize our undergraduate research track and introduce a Masters of Integrated Ocean Observing based on a series of new courses, a software/QA/QC bootcamp, and research symposia. The students graduating from this program will be prepared to join the blue economy with the skills to operate, analyze, and assess data generated from Ocean Observing Systems in support of scientific research and societal applications.