‘Adopt-A-Float’: just in time for Christmas

11/12/2019

Besides conducting research, as scientists we also feel as passionate about the legacy our work produces. From new scientific discoveries and better understanding of the Earth System to informing governments’ policy on the environment, assisting development, encouraging people’s interest in the oceans, and educating & inspiring the next generation of young scientists.

In this spirit, CUSTARD is delighted to partner with the ‘Adopt-A-Float’ Initiative, linked to the US Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) project that is deploying a fleet of ARGO floats in the remote waters around Antarctica. Argo is an international programme, operational since 2000, that uses profiling floats to observe temperature, salinity, currents, and, recently, to provide information on the life and chemistry of the Earth’s oceans. The globally-spanning data they provide has revolutionised climate and oceanographic research.

The Adopt-a-float initiative provides a unique opportunity for elementary and secondary school students to engage directly with scientists around the world by adopting and naming Argo-floats scheduled to be deployed in the Southern Ocean (SO) that they can later track online, and by looking at the data being sent back, to learn more about scientific research, the SO and climate change.

On the current CUSTARD research expedition we are deploying six Argo-floats, all of which have been adopted by schools through the ‘Adopt-a-Float’ initiative. It has been great fun for us to decorate the floats with the students’ imaginative and creative chosen mascots; we hope they approve and enjoy our ‘artistic’ attempts.

CUSTARD wishes to give a big Shout Out and Thanks to all the students of the schools below who have adopted these floats. We wish you great scientific endeavours and hope to one day see you on board our ships as researchers.

	School Name	From	School Year	Float Name	Argo Float #
1	North Monterey County Middle School	Castroville, California	7	BULL PHOENIX	18242
2	James H. Eldredge School	East Greenwich, Rhode Island	4	THE BLOBINATORS	18545
3	Carmel Del Mar School	San Diego, California	6	DRAGON HEART	18771
4	Twin Oaks High School	San Marcos, California	10 – 12	FRINGEHEAD	18721
5	Lincoln Akerman School	Hampton Falls, New Hampshire	7 – 8	LEGACY	18098
6	California State University – Monterey Bay	Seaside, California	College	OTTER POP	18320

You can find out more about the Adopt-a-Float Initiative on the SOCCOM project website, including details for any teachers out there who would like to have their students involved.