SEA Expedition

SEA Expedition provides students with a unique opportunity to conduct marine research at sea. SEA’s scientific voyages focus on the offshore environments near Cape Cod, MA, including important habitats for rare and endangered – whales, turtles, seabirds – along with countless other marine organisms.

Data collected by SEA Expedition students contribute to a cumulative data set that provides critical annual monitoring of these marine protected areas for key stakeholders. These data include biodiversity information, sea temperature and salinity, chemical nutrient measurements, sediment samples, visual and acoustic recording of whales and vessel traffic, and more. Scientific studies are given human background context with discussions of the history and policies behind the marine protected areas we visit. Students return home with a broader sense of the ocean’s importance to our planet and the need to preserve this precious resource for future generations.

Central to the SEA experience is the challenge of forming a team to operate a sailing ship at sea. This is accomplished through the sail training and seamanship components of SEA Expedition.

Teamwork, leadership, community, and a sense of shared mission are core values of all SEA programs, and having students take responsibility for and participate in all operations of a modern sailing research vessel cultivate these life skills.

The captain and USCG licensed mates use instruction in navigation, sail handling and watch leadership to explore communication, thoughtful participation, and a planned approach to tasks – all essential in school, the workplace, and in learning to deal successfully with dynamics or unplanned events.

SEA Expedition participants grow not only as students, but as individuals and contributing members of a ship’s company. This in turn fosters a deeper understanding of their own potential and ability to influence our world.