Dalton News

Taking a Deep Dive into Dalton’s New Oceanography Class

Studying the ocean provides inspiration to train, energize, and challenge the next generation of scientists and engineers in a connected global world. In Dalton’s new Science class, Oceanography, HS students dive into a hands-on discovery of the mechanisms that explain why the oceans look the way they do; how they might be changing; and the role these mechanisms play in the ecological systems of the ocean, in the past, and in our future climate.
“This class is aimed at enriching a rigorous exploration of ocean dynamics with collaborative laboratories in the student’s own kitchen by using seawater and equipment we’ve shipped to them,” explains HS Physics Teacher and new faculty member Dr. David Lindo.
 
“Students are developing multiple skills: management of large datasets, recording the motion of turbulent fluids at different scales, complex spatial integration of gappy data, comparison of lab experiments with in situ observations, rigorous analysis, and communication of results. This is the sweet spot of the trimester when I see how students make concepts come alive, making complex connections between oceanic motions and the fate of marine organisms, linking sea-air exchanges and the modulation of Earth’s climate—and that is all ravishing.”
 
In their most recent lab, students simulated deepwater formations in the Ross Sea (Antarctica) and discovered that low salinity water and incoming tropical waters enhance the melting sea ice and turn on global thermohaline circulation.
 
“I love conveying to students my own research and passion about the ocean, and the importance of the ocean in our climate and daily lives,” said Dr. Lindo.
 
Through this digitalDalton class, students also have the opportunity to meet with industry professionals, such as Marine Biologist Dr. Dominique Lazzare, an associate research scientist at the Fish and Wildlife Institute and adjunct professor at the University of South Florida. In her virtual visit, Dr. Lazarre discussed her remarkable academic journey and career path as a BIPOC female scientist at USF, where she works at the intersection of stakeholder engagement and sustainable fisheries management. Intern students doing research with Dr. Lindo at the American Museum of Natural History joined the conversation, creating a greater community of ocean students, scientists, and educators.
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