Data for all via the Adopt-A-Float program: Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM)

The Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) project is partnering with teachers and classrooms across the country to inspire and educate students about the Southern Ocean biogeochemistry and climate change through a pilot “Adopt-A-Float” initiative. This program creates a powerful opportunity for elementary- and secondary-school-aged students to engage directly with world-class scientists and learn about their research by naming and tracking SOCCOM floats. The Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling project (SOCCOM) is a multi-institutional program focused on unlocking the mysteries of the Southern Ocean and determining its influence on climate. Housed at Princeton University and administered by the Princeton Environmental Institute, SOCCOM is supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF Award PLR-1425989. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute has been coordinating the Adopt-A-Float program for the last three years and has over 90 floats adopted from groups around the world. Educators and students can access resources from https://www.mbari.org/products/southern-ocean-carbon-climate-observations-modeling-soccom/ and are able to download and manipulate near-real-time data from the specially developed AdoptAFloatvis portal at https://www.mbari.org/adoptafloatviz/. This presentation will review the adoption process and the experiences of those that have adopted floats as well as show how the information can be used by educators and students.