We propose a 5-day spring school on “Coastal Ocean Observatory Science” consisting of lectures, fieldwork on board a coastal research vessel, laboratory experiments using various sample analysis techniques, and data analysis and visualization. Lectures, demonstrations and exercises will cover a range of sensors and sampling equipment used to measure physical, biological, chemical, and biogeochemical properties of the coastal ocean (the Kagoshima Bay). Data sets will include CTD measurements, active acoustics (echosounder and ADCP) and biogeochemical sensors (e.g., chlorophyll fluorescence, dissolved oxygen and pH), and biological measurements from samples. Topics to be covered will include ocean monitoring, remote sensing, fishery stock, coastal oceanography, and fisheries oceanography.

The goal of the spring school is to provide students with an understanding of contemporary techniques used in observatory science to assess physical, biological, chemical, and biogeochemical processes in the coastal ocean. To this end, the curriculum we propose includes detailed lectures from local experts, laboratory demonstrations of sample analysis, exercises intended to provide students with tools to treat the derived data sets, and data visualizations.