Pasifika women aboard the 'Floating University' champion data-driven ocean management

Three Pasifika students have gained valuable experience in ocean management during a 26-day voyage aboard New Zealand's research vessel RV Tangaroa. The "Floating University" project, a joint initiative by Earth Sciences New Zealand and the Pacific Community (SPC), aims to equip early-career professionals from Pacific Island nations with the skills and connections needed for data-driven ocean resource management.

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voyages like this challenge students with a mix of practical and classroom-based activities, with scientists, technicians and crew all contributing, supported by expert guests who join via satellite.

Ueakeia Tofinga from Kiribati, Jessica Maoh from Vanuatu, and Florence Townshend from the Solomon Islands joined the RV Tangaroa crew and scientific research team. Their work focused on collecting data crucial for preparing for natural hazards and ensuring informed decision-making for ocean resources. The vessel, New Zealand's only ice-strengthened deep-water research ship, serves as a mobile laboratory for seabed mapping, marine life studies, and climate research.

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the primary purpose of the voyage is going up to maintain the tsunami buoys around the island nations so that Earth Science New Zealand is "able to monitor tsunamis and protect the region, so we have a really good understanding of movements and seismic threats in the region".

Molly Powers-Tora, Pacific strategy and engagement advisor at Earth Science New Zealand, highlighted that such voyages challenge students with a blend of practical and classroom-based activities. The primary mission involved maintaining tsunami buoys around island nations, enabling continuous monitoring of seismic threats. This platform also facilitates critical research, including the monitoring of zooplankton, crabs, and microplastics, building a vital dataset to understand environmental changes potentially linked to climate shifts and altered salinity.

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So we're actually building a data set that will provide some great insights into changes, and possible changes due to changing climate, to changing salinity, because we have that regular data set.