Last week, we proudly concluded our pilot course in marine surveying, led by our diving team. Designed to expand the expertise and diving skills of students who have already completed the AAUS scientific diving course, this course offered both theoretical knowledge and practical experience in marine surveys.

Students were trained in the technical operation of marine survey equipment and learned a variety of survey techniques. They also gained hands-on experience in planning and executing full marine surveys.

The course covered emergency preparedness as well, with students learning to address potential issues such as losing survey tools, being separated from a dive partner, performing emergency procedures, making emergency ascents, and even conducting night surveys.

This pilot program was instructed by Dr. Ziv Zemah-Shamir and PhD candidate Hagai Nativ from the Morris Kahn Marine Research Station, under the academic supervision of Prof. Tali Mass. The diving operations were supported by Eran Rosen, the diving officer at the School of Marine Sciences.

Upon completion, students received “Marine Surveyor” certification from the Israeli Diving Federation and will earn one academic credit upon submission of their final projects.

We extend our sincere gratitude to the Israeli Diving Federation and especially to Dr. Boaz Mayzel, Shlomi Palnitsky, Eitan Maharam, and Miri Gaizinger for their continuous support throughout this pilot initiative.

This program equips our students with vital practical tools for marine research, and we can’t wait to see them apply their skills as certified marine surveyors!

Last week, our Marine Geosciences Department had a strong presence at the Annual Conference of the Israel Geological Society, held at the Yearim Hotel.

The conference brought together researchers—both early-career and experienced—from across Israel, mainly geologists, but not exclusively. Faculty and students from the University of Haifa were proud to see both current and former students actively contributing to the conference, presenting their work across a range of marine geology topics—from sediment transport and coastal erosion to salt tectonics and plate dynamics.

Special recognition goes to our students who excelled in the 3-Minute Speed Talk competition. Orly Babitsky won 1st prize and Aleksandra Mironovich earned 4th prize for their outstanding presentations.

The University of Haifa delegation included Prof. Beverly Goodman-Tchernov, Prof. Nicolas Waldmann, Prof. Regina Katzman, Prof. Yizhaq Makovsky, Dr. Jaijel Roy, Dr. Guy Lang, Dr. Hitisha Baroliya, Thomai Anagnostoudi, Amir Bar, Orly Babitsky, Aleksandra Mironovich, Xiongjie Zhou, Xioran Geng, Jarden Aaltonen-Yariv, Dafna Eliyahou, Geffen Tabachnik, and Elana Lottner.

This week, we had the honor of participating in an important scientific event in Berlin, organized and hosted by major German research foundations: the Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft / Helmholtz Association and the Max Planck Society, with support from other German organizations including the Leopoldina Academy, the Leibniz Association, and the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

The symposium was aimed at supporting Israeli-German collaborations and showcased cutting-edge science from German-Israeli partnerships, presenting their work in diverse fields including earth and life sciences, AI, astrophysics, quantum computing, and sustainability.

We were privileged to present our Helmholtz-supported project: “The Eastern Mediterranean Sea Centre – An Early-Warning Model-System for our Future Ocean.” This project was selected to represent Helmholtz’s sustainability initiatives and was the sole project from the University of Haifa.

Proud to represent our collaborative German-Israeli team were Prof. Martha Gledhill (GEOMAR Helmholtz-Zentrum für Ozeanforschung Kiel), Prof. Yizhaq Makovsky, Dr. Or M. Bialik, and Prof. Ilana Berman-Frank from the University of Haifa’s Charney School of Marine Sciences.

This event underscored the strength and potential of international scientific collaboration, highlighting the importance of partnerships that transcend borders and disciplines to generate excellent science, and most importantly, the unwavering support from our German colleagues during these challenging times.

On July 31, at 04:00, thirteen brave students from our Hatter Department of Marine Technologies embarked on an exciting 18-hour adventure aboard the research vessel Bat Galim. Led by Dr. Derya Akkaynak, this cruise was a true hands-on learning experience!

Here’s what went down:

• After 2 months of hard work in the lab, students finally tested their underwater sensing prototypes in the open sea.
• They prepared, deployed, fixed, and re-deployed experiments in various sea conditions.
• Some experiments held up better than others.
• Thanks to Dr. Akkaynak’s guidance and the amazing Bat Galim crew, all students collected valuable data for their research projects.

Key Takeaway: Nothing beats hands-on experience! This cruise provided an invaluable learning opportunity for our future marine technology engineers. We’re proud of our students for diving deep into real marine research. 

Dr. Oren Gal from the Department of Marine Technologies recently participated in the prestigious Oceans Conference in Halifax.

Dr. Tal Luzzatto Knaan, from the Marine Biology Department, has returned from an eight-day expedition to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The trip was dedicated to collecting crucial data on invasive seaweed species as part of a collaborative effort with the Charles Darwin Foundation for the Galapagos Islands and the Galápagos National Park.

Xiaoran Geng, a Marine Geosciences student, has been awarded the prestigious Presidential Scholarship for the 2024-2025 PhD Direct Track program.

Under the expert guidance of Dr. Regina Katsman, Xiaoran is delving deep into the fascinating world of methane bubbles in aquatic muds.
His groundbreaking research, exploring these bubbles at various scales, exemplifies the innovative spirit and scientific excellence that define the Charney School. Xiaoran’s work has the potential to significantly impact our understanding of climate change and ocean ecosystems. We can’t wait to see what discoveries he’ll make next.

Learn more about Xiaoran’s Xiaoran and his fellows international student here