The General Oceans Foundation supported the first RS Aqua Education Day, held at Andark Lake in Southampton during September 2026. The event brought together over 20 students from the University of Southampton and the University of Portsmouth for a day of practical learning and exploration of specialist ocean technology.
Organised and delivered by RS Aqua, the day began with introductory presentations before students rotated through five practical workshops exploring a range of technologies used in marine research. Participants gained hands-on experience with acoustic tracking and equipment recovery, passive acoustic monitoring, environmental monitoring equipment, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), and autonomous underwater technology.
Throughout the workshops, students worked alongside the RS Aqua team, operating specialist equipment, asking questions, and learning about the processes involved in collecting marine data.
Another described leaving the event "even more excited about pursuing a career in marine science".
The learning opportunities continued beyond the day itself, with participants invited to analyse data collected during the workshops and produce short reports or visual summaries. These submissions will also form part of the selection process for RS Aqua's Deep End Programme, through which one student will be offered the opportunity to gain further hands-on work experience alongside the RS Aqua team. This will allow them to build on what they learned during the event and gain a deeper understanding of careers in marine science and technology.