Introduction

News

  • cruise report: Belgica 06/12 HERMES Belgica GEO "La Chapelle Bank"
  • press release: R/V Belgica's HERMES-Geo cruise unveils to classrooms a spectacular hotspot ecosystem: the Celtic Margin's oyster cliffs

    • Class@oceans has the aim to bring marine sciences straight forward into the classrooms or to bring the marine world to the youth. It gives students the opportunity to discover the oceans together with scientists. In a first step two classes (one Belgian and one German class) were brought into contact with each other by means of this website. The two classes are presenting themselves shortly on the website.

    The second step is that the classes are introduced in the concept of a scientific campaign with a research vessel (R/V Belgica) and the scientific background (topic of cold-water corals, ROV).

    The third step is that the classes are introduced to some scientists and people on board.

    The fourth step is that the pupils prepare a question towards one of these scientists on board.

    		 Prof. Dr J.-P. Henriet
    The ROV at night The fifth step (in cooperation with MUMM = Management Unit of the North Sea Mathematical Models) is then a real-time satellite connection between the vessel and the class-room (via Skype and MSN Messenger software).
    A daily report from the cruise is available. The classes also had the possibility to follow the cruise in real-time and to ask questions by email. Underwater images and movies are added to the media gallery on a regular basis.

    Class@oceans fits into the educational strategies of the European projects EURODOM (European Deep Ocean Margins) and HERMES (Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of European Seas).

    		 Scientist Anneleen Foubert talking to one of the students