Oceanography | Vol. 39, No. 1
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OceanHackWeek
AN INCLUSIVE, COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO DEVELOPING
OCEANOGRAPHY DATA SCIENCE SKILLS
By Catherine Mitchell, Wu-Jung Lee, Filipe Fernandes, Joseph Gum, Alex Kerney, Emilio Mayorga,
Thomas Moore, Nick Mortimer, Natalia Ribeiro, and Valentina Staneva
INTRODUCTION
Oceanography relies on a wide range of observational platforms,
sampling strategies, and experimental and modeling approaches
to drive discovery and deepen our understanding of the ocean’s
role in the Earth system (Lee et al., 2017; McMahon et al., 2021).
Over the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in
both the volume and variety of oceanographic data (Tanhua et al.,
2019; Brett et al., 2020). Advancements in computational power
over the last decade have further enhanced the efficacy of models,
fueling a surge in modeling studies (Stewart and Thompson, 2015;
Morrison et al., 2020; Huneke et al., 2022). As a result, compu
tational methods and resources are becoming essential tools in
oceanography (Reichstein et al., 2019; Robinson et al., 2020), with
numerous examples of advanced computational usage across the
field (Hemming et al., 2020; Kiss et al., 2020; Chapman et al., 2022;
Roughan et al., 2022).
Despite these advancements, ocean science courses have tra
ditionally focused on domain-specific knowledge, often lacking
comprehensive training in computational skills (Campbell et al.,
2024). Though introductory-level data science training is increas
ingly being incorporated into oceanography curricula, students
and researchers are left with significant gaps in advanced computa
tional skills (Greengrove et al., 2020; McGovern and Allen, 2021).
The education and equipment required to develop these computa
tional skills can be expensive and time consuming (Barber et al.,
2023), with marginalized students often forced to forgo training
opportunities and internships (Kreuser et al., 2023). Scientific pro
gramming skills, particularly the ability to collaborate effectively
on computational projects, are highly valuable in both academic
and non-lab-work environments (McNutt, 2014).
OceanHackWeek was established in 2018 with three core
goals: (1) to provide a pathway for ocean scientists to acquire
the computational and data science skills necessary for advanc
ing modern data-intensive oceanographic research; (2) to foster
an open and sharing culture among ocean science research
ers, spanning a wide range of technical expertise, career stages,
educational backgrounds, and personal experiences; and
(3) to promote open science, reproducible research practices,
and adherence to FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable,
reusable) data principles. Open, reproducible science encourages
greater inclusivity, enabling broader participation from research
ers worldwide and creating opportunities to engage in ground
breaking science, regardless of institutional affiliations or finan
cial resources (Martin et al., 2025). In this paper, we focus our
main discussion on the OceanHackWeek event, with details on
the organization of OceanHackWeek provided in the online
Supplementary Materials.
THE OCEANHACKWEEK WORKSHOP
The hackweek model (Duncombe, 2018; Huppenkothen et al.,
2018; Rokem and Benson, 2024) was designed to fill a gap between
traditional summer schools, which are typically instructor-led
ABSTRACT. Over the last two decades, there has been an explosion of oceanographic data from a broad array of ocean observing plat
forms, as well as dramatic improvements in the ability of ocean models to resolve processes across multiple temporal and spatial scales.
Ocean researchers’ ability to leverage computing tools and resources are key to effectively understanding and monitoring our ocean, the
marine ecosystems it supports, and the response of the Earth system to climate change. Therefore, data science skills have become essen
tial in the scientific discovery process, and it is becoming increasingly important to have computational skills in our research toolbox.
OceanHackWeek was launched in 2018 to build an inclusive community that promotes data and software proficiency in oceanography.
With a mission to meet, collaborate, and learn at the intersection of ocean and data sciences, OceanHackWeek provides a vibrant, diverse,
and inclusive community that embodies the vision of an open ocean science future. In this article we present the OceanHackWeek model,
provide an overview of the curriculum and formats of the events, and discuss the lessons learned and recommendations for implement
ing an OceanHackWeek-style event.
OCEAN EDUCATION