Did you hear that? Using underwater soundscapes to increase participation in science and connect schools across the Pacific

To tackle the issue of an increasingly noisy ocean through an education lens, we developed a novel programme to increase participation in STEAM, hands-on Science, and connection to the ocean. The programme, ‘Sounds of the Sea’ enables our next generation of changemakers to work through three modules (Bronze, Silver, and Gold), with each module designed to build on the next using hybrid learning techniques including narrative thinking, scaffolded learning, and student agency.The Bronze module covers theoretical concepts of underwater sound and anthropogenic impacts; Silver focuses on building hydrophones, testing these in a controlled experimental setting, and describing pictures of sound through spectrograms; and, Gold embraces student agency through the design and implementation of field investigations that focus on data collection, data inference, and the development of critical thinking skills.To date, the programme has been run with multiple secondary school groups (primarily Years 9 to 10; ages 12-15) across Aotearoa/New Zealand, and internationally with schools in Hawaii and Canada. An underlying aim that has developed over the course of the programme has been to link schools across the Pacific Ocean using underwater soundscapes as the primary vehicle for connection.In this presentation, we discuss the history and utility of the programme and how it continues to develop and evolve, particularly through access to real-world acoustic research being done locally at the Institute of Marine Science in Aotearoa-New Zealand, and across the pacific with partner organisations.