Ship-to-shore training for active deep-sea capacity development

Abstract

Sailing on scientific expeditions as an early career researcher (ECR) offers the beneficial opportunity to gain field experience and training. However, the number of available berths to achieve the scientific goals of an expedition limits the number of onboard participants. Telepresence and remote learning can be utilized to increase the number of active participants, broadening the reach of capacity development. The 2021 iMirabilis2 expedition on board the Spanish Research Vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa used telepresence to virtually involve ECRs from several countries in deep-sea science. One year post-expedition, a survey of onshore participants was conducted to assess and quantify the effectiveness of the peer-to-peer ECR ship-to-shore scheme. During the expedition, live, interactive training via WhatsApp and Zoom was utilized by onshore ECRs more than traditional static, unidirectional methods of blog posts and pre-recorded videos. All respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that the scheme provided an inclusive and accessible platform to share deep-sea science. These results suggest similar schemes could be used to supplement shorter-duration at-sea-training, used prior to a seagoing experience to better prepare ECRs, or to allow members of the science community unable to join an expedition in person to actively participate remotely, increasing inclusivity.