© 2015 SSU Marine Sciences
SAVANNAH – Students in the new graduate Advanced Oceanographic Instruments and undergraduate Oceanographic Instruments courses deployed two surface current drifters using Savannah State University's (SSU) research vessel Margaret C. Robinson on Friday, October 16.
In classes leading up to the deployment both the undergraduate and graduate students built the biodegradable drifters from bamboo and canvas. The graduate students devised the experiment to deploy in the historic floodwaters flowing out of the Edisto River, South Carolina, and into the coastal ocean.
“This real-life experience in experimental development, instrumental design and construction is key for our students to gain while at SSU so they can apply this knowledge out in the workforce or graduate school after graduation,” says Christopher Hintz, Ph.D., associate professor in marine and environmental sciences.
The positions are captured by GPS and the data is sent by satellite to ground based data storage approximately every 6 hours. The drifters are designed to stay afloat for several months. Rachael Randall, a graduate student in the marines sciences program, says, “One of the coolest things about this project was resurrecting skills we thought we would never use working in marine science, like sewing, and actually making an instrument that is reliable enough to support a really expensive satellite transmitter.”
The class took the drifters out in the early morning hours and had calm seas. “The deployment of the drifters was an exciting experience,” says student Nick Castellane. “A good amount of effort went into making these, and knowing the information received will contribute to the scientific community the world over is beyond gratifying.”
Though the drifters only report their positions, the information can be combined with data from the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS). SSU’s classes are also using salinity and wind data from the Fripp Island NOAA Buoy to correlate the floodwater current movements with other factors in the area. “This is a real-world example of how oceanographers can use the multitude of oceanographic instruments and data available to understand regional to global scale processes,” Hintz adds.
Track the drifters.
Established in 1890, Savannah State University is the oldest public historically black college or university in Georgia and the oldest institution of higher learning in the city of Savannah. The university’s 4,900 students select majors from 27 undergraduate and five graduate programs in three colleges — Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Business Administration and Sciences and Technology — and the School of Teacher Education.
Media Inquiries: email Loretta Heyward at heywardl@savannahstate.edu or call her at: (912) 358-3049.
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