Our first Ocean Data Labs workshop is in the books!

The March 2019 OOI Data Labs workshop featured 20 participants and staff from around the country.

Congratulations to our first OOI Data Lab workshop cohort! In March, we welcomed 20 professors from universities, community colleges, and primary undergraduate institutions to the Chauncey Center in Princeton, NJ, for our first weeklong development workshop.

At the workshop, which was supported by the National Science Foundation, we partnered with professors to develop, test, refine, and disseminate easy-to-use OOI Data Labs that will engage, motivate, and support undergraduates in the use of authentic data from the OOI. Our overarching goal is to develop a sustainable mechanism through which professors can access, use, and integrate OOI data for teaching, and we think we’re well on our way.

To learn more about what was covered, you can check out the workshop agenda on our website.

During the workshop, six teams were formed to collaborate on creating new OOI Data Labs. The explorations being developed focus on a variety of topics, including ones that explore…

  • The relationship between atmospheric and oceanic processes during anoxic events
  • Processes that change salinity
  • The structure of oceanic ecosystems through biotic and abiotic factors
  • The physical and biological characteristics of water column profiles
  • Changes in a hydrothermal vent community over time

The teams are now working virtually with the Data Labs staff to complete their activities over the next few months and test them in the classroom. Once completed, these new activities, along with guides for instructors, will be made available on our website, so stay tuned.