Important statistics
38
Students who have put theory into practice on the high seas
19
Trainers who have delivered unparalleled training at sea
21
Partners from university, industry and research sectors who support CAPSTAN
1368
Education days at sea aboard Australia's advanced ocean research vessel Investigator
Take your training to the high seas with CAPSTAN
CAPSTAN offers marine science and STEM students and trainers an unparalleled opportunity to put theory into practice onboard Australia's advanced ocean research vessel, RV Investigator.
The program includes hands-on training in a wide range of advanced equipment and systems onboard RV Investigator, and seeks to help develop Australia's next generation of marine experts.
About CAPSTAN [2mins19sec]
[Music plays as image appears panning over the Investigator ship, and text appears: CAPSTAN, Collaborative Australian Postgraduate Sea Training Alliance Network]
[Image changes to show a medium view of Ben Arthur talking to the camera, and text appears: Dr Ben Arthur, Engagement Programs Coordinator CSIRO]
Ben Arthur: CAPSTAN is a sea training program for postgraduate students from universities around Australia. So it's all about hands on training in marine sciences at sea.
Images move through to show the RV Investigator sailing across the screen from left to right, a view of the bridge from the deck, and the working platform deck]
RV investigator’s a great vessel to work on board. It's a very stable platform.
[Images move through to show workmen, a multi corer being pulled up, a shark biting a baited net, and then colleagues sitting and talking together]
It has quite wide ranging capabilities, which means when we take students on board, we can teach them everything from marine geoscience through to oceanography through to marine biology, even atmospheric science.
[Image changes to show someone talking, and then the image changes to show Ben talking to the camera]
So the vessel really enables us to deliver a whole suite of training. I have been lucky enough to, I think just done my 12th voyage onboard Investigator and they are all wonderful.
[Images move through to show the Investigator sailing, a deep towed camera entering the sea, and then a male watching a bank of computer screens]
They are all unique. They are all different because we are going to different parts of Australia's amazing marine estate, and we are tackling really important and interesting questions too.
[Images move through to show various views of a screen for Deep Toad Camera details, students taking notes, students cleaning items and then Ben talking to the camera]
I think the CAPSTAN program will give students a lot of benefits from being on board the vessel, familiarity with how marine science and operations are done at sea, planning for sometimes quite complex operations, being at sea for the first time for a lot of these students is also something that is going to be quite unique for them as well. So really just getting a handle on working in a dynamic environment and often across different disciplines and tackling different questions.
[Image changes to show Pier van der Merwe talking to the camera, and text appears: Dr Pier van der Merwe, Senior Lecturer in Oceanography IMAS CAPSTAN Director]
Pier van der Merwe: Every CAPSTAN voyage is going to be bespoke. We are going to have different chief scientists and trainers on board, so it's going to be bespoke for the specific skill sets and expertise that those chief scientists have.
[Images move through to show the Investigator sailing, a female researcher with a male in the foreground looking at nudibranchs, and then tweezers picking up a nudibranch]
Early career researchers and mid-career researchers can get involved with CAPSTAN by applying to be a trainer or a Chief Scientist on board.
[Images move through to show colleagues talking over a microscope and computers, hands moving a slide under the microscope to see it on a phone, and then a group of students]
So CAPSTAN is really great in that it's offering opportunities not just for students but also for other researchers that might like to get some experience either with teaching or with leading a large voyage on Australia's premier blue-water research vessel.
[Image changes to show Pier talking to the camera]
So if universities are not already subscribed to the CAPSTAN program or are involved through having being a member of ANZIC, Australia and New Zealand IODP Consortium, they should get in contact with me.
[Image changes to show an aerial view of the Investigator sailing and the camera pans out, and text appears: Video by CSIRO, University of Tasmania, Olly Dove, Music by Cody Kurtz Martin]
My details are on the CSIRO website on the CAPSTAN page, and I will provide them with all of the information that they need to get involved.
[Music plays and image changes to show the CSIRO, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and the ANZIC logos, and text appears: csiro.au/capstan]
Photo gallery
A snapshot of work and life at sea for our CAPSTAN trainers and students.
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CAPSTAN partners
CAPSTAN is a maritime education and training initiative of CSIRO in partnership with the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) and the Australian and New Zealand International Scientific Drilling Consortium (ANZIC).
