The Ocean Institute (OI) Chlorophyll and Temperature Time Series Project is a special collaboration between the California Current Ecosystem Long-Term Ecological Research program (CCE LTER) and the Ocean Institute. This project combines science education with real-world research, giving students the chance to take part in ongoing studies of the ocean environment.
Students and trained staff from OI participate in active scientific field research trips aboard one of OI’s sampling platforms, the Sea Explorer, a 70-foot floating laboratory. Outfitted with five distinct teaching areas, the Explorer is fully equipped with video microscopes, touch tanks, viewing aquariums, and state-of-the-art electronics. During these trips, students help monitor ocean temperature and measure chlorophyll—a pigment found in tiny ocean organisms called phytoplankton. These measurements help scientists understand how much life is in the water and how it changes over time.
- Field data time series: Plots of chlorophyll concentrations and temperature time series, sampled from 10 meters depth in coastal waters (Dana Point, C.A.) from 2006 to current.
- OI dataset of Chl-a and temperature in Datazoo.
- Learn more at the Ocean Institute website