THE Australian National Maritime Museum welcomed eight students from Newman Senior Technical College to see first-hand where the prototype underwater biosphere they built was on display as part of the museum's full program of National Science Week activities.
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Commissioned by underwater adventurer Lloyd Godson, the biosphere was a key feature at the museum all week as part of its Meet an Underwater Sea Survivor activity.
Visitors could talk to Lloyd Godson about what it's like surviving in remote and extreme conditions such as underwater in the biosphere. He is expected to spend several weeks living underwater in the finished biosphere at the museum in 2016. Hundreds of visitors engaged with the installation hearing about its construction and what it's like to live on board. The students shared their experiences in building the biosphere with students from Sydney schools and talked to their own school assembly through Google hangouts from the biosphere.
As part of their visit the students also joined in an evening of pop-up discussions with a selection of scientists, explorers, researchers and advocates who are actively making a difference to our marine environments through science, conservation and education.
They took part in an underwater Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) obstacle course designed by the Young Scientists of Australia, using their own custom-built ROV to look at the wildlife in the National Maritime Museum's Darling Harbour basin.
The Australian National Maritime Museum's National Science Week focused on the science of underwater exploration with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Kevin Sumption, museum director said,
"We were delighted to support science in education by welcoming the students from Newman Senior Technical College to take part in our Science Week program. Their prototype underwater biosphere was very impressive and was a high point of our activities."
