Gulf Stream Oceanography:
The GUSTO Program
College of Charleston

The College of Charleston (CofC) recently launched the Gulf Stream Oceanography Program, known as GUSTO! This program is jointly funded by CofC and a grant from the South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium. GUSTO was developed in partnership with the Sea Education Association (SEA), and utilizes SEA's Sailing School Vessel Corwith Cramer,
a 134' steel-hull Brigantine which is one of two vessels used in the
SEA Semester Program (Woods Hole, MA).

 

NEWS! Searching Seas for Plastic

STUDENT RESEARCH RESULTS

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Here's what the students say

See the VIDEOS of the program overview.
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GUSTO is a research-oriented undergraduate-level program that offers students academic credit in either Geology or Biology. The program is comprised of three components:
- 3-credit 2-week course, "Continental Shelf and Gulf Stream Oceanography" held on the CofC campus;
- 14 days at sea aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer during which students learn to sail the vessel while conducting individual and group oceanographic research projects;
- 1 week post-cruise shore-based component held on the SEA campus in Woods Hole, MA.  During this final week, students complete their analyses and document research results in the forms of oral presentations and research papers. Students earn an additional 4 credits for the course "Oceanographic Research."  In addition to the time devoted to research, students are able to tour several of the oceanographic facilities located in the Woods Hole area, and meet scientists in the community.


GUSTO 2010 was offered as a CofC Summer Study Abroad Program, from May 11 to June 12.  The program was piloted with a cruise track from Charleston, SC to Bermuda, allowing students to compare/contrast continental shelf, Gulf Stream and Sargasso Sea environments.  

16 CofC students (Biology, Geology majors and minors ranging from Freshman to Seniors) were selected from a large pool of applicants. Three CofC faculty members from the Biology and Geology Departments provided course content with lectures and exercises, and supervised student research projects.

cramer
The 134' Brigantine SSV Corwith Cramer,
owned and operated by the
Sea Education Association (Woods Hole, MA)

The College of Charleston is actively seeking the means to establish GUSTO as a recurring program, offered every two years.  Future GUSTO cruises (potentially beginning with GUSTO 2012) will sail from Charleston to Woods Hole, MA, following the edge of the continental shelf along the Gulf Stream’s path.


For more information on the GUSTO Program, contact:
Dr. Gorka Sancho, Department of Biology (sanchog@cofc.edu)
Dr. Leslie Sautter, Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences (sautterl@cofc.edu)
Dr. Scott Harris, Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences (harriss@cofc.edu)
See the Program Partners

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View the HD VIDEOS!


Video footage by L. Sautter, G. Sancho, S. Harris and M. Heagerty.
Movie created by Michael Heagerty.


Video footage by L. Sautter, G. Sancho and S. Harris. Movie created by Stephen Long.

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CofC

Sea Grant... PO... SEA

The Gulf Stream Oceanography (GUSTO) Program
was jointly funded by a grant from the
South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium (#NA10OAR4170073)
and institutional support for ship time from the College of Charleston.

This program was developed as a Partnership with the
Sea Education Association (SEA).

Publication of Project Oceanica.
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