The ocean is the last great frontier on Earth, a major driver of climate and productivity, and a critical resource for humans and wildlife. Managing ocean resources requires scientists and managers to work seamlessly to understand the top-down effects of human actions and the bottom-up effects of climate-change on the ocean system. The National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) project at Oregon State University (OSU) prepares a new generation of natural resource scientists and managers who combine mathematics, statistics, and computer science with environmental and social sciences to study, protect, and manage ocean systems. Trainees learn to work in transdisciplinary research groups on significant societal problems using large and ever-expanding data resources. With powerful analytical tools, they will be best equipped to track and study the top-down effects of human actions and the bottom-up effects of climate change on the ocean system.
