Australian Students and Trainers Set Sail on 10-Day Marine Science Voyage

Thirty students and trainers from universities across Australia will embark on a 10-day voyage around Tasmania aboard CSIRO’s research vessel Investigator. This journey is part of the CAPSTAN program, which stands for Collaborative Australian Postgraduate Sea-Training Alliance Network. It is a collaborative initiative involving CSIRO, marine science industries, universities, and government to enhance marine science education and broader STEM disciplines.

Dr. Pier van der Merwe, CAPSTAN Director at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, emphasized the program’s significance for developing future marine experts. He noted that hands-on learning at sea allows students to connect theory with real-world experiences, such as observing environmental changes and their implications firsthand.

Participants will engage in various marine science activities, including atmospheric and oceanographic studies, seafloor mapping, sediment sampling, and even a search for a historic shipwreck off Tasmania’s northwest coast. The cohort includes a diverse range of students specializing in disciplines from biological and chemical oceanography to geoscience and engineering, with women comprising two-thirds of the participants. This voyage marks the first official excursion of the CAPSTAN program following a successful pilot phase.

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