The National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP) provides an opportunity to compare site-based monitoring data from a wide range of estuaries across the nation to discover patterns and trends in ecosystem dynamics. Despite decades of SWMP data being amassed – and the Reserve System’s interest in investigating long-term changes in estuarine systems – limited personnel capacity has often prevented these datasets from being fully utilized. To address this need, a catalyst project developed a graduate level class at University of Wisconsin-Madison for Spring 2024 with dual learning objectives: a technical objective to learn ecological big data skills and a collaborative objective to learn how to conduct user-driven collaborative science. In this webinar, the project team will share their journey of developing and implementing the class, highlight student findings, and demonstrate analyses that they used to address science and management questions. They will also discuss lessons learned along the way and future opportunities for this teaching model to be used by the NERRS and partners.
Speakers:
 | Kait Reinl, Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve Dr. Kaitlin (Kait) Reinl is the Research Coordinator for the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension. Kait served as the project lead, working with the project team to develop the graduate level course and teaching materials. Kait also co-taught the class alongside Paul Hanson (Technical Lead). |
 | Paul Hanson, University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Limnology Paul Hanson is a UW scientist who studies lakes, with an emphasis on modeling water quality in systems around the world. Paul served as the technical lead, working with the project team to develop the analytical aspects of the course. Paul co-taught the class alongside Kait Reinl. |
 | Sylvia Yang, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Dr. Sylvia Yang is the Research Coordinator for the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve at the Washington State Department of Ecology. Sylvia assisted the project team as the collaborative lead and helped to adapt the NSC’s Guide to Collaborative Science for the graduate students to use during the course. |