video

Women in Oceanography

Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science

If you think only men can helm research vessels to get their hands dirty and study ocean currents, you're wrong. This short film follows the mostly-female scientists of the R/V Knorr research ship on an expedition to the Agulhas Current in the Indian Ocean. The Agulhas Current is the Indian Ocean's version of the Gulf Stream: originating in the tropics, both currents sprint along the coast transporting warm, salty water toward the poles. The scientific party aboard the ship includes female researchers from the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science and the University of Cape Town, along with an all-female shipboard technician group from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. "Go get your hands dirty, learn how to do things, learn everything anybody's willing to teach you about how to get things done," says Third Mate Jennifer Hickey in the film. After all, as head scientist Lisa Beal asks, “Why should men have all the fun?" More information about the project, which included three cruises off South Africa, can be found in the expedition's journals.