Funds are requested to develop an improved instrument-based undergraduate field course in Oceanography. This is the final course taken by Oceanography undergraduates and is designed to complement their formal classroom training with an exposure to state-of-the-art methods for sample collection, analysis, and data interpretation. Oceanography 460 is an undergraduate field course designed to develop skills in oceanography research. Course activities include the establishment of objectives and the planning of a scientific field experiment, preparation of necessary equipment, collection of data from an oceanographic research vessel, and data analysis and interpretation techniques. Scientific results are presented both orally and in written form. Over the past five years, the numbers of students in our undergraduate program have increased by more than 25% thus increasing the requirements for equipment, instructional personnel, and ship time. The course is also interdisciplinary, demanding modern equipment for concurrent projects in biological, chemical, geological and physical aspects of oceanography in which students interact and execute a cooperative field program. State-of-the-art sampling equipment and analytical instrumentation are critically necessary to make OCEAN 460 a rewarding educational experience for our undergraduate students. This enclosed request for equipment would greatly enhance and improve this expanding course and provide more opportunities for upper division student research.
