A FEAST OF UNDERGRADUATE MARINE SCIENCE RESEARCH POSSIBILITIES USING SCIENTIFIC OCEAN DRILLING DATA AND CORES

Over forty decades of scientific ocean drilling provide a rich source of data to engage undergraduate students in marine research. I will present three models of marine science research using scientific ocean drilling. Model 1, “Data Collection,” (DC) requires data collection, compilation and analysis. It is free, introduces students to the vast IODP database and resources and is ideal for a beginning class project or to introduce a first-year student to marine research. Model 2, “Problem Definition & Analysis,” (PDA) has students develop and address a more focused research question. It involves data collection and analysis, and may also include sample collection. Model 3, “Collaborative Research,” (CR) extends Model 2 by bringing in other researchers with specific knowledge or access to equipment you lack. Ideally the student, especially a student attending a primarily undergraduate institution, can spend time at a Research I institution. In all of these models, students learn to collaborate and write about, graph and interpret scientific information. This research sequence has been successful in my scientific work and in attracting underrepresented students into the geosciences.

The example I will use is Ocean Drilling Program Leg 113 in the Weddell Sea. This expedition recovered the first Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) at two sites on Maud Rise. The remaining Sites were poorly recovered and the sediments included almost no carbonate. The resulting age dating was poor and the sites were bypassed, as there was plenty of research to be done on the excellent Maud Rise sites. I had been the Staff Scientist on the Expedition and when looking for a new research focus I returned to this expedition. This is just one example of the wealth of data and research possibilities that are available from much of the older scientific ocean drilling expeditions, truly a feast for undergraduate marine science research.