TAMPA, Fla. — The University of South Florida’s rowing team, also known as “Salty Science," took the top spot among women in the World’s Toughest Row-Atlantic, this past weekend.

“Salty Science” was one of 38 groups competing in the annual event, which covers more than 3,000 miles from the Canary Islands in Spain to the Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean.

Members of the team said they faced many challenges, including the impact of large waves, which forced them to make repairs while in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

“Waves were coming from different directions and were quite steep and close together," USF biology professor and team leader Chantale Bégin said. "Our boat is designed to handle open ocean weather and did great even in these conditions, but a few side waves ended up being too much for some equipment."

"We never slept more than 2 1/2 hours at a time,” she added. “Winning was not the goal initially. We set out to come across safely, have a good time doing it, and row as fast as we could.” 

The team pushed off from the Canary Islands on Dec. 13 and entered the competition to raise awareness about marine conservation, as well as supporting training the next generation of scientists who will develop solutions to global ocean challenges.

The group placed seventh overall in the World’s Toughest Row-Atlantic and was the first North American team to win the women's class.