Standard Presentation (12 minutes) Australian Marine Sciences Association 2025 Conference

CAPSTAN sea training program: partnering to transform marine science education (119700)

Ben Arthur 1 , Pier van der Merwe 2 , Ron Hackney 3 , Kelly-Anne Lawler 3 , Loiuse Creely 2 , Janelle Kennard 3
  1. CSIRO Marine National Facility, Hobart, TAS, Australia
  2. Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart
  3. Australian and New Zealand International Scientific Drilling Consortium, Canberra

CAPSTAN is a first-of-its-kind training initiative that is transforming how marine science education is delivered. Supported by a network of Australian university and industry partners, CAPSTAN is a multi-disciplinary training program delivered on board CSIRO research vessel (RV) Investigator. It provides a national approach to applied teaching and learning excellence in marine science and associated STEM disciplines. Offering learning and development opportunities for tertiary students, trainers, early-career researchers, and Chief Scientists, CAPSTAN aims to deliver the next generation of marine experts for Australia.

Piloted between 2017-2020, CAPSTAN was officially launched in late 2024. Here, we highlight outcomes of the program’s first voyage in March 2025, as well as announce details of the 2026 voyage. We also discuss the program partnerships, objectives and opportunities.