Oceanography | Vol.30, No.4
Among members of the ocean sciences
research community, everyone recog-
nizes the importance of the ocean, such
as its role in the climate system and
our economy. We understand that the
ocean provides critical food and energy
resources, routes for commerce, sites
for recreation, and much more. And we
know that beneath the seafloor, move-
ment of descending tectonic plates causes
some of the most devastating earth-
quakes and volcanoes. Yet much of the
public knows few or none of these fun-
damental facts. This lack of basic sci-
entific knowledge outside of academia
about the earth plays no small role in the
decline of funding for the ocean sciences
over the past few decades. In the long
run, our research programs will thrive
only if the public understands and val-
ues the need for exploration, discovery,
and study to better understand and care
for our planet. This speaks to the impor-
tance of our role as educators beyond our
traditional focus on research and gradu-
ate education, and our responsibility to
develop creative programs that both edu-
cate undergraduates about ocean topics,
and also provide tangible skills that they
can use when pursing jobs.
At least in the United States, it was
long thought that practicing oceanog-
raphers first needed an undergradu-
ate degree in one of the so-called “basic”
sciences—physics, chemistry, biology,
or geology. Relatively few universities
offered undergraduate courses in ocean-
ography. In much of academia, ocean-
ography remains a research-intensive,
applied field. Those attitudes are chang-
ing. Many undergraduates who are not
interested in becoming working ocean-
ographers would be motivated to learn
fundamental scientific concepts through
ocean examples. The ocean is a great
vehicle for teaching systems thinking—
its study demands interdisciplinary con-
nections and can make abstract scientific
concepts tangible for many students.
I recently conducted a highly nonscien-
tific survey about undergraduate ocean-
ography programs and heard from some
wonderfully dedicated educators who are
engaging undergraduates through expe-
riential learning. Here are a few examples
from the responses I received.
Claudia
Benitez-Nelson
of
the
University of South Carolina School of
Earth, Ocean and Environment reported
on an exciting experimental program in a
“living and learning” community, includ-
ing an opportunity to live in a Green
Quad Dorm. Their non-major classes
are very popular, reaching thousands
of students each semester. The commu-
nity emphasizes laboratory and field
experiences. Claudia noted that while
“hands-on” classes are more expensive
to run than lectures, they are worth the
cost. The benefits of experiential learning
transcend any topic or any facts, because
these classes teach curiosity and creativ-
ity, and provide a toolkit for lifelong dis-
covery and learning—exactly the kind
of things needed for productive employ-
ment in any field.
The University of Washington School
of Oceanography—my alma mater—has
always had a strong experiential learn-
ing component to its undergraduate pro-
gram. With ready accessibility to Puget
Sound, the university’s enviable loca-
tion offers a wealth of opportunities for
hands-on discovery of ocean topics,
and its program includes opportunities
for students to work at sea. Tansy Clay
Burns at the University of Washington
wrote to me that, in addition to attracting
ocean sciences majors with a BS degree,
Educating Undergraduates
About the Ocean
FROM THE PRESIDENT
New “old salts” returning from Research Experience for Undergraduates cruise aboard
R/V Oceanus, June 2017. Photo credit: Alan C. Mix