Completed our first field training class for final year marine biology students from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. BlueROV gathered survey video of a local marine canal system with students tasked to annotate video and report on biofouling species. Nobody was prepared for the two juvenile hammerhead sharks swimming around or the surprising diversity of sponges, soft-corals, ascidians and loads of anemones. Super cool to see students getting into marine imaging and being totally surprised at what is right under our noses
The 360Ping provided an additional hands-on look at scanning sonar in operation. I’m convinced of the value of this kind of teaching and hope to do much more towards increasing capacity for offshore research in South Africa.
Always cool to see our equipment being used in interesting new places, and super exciting to see marine exploration being shared with and enabled for a group of interested students. Hope they were inspired!
Feel free to share more info about the project and results if you want to, or to reach out for support or with suggestions for how we could better enable this kind of thing.
Look forward to seeing you (and your students!) around
Great job @UKZNMarine. If any of your students would like more info, they are welcome to contact me. You are also welcome to borrow the kit again at any point to work with the students.
