Already two weeks into their summer research projects, Rhode Island EPSCoR Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURFs) took a break from their lab and fieldwork Friday to gain a better perspective of what the scientist life may hold for them.

With the R/V Endeavor currently docked at the University of Rhode Island Narragansett Bay Campus, Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) Professor and Associate Dean David Smith led the students on a tour of the 185-foot ship. The SURFs also got a close-up look at the Marine Science Research Facility (MSRF) and the type of experiments made possible by the RI EPSCoR core facilities.

“The SURF program is designed to provide undergraduates not just with a hands-on research experience, but also with opportunities to learn about other elements of being a scientist,” explained Jim Lemire, RI EPSCoR coordinator of undergraduate research.

Few, if any, of the SURF students have had experience on a large oceanographic research vessel like the Endeavor, Lemire said, and the logistics of working on a ship and being at sea are experiences that cannot be learned in the classroom. Visiting the Endeavor and having Smith, who is experienced with performing research on such a vessel, provide the tour, gave the students a glimpse into how life at sea works, he added.

Endeavor is owned by the National Science Foundation and operated by the GSO. The ship, homeported in Narragansett and at the Bay Campus, was built in 1975 and refitted in 1993. Through 2014, according to the ship’s website, the Endeavor has carried out more than 530 cruises and steamed over one million nautical miles in support of science, carrying thousands of scientists, engineers, technicians, and students on these expeditions.

Lemire said the tour had two main purposes — inspiration and education: “Hopefully, the tour has inspired some of them to consider taking their work to the next level such that they will find themselves aboard a research vessel.”

Similarly, the tour of the GSO and Marine Science Research Facility (MSRF) aimed to demonstrate the breadth and depth of research equipment in Rhode Island. Students typically only get exposed to what is housed at their own institution.

By showcasing equipment and facilities, Lemire said, the tour gave students an idea of what is available and how it can be used to answer scientific questions. The experience also lets students know what is available to them through the Rhode Island EPSCoR community, which can lead to new and novel ventures.

Lemire said, “Knowing what is capable of being analyzed often leads research in a different or improved direction than previously planned.”

Story and photos by Amy Dunkle