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WEAVING OCEAN OBSERVING DATA INTO UNDERGRADUATE MARINE SCIENCE EDUCATION
Ocean observing systems such as the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) enable the long-term monitoring necessary to tackle big environmental challenges. Learners entering the observational oceanography field must move from the novice level of recognizing trends and patterns in small and simple data sets toward the expert level of making meaning from messy real-world data at some point in their educational career. This challenging development requires scaffolding and multiple chances to practice with increasingly complex data examples. I will discuss course sequences in an undergraduate marine science program that provides opportunities for students to ocean oceanographic data fluency. The sequence begins with observatory data curated to demonstrate ocean phenomena, provided by the OOI Data Labs project, and builds up to hypothesis-driven independent research. This progression will be illustrated with case studies of instructor professional development and student pathways through the curriculum and beyond.