Sino Australian Research Consortium for Coastal Management

2024 Oceanography Field School at Batemans Bay

April 28, 2024, Yanni Wang, Ling Meng

The SSCI Oceanography 2&3 Field School, an annual initiative designed to equip our graduating classes with essential practical skills, successfully held its latest session from April 16th to April 19th, 2024. This year's four-day educational excursion took place in the picturesque surroundings of Batemans Bay, providing our students with a hands-on learning experience crucial to their future careers in Oceanography.

Throughout the duration of the field school, both students and staff engaged in comprehensive oceanographic investigations, focusing on the dynamics of Batemans Bay's marine environment. Activities included advanced project planning and the execution of various field measurements such as wave patterns, tidal flows, ocean currents, and the collection of temperature, salinity, and density data at multiple strategic points within the Bay.

Employing state-of-the-art equipment, our students utilized tools like the Nephelometer and RBRvirtuoso3D wave gauge and for tidal and wave data, respectively, the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) for detailed water column current profiles, and the Valeport instruments for precise water level and flow data. Additionally, the deployment of the Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) sensors at various stations provided invaluable data for our analyses.

We deployed a series of smart buoys equipped with GPS to track wave-driven currents and nearshore circulatory patterns, enhancing our understanding of the Bay’s dynamic marine processes. A significant achievement of this year's field school was the successful deployment and retrieval of all phone drogues.

The students were organized into three groups, each responsible for a different aspect of the research. This division allowed for a thorough investigation of local phenomena such as river plumes, offshore and alongshore flows, and events of upwelling and downwelling. Each evening, the groups presented their findings, discussing the implications of their data and offering insights into the complex interactions within marine ecosystems. These presentations were crucial for synthesizing field data with theoretical knowledge gained in the classroom. On the final day of the field school, students demonstrated exceptional dedication and academic rigor by compiling and submitting high-quality reports for each of the three tasks assigned during the week.

The success of the 2024 field school could not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors and local partners. We extend our deepest gratitude to the Defence and SSCI for their ongoing financial support, which covers critical expenses such as accommodation, catering, transportation, and boating. Special thanks also go to Shamaram Eichmann from Batemans Marine Park for her invaluable assistance with the boat operations, Bashir Ahmad for his expertise in handling the equipment and moorings, and Sandra Harrison for her impeccable organization of logistics.

We are proud to declare the 2024 Oceanography Field School a resounding success, and we look forward to continuing this tradition of experiential learning that significantly contributes to the professional development of our students.