The phrase 鈥渙ne man鈥檚 trash is another man鈥檚 treasure鈥� is being put to the test by students in 91成人AV, and scientists are reaping the benefits.
91成人AV Professor Jeremy Stalker created an inexpensive and effective method for studying ocean currents and he鈥檚 using it to engage students in a virtual learning environment. Using everyday household items and recycled materials, students work in teams to build GPS-tracked buoys, or 鈥渄rifters,鈥� in hopes of discovering new information about the ocean.
鈥淲e got the idea on a study abroad course in the Bahamas,鈥� says Professor Stalker who teaches in the Marine Science Research Institute and researches ocean currents. Stalker found inspiration in trash and discarded material that had washed up on a sandy beach. 鈥淭here were so many reusable pieces. We decided to engineer drifters out of the parts we found on the beach.鈥�
Stalker, in partnership with , launched the project in 2013 with students at JU. This summer, as part of the MSRI鈥檚 Virtual Summer Camp for high school students, Stalker decided to challenge students to build their own drifters with material they have at home. It turned out to be one of the most popular sessions of the virtual camp.
The process of making these drifter buoys is challenging but fun for students, who must tap into their creativity and resourcefulness. First, they study designs of some of the more high-tech drifters used by ocean researchers. Then, they begin designing their own, carefully considering the best materials to achieve optimal buoyancy, strength, and durability. Their homemade buoys must keep the GPS tracking unit 3 feet above water to ensure it will maintain a strong satellite connection.
Before loading their drifters onto a Crowley ship to be launched in the open ocean, the students test their drifters to see if further adjustments are needed. Of course, with every experiment there are successes and failures.
鈥淲e had a number of drifters beach on the coast,鈥� said Stalker. 鈥淭he wind can push them into the surf zone and then they are doomed. Successes? We have had a couple of drifters afloat for months that give us some really cool visual tracks of the dynamics of the gulf stream.鈥�
Those that do succeed can travel thousands of miles, reporting back important scientific information that helps scientists like Stalker understand how ocean currents may be changing in response to a warmer climate. One drifter built by students this summer traveled about 1,800 miles, which is about the same as driving from 91成人AV to New York and back.
鈥淭he drifters are used to calculate the velocity of these currents,鈥� according to Stalker. 鈥淲e have been seeing a slowdown in current velocity the last 30 years, our drifters move slower and our poles must be warm. That warming, and our drifter鈥檚 decreased velocity is a direct effect of global warming.鈥�
The ocean drifter project was featured on an episode of 91成人AV鈥檚
Making these drifters is more than just a fun project for the students. It offers them an opportunity to use their critical thinking skills and practice working in teams, and it expands their perspectives.
鈥淚 want them to feel an attachment and connection to the big physical motions in the world and ocean,鈥� says Stalker. 鈥淭hese drifters become extensions of their imagination and science that can reach thousands of miles out into the ocean and make it real.鈥�
