In a bold move to set sail for the future of marine science, thirty university students and trainers from across Australia are about to embark on an epic adventure. They’ll be circumnavigating Tasmania aboard the CSIRO research vessel Investigator. This isn’t just a joyride; it’s a 10-day voyage packed with hands-on learning, part of a groundbreaking program called CAPSTAN. This isn’t your average classroom experience.
CAPSTAN, or the Collaborative Australian Postgraduate Sea-Training Alliance Network, is a joint effort by CSIRO, marine science industries, universities, and the government. It’s all about giving students a national approach to applied teaching and learning in marine science and wider STEM disciplines. Dr. Pier van der Merwe, CAPSTAN Director from the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), puts it bluntly: “Nothing compares with hands-on learning. For future marine scientists, this is where the action happens – where theory is put into practice and where concepts sink in because students can observe the ecosystem with their own eyes.”
Imagine feeling the cold wind on your face and relating it to sea surface temperature data streaming into the ship, or experiencing the sun rise over the horizon and watching photosynthetically active radiation sensors detect that. That’s the kind of real-world learning that’s hard to beat. This voyage will immerse students in the full suite of marine science operations, from atmospheric and oceanographic studies to surveys of deep-sea ecosystems and marine life. They’ll be involved in seafloor mapping, sediment sampling, and even the search for a historic shipwreck off the northwest coast of Tasmania. Talk about a hands-on experience!
The diversity of the students’ backgrounds is as impressive as the voyage itself. Their studies range from biological and chemical oceanography to geoscience and engineering. And get this, women make up two-thirds of the students on this voyage. That’s a significant step towards gender equality in the marine sciences.
This voyage is the first in the CAPSTAN program following the completion of a pilot program during 2017 to 2020. Two more CAPSTAN training voyages are planned in the upcoming voyage schedules of RV Investigator. This initiative is more than just a training program; it’s a statement about the future of marine science education in Australia. By providing students with real-world, hands-on experience, CAPSTAN is shaping the next generation of marine experts. It’s a bold move that could inspire similar programs worldwide, challenging traditional classroom learning and sparking a new wave of innovation in marine science education.
The maritime industry is watching closely. This initiative could reshape how we approach training and education in the sector. If students are getting hands-on experience from the get-go, they’re more likely to hit the ground running when they enter the workforce. This could lead to more innovative solutions to the challenges facing our oceans and a new generation of marine scientists who are ready to take on the big issues. It’s a game-changer, and it’s happening right here, right now. So, let’s raise a glass of seawater to the future of marine science – it’s looking bright, and it’s looking hands-on.
