Elmira College Professor Helps Shape National Ocean Data Literacy Resources

Dr. Trevor Browning, Elmira College Assistant Professor of Environmental Science, was among a group of professors invited to provide expertise and feedback during a Data Literacy workshop in Cape May, New Jersey. The workshop was led by the Ocean Data Labs project, a community of professors who put together a free-to-use online lab manual used in undergraduate and graduate oceanography courses. The open-source resource is continually being revised and enhanced.

Each chapter of the online lab manual focuses on different oceanographic concepts typically taught in an Introduction to Oceanography textbook. The activities are matched with data literacy skills to help students think like scientists. Chapters use real and complex data from both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, collected by the Ocean Observatories Initiative. The lab manual provides students experience with the types of data they’ll use in their future careers in ocean science or other fields.

“Data is at the forefront of all modern careers, so it is a large focus of many courses at EC,” said Browning. “However, students often struggle with using, understanding, and manipulating large datasets. This workshop was a great opportunity for me to ensure our learning materials will help EC students gain confidence and practical skills in using data. Beyond that, I enjoyed collaborating and building community with professors from other colleges and universities who can share best practices and ideas to further enhance our course offerings at EC.”

The lab manual builds on seven years’ worth of work from the Ocean Data Labs community, which has been fostered by a collaborative NSF grant project headed by Rutgers University, Stockton University, Queen’s College, and Hillsborough Community College, along with an evaluation team from Carleton College.

The original project brought faculty together to explore ways to better leverage datasets from the Ocean Observatories Initiative with their students. The OOI collects data on ocean weather, currents, productivity, and the chemistry of seawater. As the team began to build best practices and recommendations, they saw an opportunity to capture structured resources in an online textbook that gives faculty a powerful tool in their classrooms.

In October 2024, a group began revising the online textbook. In May 2025, Rutgers Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences staff Janice McDonnell and Sage Lichtenwalner led the workshop Browning attended, where the group tested new chapters.

For example, one of the newly designed chapters in the online lab manual focuses on Ocean Acidification, using data collected from the Oregon Coast, where ocean acidification is a common concern for local shellfish growers. Participants connected this West Coast OOI dataset to research being conducted at the Rutgers Aquaculture Innovation Center. Sean Towers, the AIC Hatchery Manager, led the workshop participants on a tour of the facility to see up close how Rutgers researchers are studying oyster seeding, the acidification of local waterways, and how they are improving the local aquaculture industry.

Standing in the middle of the photo, Browning looks on as Rutgers AIC Hatchery Manager Sean Towers shows Data Labs workshop participants the seed oysters they are cultivating.

Browning will leverage the manual in similar ways for EC students.

“One way I plan to use the manual is to incorporate a water density demonstration and lab into my Oceanography course,” explained Browning. “By combining concepts explained in my lecture with hands-on demonstrations and large datasets, I can approach education from multiple angles. This multi-pronged approach is effective as it reaches learners with a variety of styles while exposing them to the processing and manipulation of big data.”

The revisions Browning and the other workshop attendees provided will be incorporated into the lab manual. This work will help engage new generations of students interested in ocean science by giving them real data and real stories to learn from.

Editor’s note: "A version of this story was first published in the Rutgers School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Newsroom."