adopt a float : a bit of history
With the emergence of the Argo scientific program, an educational activity started in Pacific islands under the umbrella of SEREAD (Scientific Educational Resources and Experience Associated with the Deployment of Argo profiling floats in the South Pacific Ocean). This was the first (and still on-going) initiative that began to take advantage on data acquired by floats as a way to develop ocean literacy in a context of climate change.
Nearly at the same period, Carole Brieseman, a teacher from New Zealand, developed the first educational website dedicated to the understanding of many aspects of Argo float from the principle of displacement, to measurement and related science. This site was proposing hand-on experiments and video support.
The adopt a float program was founded in 2011 in France at Villefranche-sur-Mer’s marine station deeply involved in the development of Argo profiling floats with biogeochemical sensors. The program aims at connecting ocean scientists with the educational world, using the scientific journey of an adopted BGC-Argo float to speak of the ocean and increase Ocean Literacy. Since then, classes from all over the world (Metropolitan France, French Polynesia, New Caledonia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates…) have participated in the project!
Today, the adopt a float team continues its efforts bringing together the school public from all around the world under the missions of “United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030)“.