Expedition 84: Oceanography Camp Especially for Girls

For the seventh year, R/V ANGARI and her crew welcomed aboard 30 inquisitive young scientists and their mentors for the University of South Florida (USF) College of Marine Science’s Oceanography Camp Especially for Girls (OCG). Now in its 33rd year, OCG is an annual program delivering 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 immersive hands-on learning opportunities for women and minorities that are commonly underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Led by USF science mentors, OCG gives girls an opportunity to gain real-world experience in oceanography while developing problem solving, communication, teamwork and leadership skills.

During intensive three-days of research cruises onboard R/V ANGARI, groups of campers and their science and peer mentors visit and conduct research at three different stations within Tampa Bay during day-long expeditions. At each station, the participants gathered environmental data using a YSI probe, Secchi disk, anemometers and visual observation. The young oceanographers also used Niskin bottles to collect water samples that were then transferred to R/V ANGARI’s wet lab where the campers analyzed their nutrient concentrations. The campers also participated in deploying and recovering a Ponar grab sampler for sediment, and plankton tows and otter trawls that enabled them to collect marine organisms ranging from microscopic plankton to benthic mollusks and a variety of fish species. The data and samples collected during the research cruises contribute 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.