Expedition 65: Oceanography Camp for Girls

R/V ANGARI welcomed 30 aspiring young scientists aboard for another successful year of Oceanography Camp for Girls (OCG). OCG, an annual program from the College of Marine Science at the University of Florida (USF), aims to deliver an enriching three-week summer camp for girls interested in exploring careers in oceanography and marine science. OCG is available to young women entering high school in Pinellas County and provides hands-on learning opportunities for women and minorities that are commonly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. Led by USF science mentors, OCG gives the girls an opportunity to gain real-world experience in oceanography while developing problem solving, communication and leadership skills.

This is the sixth year ANGARI Foundation has hosted research cruises for the camp. During the intensive three days aboard R/V ANGARI, campers visited three different sites within Tampa Bay during their day-long expeditions. At each site, participants gathered environmental data using a YSI probe, Secchi disk and anemometers. Additionally, water samples were collected using Niskin bottles and then transferred to the wet lab where the young oceanographers analyzed the samples for nutrient concentrations. The campers also had the opportunity to participate in deploying a plankton tow and otter trawl to collect unique marine specimens ranging from microscopic plankton to a variety of fish species. The samples and data collected during the research cruises contributed to the camper’s final projects that are presented at the end of the summer.

Thank you to the Florida Institute of Oceanography and the University of South Florida College of Marine Science for supporting this expedition by providing scientific gear and dockage for R/V ANGARI.