I was fortunate to participate in a marine education program on the sailing ship MIRAIE, organized by the Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. As part of our hands-on training during the voyage, we collected data and samples that will contribute to the database of GLOBE, an international science and education program. Analyzing seawater temperature and dissolved oxygen data was an experience that will be beneficial for our future research. I also learned the important lesson that the global solidarity we cultivated on the MIRAIE has great potential to contribute to ocean sustainability.

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation's Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) invited 20 young individuals from 12 different countries to participate in an ocean education program aboard the tall ship "MIRAIE." ^*[1] The program aims to cultivate the future generation of ocean leaders who can effectively promote the sustainable utilization of the ocean by the year 2030. The MIRAIE departed from Yokohama Port on March 10th and headed towards Koror Port in Palau, serving as a support vessel for the Japan-Palau Friendship Yacht Race 2024. I was the only fortunate person from a South Asian nation to embark on the tall ship MIRAIE.
Our hands-on marine-science learning experience involved collecting data and samples throughout the trip to contribute to GLOBE's database^*[2], an international science and education program. The observations encompassed atmospheric parameters such as cloud cover, wind speed and direction, barometric pressure, relative humidity, and temperature, as well as oceanic parameters including temperature, pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, and phosphates. In addition, we gathered water samples to examine the quantities of microplastics and plankton present in the water. We utilized microscopes to determine the contents of our samples.^*[3]
During the voyage, I and my excellent co-researcher Sanetoki Matsuno analyzed the data that we collected on our journey and created a scientific poster titled, "Accuracy of our Seawater Temperature at the Surface and Dissolved Oxygen Data"^*[4]. The GLOBE Program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) published this poster on its website under the Ocean Policy Research Institute of Sasakawa Peace Foundation GLOBE page. We couldn't conduct a study of the seawater temperature and dissolved oxygen levels we collected until we were about to end the voyage, at which point our instructor, Ms. Christina Buffington, recommended we do so. Ms. Buffington had instructed that we needed to handle the collected seawater with care, as the temperature and dissolved oxygen levels could change if we didn't measure the water quickly. Together with my co-researcher, we created graphs and compiled the results into a poster ^*[5] under the guidance of our instructor and presented it in front of everyone after our arrival in Palau, including Dr. Hide Sakaguchi (President of the Ocean Policy Research Institute, Sasakawa Peace Foundation) and other distinguished guests. Many thanks to our invaluable instructor, Ms. Christina Buffington, a science and education specialist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, who helped us immensely throughout our whole process and ultimately led us to come out with our research report.

The ocean is essential for maintaining marine habitats and controlling the world's climatic systems. It is crucial to keep an eye on important variables like seawater temperature and dissolved oxygen levels in order to understand shifts in maritime biodiversity and how they affect marine life. Our goal in assessing these metrics is to improve our knowledge of marine ecosystems. As we sailed from Mikawa Bay to the Philippine Sea on our way to Palau from Japan, the MIRAIE ocean research vessel recorded surface water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels. We measured surface water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels over our seven days of data collecting.  How this data can impact both humans and the water was a new concept for us.
The first thing that came to our minds when he began to collect data from the vast ocean for the first time in our life, which felt surreal, was whether or not the surface water temperature and dissolved oxygen data we had taken were accurate. After comparing our results to expected results, we believe that the majority of the data is accurate. Long-term storage of saltwater, i.e. seawater data in a bucket, may result in inaccuracies due to the potential loss of dissolved oxygen from the seawater. If the dissolved oxygen is lost from the seawater, our data may deviate from actuality.
A bucket and some rope were used to gather the water samples. We needed to calibrate the dissolved oxygen probe first before we could use it and before getting the water sample. Once our probes were ready, we collected a bucket of seawater and brought it on deck. We simultaneously put both the oxygen-measuring probe and the temperature probe to use. We also used two instruments to measure salinity. Once we had collected our data, we compared our temperature readings to the Average Seawater Temperature Map in the Phillipine Sea, provided by a MIRAIE crew member and obtained from the Met Office of Japan. To determine if our dissolved oxygen measurements were close to what was expected, we used the GLOBE Quality Control Procedure for Dissolved Oxygen Kit table, that listed predicted dissolved oxygen in salt water at sea level (1013.25 mB) given our measured temperature and salinity levels.
Upon comparing the surface temperature of our saltwater with the seawater temperature map above, we discovered that our data was both accurate and dependable. Furthermore, our measurements of dissolved oxygen corresponded closely with anticipated results. Additionally, we observed a negative correlation between seawater temperature and the concentration of dissolved oxygen, which means when seawater temperature rises, the amount of dissolved oxygen decreases. This phenomenon occurs due to the acceleration of molecular motion in saltwater as a result of increased temperature, leading to the diffusion of dissolved oxygen from the water.
We started investigating the variations in sea temperatures from ancient times to the present as we learned about the rising water temperatures during our time on the MIRAIE. Our goal was to determine how human activities affected these changes. With this experience, we intend to improve our capacity to think critically and expand our knowledge in a variety of marine-related fields.
Last but not least, we'd like to express our gratitude to Ms. Christina, Mr. Hajime Tanaka, OPRI, Sasakawa Peace Foundation, the OPRI 2024 Trainees, and the entire MIRAIE crew for their help with this experiment.

As a research enthusiast, the research report-making journey has surely broadened my thinking capability and perspective about this subject. Additionally, the instructor's hard work and insightful advice made our tasks easier, which I believe will be beneficial for our future research endeavors. Personally, the entire MIRAIE journey transformed me into a completely different person. Prior to the voyage, I struggled with anxiety, shyness, and a lack of confidence when interacting with people from different communities. However, the journey to the future has transformed me into a confident individual who can now engage and communicate with others without hesitation, and it has given me a new family that I will cherish for the rest of my life. After the voyage, I realised a key lesson: the global unity we have fostered in MIRAIE has high potential to contribute to the sustainability of the ocean.