Ocean Studies Seminar: Sally Ford

A Career Path in Ocean Mapping: At Sea and Onshore - Through this presentation, Sally will share the experiences she had working on board the following research vessels: the R/V Falkor as a Student Opportunity Participant, the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer as an Explorer-in-Training, and the E/V Nautilus as an ocean mapper. This presentation will also provide an overview of her current graduate thesis research on Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) under sail. With approximately 71 percent of the earth covered by water, it is vital to increase knowledge of seafloor depth measurements, also known as bathymetry, and increase understanding of how the features of the seabed play a significant role in shaping ocean systems. Sailing USVs, with their ability to map at sea uncrewed, is a unique solution for more effective seafloor mapping as they are not limited by the constraints of crewed vessels. To best utilize sailing USVs for ocean mapping missions, it is important to understand their behavior at sea. Through the thesis objective of observing and analyzing how sailing USVs respond to varying environmental conditions, their endurance, speed, and mapping data acquisition performance can be maximized to their full potential. Finally, she will discuss her current ocean mapping career and opportunities for internships and work in the ocean mapping field.