From July 7 to 18, 2025, the fourth international Rostock Ocean Technology Summer School (RoOT Summer School for short) took place. Organized annually since 2022 by institutions of the Ocean Technology Campus (OTC) Rostock, it offers early-career researchers and young professionals practical insights into marine research and marine technology. This year's focus was on underwater sampling technology and data analysis, including machine learning approaches. The IOW organized two days focusing on data evaluation.

The first week of the summer school focused on the basis of underwater data acquisition: The 15 participants from six countries delved deeply into the topic of designing and constructing marine sampling and measuring devices, including practical sessions to develop their own devices and test existing ones. They also visited various companies specialising in underwater robotics on the OTC campus and the IOW storage facility for ship expedition equipment.

During the second week, the IOW organized two focus days on data analysis with various in-depth workshops. In a traditional approach, the young researchers first practiced microscopic analysis of plankton samples. However, a major emphasis was on AI-supported methods. The participants created machine learning models in Python and discussed the use of pre-trained models in scientific workflows. Another topic was microbial environmental monitoring: Here, the young researchers learned how microorganisms can serve as indicators of ecosystem health – supported by AI methods for evaluating large data sets that may arise during the analysis of environmental DNA samples. They also practiced the interactive use of large language models in marine research, an approach based on computational linguistics, by experimenting with prompting and developing prototype tools to support academic workflows. A critical discussion of the role of AI in science and education wrapped up this topic.

The summer school was complemented by excursions to the Ozeaneum Stralsund, Rostock, and Berlin, as well as various lectures covering overarching topics, such as sustainable ocean use and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, which stimulated lively discussions about the necessary cooperation between science, economy, and politics in addressing the challenges of effective marine conservation.

More about the RoOT Summer School 2025: https://www.inf.uni-rostock.de/mts/otc-rostock/summer-school/root-2025