The Mangōpare sensor joins youth development programme

The Moana Project’s Mangōpare sensor is the latest crew member on the Spirit of Adventure Trust, a well recognised youth development organisation that provides a unique approach to teaching leadership and communication skills through its 10-day sailing voyages.  

The Mangōpare’s recorded data is keenly observed by young citizen scientists as the sensor is deployed off the side of the ship each morning, with the data showing the temperatures they have just dived into.  

Rangatahi eagerly deploying the Mangōpare sensor off the Spirit of New Zealand.

Spirit of Adventure Trust CEO Bruce Pilbrow says of the collaboration, “Having the Mangōpare sensor as part of the programme for our rangatahi (young people) has allowed them to engage with each stage of the scientific process. From deployment to retrieval and then them being able to view the data instantaneously – it’s a valuable opportunity for youth to engage with the ocean and understand it better.”

Spirit of Adventure Trust has been in operation since 1972 and with over a thousand young kiwis getting on board each year, the three-masted barquentine Spirit of New Zealand – Te Waka Herenga Tangata o Aotearoa - is believed to be the world’s busiest youth ship. 

The Moana Project welcomes the opportunity to have the Mangōpare sensor as part of the Spirit of Adventure voyages, where our research outputs are actively contributing to the education of New Zealand’s next generation of ocean users.