What lurks in the depths of our oceans?
Professor Rachel Mills, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences at University of Southampton and a contributing educator, talks about the incredible research covered in this free online course, its interactive nature and how it is accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world.
Our MOOC, ‘Exploring our Oceans’ invites learners to join us in investigating the deepest parts of our oceans, exploring an underwater world that has been unknown for most of human existence. Learners will see how the ocean depths are no longer out of reach and how every single one of us can connect them to our everyday lives. Together we’ll look at the animals that swim in these dark waters, the creatures that live on the seabed and the makeup of the underwater environment they live in.
The course content will be supported by videos that will feature reports and specimens from the Challenger and Discovery collections and we will look at a historical timeline of our oceans from the first point where we as humans started exploring it. There will also be some fun, yet simple experiments that learners can try at home.
Other elements of the course will cover some of the more obvious, but often asked, questions about ocean chemistry such as ‘why is the sea salty?’ We will also feature the world-leading technology and equipment used in deep-sea expeditions including footage from on board our research ships and ROVs (remotely operated vehicles).
We also want the learners to get really involved, so we have created discussion points to get them thinking about the community’s impact on the oceans. We will invite everyone to join the debate, talk to other participants and involve friends and family, and get their message out there. The course will have many interactive features and we want people to get involved from anywhere in the world.
Whether you are a student wanting a taster of our oceanography degrees or are a lifelong learner with a passion for our oceans, we’ll introduce this exciting science to you in an accessible way. We look forward to you joining us online for six-weeks of deep ocean interactive exploration.
