The Transects Program: Pathways to Ocean Research Using a Collaborative Team Approach

College Of Charleston, Charleston SC

Investigators

Abstract

The Transects Program: Pathways to Ocean Research Using a Collaborative Team Approach Sautter 0331155 The Transects Program provides the opportunity for as many as 32 undergraduate and 16 graduate students to experience oceanography and the scientific process first-hand. Teams of undergraduates work in collaboration with graduate students, and are overseen by a multidisciplinary core of College of Charleston oceanography faculty mentors. Students participating in the Transects Program each identify a research question and collect and process oceanographic samples during a 5-day cruise aboard a research vessel. They then analyze their data and document results during a post-cruise Oceanographic Research course, developed and co-instructed by the PIs. There are four separate cruises to sample a newly established Charleston Transect, each with a distinct collaborative team of students and scientists, and each with an accompanying post-cruise research course. In addition to student-generated research, one of the main scientific objectives of this project is the development of a broad, multidisciplinary database, monitoring the spatial and temporal variability of the continental shelf region off Charleston, SC. The Southeast Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence (SE-COSEE) is assisting with identifying and recruiting 4 undergraduate students from HBCUs and MSIs in the North Carolina/South Carolina/Georgia region. During the fall semester each year, 4 to 6 students are invited to participate in an At Sea! day program (with travel supported by the NOAA Coastal Services Center) so that they are familiar with the sea-going process. At Sea! allows these students to determine if they wish to participate in the full Transects Program experience. Four of the students are chosen for the spring Transects cruise in May (each year), and they are fully supported by the grant. With assistance from the College of Charleston's Project Oceanica staff, students generate interactive on-line resources to document research results and databases, providing access to multiple audiences. Faculty and students participating in the project present results at regional and national conferences, and they publish results in professional journals. SE-COSEE provides summative and formative program evaluations, critical to the continual assessment and modification of the Transects Program.