Programs Blog

July 31, 2025

Our first class was with a speaker Erin Bryant who talked about Deep Sea Mining. The picture below shows the whiteboard where Erin Bryant was presenting from. We focused on the Role of Deep Sea Mining in Meeting the Demand for Critical Minerals in the Global Energy Transition. The second topic was on the Territorial Sea. We talked about what ocean animals lived in the international waters and the Sargasso Sea. 

After class we worked on our exhibits (in the map room) in our groups where we started drawing our final drafts. After 16 days of living together we are comfortable with working with each other and sharing our own ideas. 

After lunch we had our second class that was taught by Dr. Ray. He taught us Physical Oceanography, focusing on the Coriolis Force. Which was good for me because that is part of the topic me and Sideris are working on for our presentation. Then we went into the lab and got to do two experiments. I found them very interesting since I had researched Thermohaline Circulation. And that is what the experiments focused on. The first experiment was seeing if an ice cube melts faster in freshwater or saltwater. The second experiment was all about the density of salt water and how warm water stays on the surface while cold salt water sinks to the bottom of the tank. 

After eating dinner we had our evening activity. Today was arts and crafts. 

Because the guest speakers that come talk to us gave us a clear picture of potential career paths, this program is helping me in determining whether I want to focus on marine science in the future or not. The field seems more approachable and real after hearing their stories. I’m also gaining a better understanding of what the day to day work includes by learning practical skills like data collection, field observation, and scientific collaboration.

Paloma Kramer