Reef Missions: Engaging students in science and the marine environment using an autonomous underwater vehicle

Inquiry-driven and place-based education can be a powerful way to improve science literacy in students, simultaneously changing their perceptions about the environments in which they live, their individual roles in conservation, and by extension, their views of higher education and possible careers in science. However, authentic scientific inquiry opportunities that are outdoors and/or associated with the marine environment have limitations related to risk liability, funding availability, complicated logistics to get students to study sites, and time away from other classes for all-day field trips. Emerging technologies utilizing the internet and the concept of ‘telepresence’ can provide a means to overcome many of these obstacles by ‘bringing the place to the classroom’. In a pilot program executed by the Hawai'i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) at the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa and in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant's Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Laboratory, we demonstrate the application of using cutting edge ocean engineering technology, in the form of a mini autonomous submarine vehicle, to expose students to ‘outdoor’ marine science experiences they otherwise might be unlikely to get. The AUV is controlled interactively through the internet, transmitting data and images in real time directly to students in the classroom. HIMB scientists developed marine science lessons that harness the capabilities of the AUV, emphasizing the process of scientific inquiry and investigation. The lessons were also designed to relate science topics to broader environmental issues affecting Hawai'i's ecosystems. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of the pilot project and present preliminary student evaluation results that provide evidence for the potential of this approach in science education in Hawai'i and beyond.