An Inquiry-Based Marine Technology Project for Students Across Institutions

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

This project is presenting a team of community college students, four-year college students, and technical high school students with a real marine engineering problem to be solved over the course of a one-semester elective laboratory engineering course. The four-year college students are acting at the project engineers; the community college students are acting as a commercial laboratory testing facility; and the high school students are the engineering technicians. The project being presented to the students involves the development of an underwater marking applicator which can be operated by the grappling arm of the submersible vessel ALVIN. When this vessel is on an undersea geophysics mission, there is a need for making markings or attaching tags to rocks of geophysical interest. Participation in a technical project of this nature is providing the students with experiences that enhance their technical knowledge and abilities. Institutions involved in this project are Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Bristol Community College, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in partnership with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.