Ocean Science Analytics offers flexible online courses to support workforce skills development for processing large acoustic data sets and analysis of oceanographic data.
Globally, environmental monitoring is increasing at a rapid pace to protect ecosystem health from climate change and other economic changes. Biologists and environmental scientists are increasingly required to have modern data analysis skills. For example, the workforce for offshore wind includes trained biologists who will support the development stage of installation of wind turbines by providing environmental monitoring. Although there is a lot of job growth, reports also note that the sector has a shortage in terms of training professionals for work outside of graduate and undergraduate programs. Ocean observing networks, remote sensing instruments and other data sources can generate terabytes worth of data which must be converted into useful data products for resource management and conservation.
Ocean Science Analytics (OSA), has launched two technical courses online to address this problem.
Analyse of Large Datasets: The passive acoustic monitor (PAM), is an instrument that supports biological monitoring in marine and terrestrial environments. The ability to collect large amounts of data is possible due to lower costs of data storage and equipment. It takes a systematic and efficient analytical approach to extract meaningful information from large data sets. The course introduces a workflow to help acousticians process data with PAMGuard, acoustic programs based on R programming language and PAMGuard.
R is for Ocean Science Data Analysis The collection of oceanographic data is crucial for understanding the environment. It can be used to assess climate change’s effects and to establish marine protected zones. R is an open-source programming language that’s free and can be used to perform a variety of tasks related to ocean science, such as data manipulation, visualization, analysis, and data management. Participants will be provided with context-specific information about R and oceanographic data through this course. This course is for beginners who are interested in acquiring intermediate skills in ocean data analysis.
Liz Ferguson, OSA’s CEO and Founder, noted that although ocean data collection has been increasing rapidly, it is still limited in its utility because there is a shortage of trained analysts. We are now in the Ocean Decade of Science for Sustainable Development. This means that we must find a way to provide those skills for the current workforce. That is what these courses do.
The OSA Technical Training Page has details about each course, as well as a listing of topics and how to register. The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science & Technology has accredited both courses. They are available online in a flexible format. The courses include instructional videos and guided hands-on exercises. The OSA website provides access to the content and participants receive feedback and support for their activities within 30 days after registration. There are limited seats for each training session, but sessions take place throughout the year.
Ocean Science Analytics
Ocean Science Analytics is an online training and research company that specializes in ocean science. Its headquarters are located in San Diego, CA. OSA uses technology-based analysis methods and software tools for monitoring and assessing coastal and oceanic ecosystems. They also provide training that is technology-centered to a wide audience.
