Abstract:

This contribution presents the design, implementation, and results of two international intensive summer schools focused on estuarine hydrodynamics and coastal morphodynamics in semi-enclosed basins. The first one was from June 11th to June 21st, 2019 in Granada (Spain), and the second one from July 1st to July 12th, 2024 in Faro (Algarve, Portugal). The main objective of the courses was to provide graduate students and early-career researchers with the fundamental concepts and processes of hydro-sediment dynamics in coastal and estuarine systems, as well as an essential training in the collection, processing, and analysis of in-situ oceanographic data.

Each summer school consisted of approximately 80 hours of instruction over a two-week period. To provide a holistic perspective on coastal systems, the program was structured as a combination of lectures (~20–30% of each course), practical classes (~50–60%), and fieldwork activities (~20%), all delivered by internationally renowned experts.

Theoretical lectures were taught by expert researchers, covering topics related to tidal processes, density gradients and wind role in current circulation at different scales, wave dynamics, sediment transport and estuarine morphodynamics. Additionally, several distinguished guest speakers were invited to present specific research projects and other specialized topics.

Fieldwork was a key component of the course, providing students with hands-on experience in coastal and estuarine data acquisition. During the 2019 summer school, the field survey was located along Motril’s coastline, whereas during the 2024 course it took place in Ria Formosa. Activities included mooring deployment, onboard survey practices, and the execution of a tidal cycle survey. Students were introduced to best practices in survey planning, navigation, and safety, while gaining experience with oceanographic instruments such as Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs), Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) sensors, and echo sounders.

Practical sessions were conducted to introduce the principles of operation of ADCPs, as well as the preparation of equipment and the configuration of moorings and surveys. In addition, data-processing sessions were carried out to analyze the collected survey data during the field work.

Finally, at the beginning of the course, students delivered short introductory presentations about their research and later participated in group work and case studies on assigned topics based on real problematics, concluding with a final oral presentation.

The results of both summer schools highlight the effectiveness of these courses which combine theory, practical work, and fieldwork within a coherent educational framework, show that the development of this type of event is positive not only for learning and specialization but also to enhance transversal skills, such as networking and teamwork between students and lecturers from different countries.

Keywords:

Summer school, Physics, Engineering, Experiential learning.