Studying the ocean from the desert

ASU’s School of Ocean Futures is working to expand ocean research and education from a landlocked state. Established in 2022 within the College of Global Futures, the school connects ASU’s campuses with research nodes in Bermuda and Hawai’i.

“We created the School of Ocean Futures after the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences joined ASU, and that was back in 2021,” Susanne Neuer, founding director and professor at the School of Ocean Futures, said.

Neuer said the institute’s growing group of ocean researchers outgrew their previous school and required a new academic home. She added that the school was founded to address the changing state of the world’s oceans. 

“We needed a School of Ocean Futures, a school that dedicated itself to the ocean — not just today’s ocean, but the future states of the ocean and how the world communities would live with an ocean that obviously is changing, like our entire planet is changing,” Neuer said.

The program’s curriculum combines ocean science with sustainability and community-focused learning. Neuer said the school would not “imitate” other schools; it would address environmental and community challenges related to the ocean by developing a curriculum centered on faculty expertise.

The school offers a Bachelor’s of Science in Ocean Futures, along with a concentration option for coastal and marine science, as well as graduate and online programs.  Neuer said that the school continues to develop new programs to expand opportunities for students, including minors in marine biology and marine and coastal futures, and a four-plus-one accelerated master’s degree.

The goal, she said, is to prepare students to address issues such as sea level rise, coral bleaching and biodiversity loss through interdisciplinary approaches.

Stephanie Pfirman, deputy director and professor in the School of Ocean Futures, said the degrees are designed to encourage practical application.

“We’ve designed the degrees specifically to include stewardship courses (and) courses on partnerships,” she said. “There’s no way we can reach scale if we don’t have partnerships.”

Although ASU is far from the coast, the program incorporates field opportunities abroad. The two research nodes in Bermuda and Hawai’i provide undergraduate students with options for field study, and Pfirman said the program is “building out” more opportunities.  

Aaron Burnett, an academic success adviser in the Rob Walton College of Global Futures, said the new programs have drawn a range of students, and he enjoys hearing their perspectives on joining the program. 

“There are a lot of students (who) haven’t been to an ocean before, but in today’s digital environment, they are able to experience a lot of the different really cool things about the ocean,” he said. “That has really piqued their interest in this program.”

Burnett added that the coursework builds practical skills for future employment. He said students develop strong foundations in math and science, data analysis and problem solving, which are useful for future careers.

The school also offers an online version of the degree with the same requirements as the in-person program. Pfirman said the digital option expands access for students who live inland or cannot relocate but still want to study the ocean.

“When we were researching our program, we found out that there are hardly any online undergraduate degrees focused on the oceans,” she said.

For students unable to travel, the program integrates immersive technology, including Dreamscape Learn. Using the program, simulations place students in realistic environments, like an Arctic ice field, a coral reef in Hawai’i and a deep-sea setting, where learners can explore research themes like reef restoration and critical minerals. 

Looking ahead, Neuer said she hopes to see continued expansion in research and education. She said the school aims to double their number of professors, thereby expanding both the range of subjects offered and the number of students they can teach. 

“We can teach more students (and) we can offer the students more opportunities. We really want to get big,” Neuer said. 

Edited by Kate Gore, Senna James and Pippa Fung.

Reach the reporter at ngmohta@asu.edu.

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