A year of ocean technology
It’s been a great year for the UW Ocean Technology Program! We’ve had an ever-growing and vibrant community of students interested in ocean technology. Our students engaged in exciting projects that included designing, building, using, and conducting research with oceanographic instrumentation. It has been a pleasure to support these students in their skill-building and quest for knowledge!
-- Sasha Seroy, Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Oceanography
Featured projects and Ocean Technology Center activities
Students worked on a variety of exciting ocean technology projects and initiatives this year in the Ocean Technology Center:
Founded in 2022, the Student Seaglider Center is a student-run lab. Notable highlights from this year include:
- Piloting and leading field operations for eight missions, including one overnight mission
- Expanding the Student Seaglider fleet to three functional gliders
- Securing over $50K with a successful Student Technology Fee proposal
- Collaborating with multiple oceanography field courses on R/V Carson cruises
- Being featured in a Big Ten photoshoot
Here are some more highlights from OCEAN 462:
- Undergraduates Atticus Carter and Kristine Prado-Casillas, created SEAPEN, a computer vision tool to auto-classify marine images and were awarded the Leo Maddox Prize at the Environmental Innovation Challenge.
- Students continued working on the ERIS Observatory off the MSB dock to stream real-time data of local Portage Bay conditions.
- Students collaborated with NOAA scientist, Dr. Robert Levine, to work on the development of a low-cost acoustic fish finder for ecological research applications.
- In collaboration with MATE, MTS, GO-BGC, and NCAT, Sasha Seroy and Rick Rupan hosted MATE Floats! (a weeklong summer workshop) to introduce community college students to ocean technology. UW Ocean Tech students also served as instructors and mentors.
Sharing ocean technology broadly
Students shared their projects with the broader community through presentations, publications, and outreach. They had local and national audiences and even included inaugural scientific research emerging from the Student Seaglider Center!
- Caleb Flaim published his ocean technology and education project on a 3D-printed model of thermohaline circulation for teaching in the Journal of Geoscience Education.
- The Ocean Tech Center (OTC) hosted an open house in Fall 2023. SSC students also participated in the Aquatic Sciences Open House in Spring 2024.
- We are excited for SSC students Katie Kohlman and Lydia Kelley to present at the International Underwater Glider Conference (IUGC) in Sweden this summer. This was generously supported by Daniel Hayes (Advanced Offshore Operations Inc.), IUGC, and the UW Undergraduate Travel Award. Stay tuned!
Exploring careers and making connections
Students explored ocean technology careers through workshops and connecting with a variety of professionals in the field including visitors from Sea-Bird Scientific, RBR, Sofar Ocean, Advanced Offshore Operations Inc. as well as many recent program alums. Thanks to all who provided these opportunities to our students!
- The Fall 2023 Career Panel hosted variety of alumni who are now technicians, field engineers, data scientists and others in different sectors including federal, state, and private industries.
- Recent UW Ocean Tech alums Jennifer Willson and Tyler Peterson returned to share their experiences as MATE Technical Interns and career paths for marine technicians.
- SSC students got hands-on experience assisting Daniel Hayes, Advanced Offshore Operations Inc, with glider operations and pilot training.
- Sofar Ocean led a workshop with students and professionals on their new Bristlemouth technology.
- RBR visited the design/build course to talk about ocean sensor technology and conducted an unboxing event for our new RBR CTD for the OTC.
See you next year!
Congratulations to our graduating Ocean Tech seniors: Caleb Flaim, Emma Nguyen, Jackson Page-Roth, Jenna Fernandez, Josie Adams, Kayla Robertson, Kristine Prado- Casillas, Maddy Chriest, Yanfeng (Michael) Shao, Mina Cheney, Sophie Goddard, Vincent Liu, Xavier Giomi, Zachary Levitan, and Zachary Poyen.
Thank you to the many mentors who have supported our student projects and initiatives this year: Rick Rupan, Fritz Stahr, Charlie Eriksen, Kirk O’Donnell, Robert Levine, Katie Bigham, Deb Kelley, Daniel Hayes, Aadu Prakash, Andrew Meyer, Greg Brusseau, Kyla Drushka, and to the R/V Carson crew and Dave Thoreson for assisting SSC students in the field.
