From October 3 to October 7, 2022, the Sixth All-Russian School of Young Oceanologists “Methods and Tools for Studying the Coastal Marine Zone” was held in the Marine Hydrophysical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The School of Young Oceanologists has been physically based in the Marine Hydrophysical Institute since 2017. Every year, in Sevastopol, this unique educational project gathers the best young specialists aimed at active participation in fundamental scientific research. This year, 25 students who passed the competitive selection became the participants of the School.

The School program traditionally included lectures by leading Russian scientists and specialists in the field of hydrooptics, hydrology, ecotoxicology, remote sensing, operational oceanography and other related disciplines. The main theme of the project was the study of the coastal marine zone. The format of practical studies stepped over the lecture halls of the institute. Thus, a comprehensive coastal expedition to Kruglaya Bay was organized for the participants. Onboard a rented small size vessel, novice researchers were taught to carry out hydrophysical and hydrooptical measurements, take and record sea water samples for subsequent hydrochemical analysis in the laboratories of the MHI Marine Biogeochemistry Department. On the sidelines of this event, guided by the specialists studying sea coasts, students learned to monitor the beach – to measure its profile, composition, depth, and determine sand reserves. A visual survey of Omega Beach was carried out with its photo fixation, measurements of its width, and geomorphological description. The School participants were introduced to the operation of a special device – a georadar, which, using electromagnetic pulses, provides researchers with the data on the depth of different layers of the sea coast and determines the thickness of the sand layer.

At the end of the week of studies, the School participants presented the results of their research to the project leaders in the form of short scientific reports. The speakers were divided into the following groups in advance – group on the study of fluorescence in sea water and spectrophotometric method for analyzing sea water samples, group on hydrochemical studies of sea water, and group on the study of sea coasts. Each performance was accompanied by a bright presentation and a detailed activity report.

In the feedback forms, the students noted high organizational level of the project, interesting presentation of the material, value of the knowledge gained, and expressed their desire to further participate in the School.

During the School days, excursions to the bays of Sevastopol and to the Konstantinovskaya Battery Museum and Exhibition Complex were organized for the participants.

The Sixth All-Russian School of Young Oceanologists “Methods and Tools for Studying the Coastal Marine Zone” was supported by a grant from the Russian Geographical Society.