OSU Student Cruise

As in previous years, OSU's Student Oceanographic Cruise is an integral part of the course-series “OC 295 – Introduction to Field Oceanography - Land” and “OC 296 – Introduction to Field Oceanography – Sea”, which are required for the undergraduate Ocean Science major. The OC 295/OC 296 course series is designed to introduce students to shipboard oceanography, including participation in a multi-day oceanographic research cruise aboard a state-of-the art oceanographic research vessel. The cruise objectives included training students on a variety of oceanographic shipboard procedures and equipment, such as the use of CTD-rosette for hydrographic observations and water sampling, acoustic instrumentation for determination of currents and sub-surface features, several types of nets for recover plankton samples, as well as sediment sampling using multi-core gravity coring equipment. The cruise also allowed the students to be introduced to oceanographic operations (e.g., deployment and recovery of equipment), onboard sample and data handling, general navigation, ship safety and life at sea. Because of the size of the 2024 class, we expect to have two legs to the cruise. At this point we have flexibility on the embarkation/disembarkation ports and on the ship as long as it can accommodate 22 individuals as part of the science crew for each leg. Where we do not have much flexibility is on the dates, which need to coincide with OSU's spring break. Here is a draft of the schedule I have put together for the OSU Student Cruise: 3/23/2024 Saturday MOB Day/Leg 1 Students travel to ship 3/24/2024 Sunday Leg 1 - Science day 1 3/25/2024 Monday Leg 1 - Science day 2 3/26/2024 Tuesday Leg 1 - Science day 3 3/27/2024 Wednesday DMOB/MOB day - Leg 1 students disembark; Leg 2 travel to ship and embark 3/28/2024 Thursday Leg 2 - Science day 1 3/29/2024 Friday Leg 2 - Science day 2 3/30/2024 Saturday Leg 2 - Science day 3 3/31/2024 Sunday DMOB day - Leg 2 disembark travel to ship