Wesleyan Student Reflects on SEA Program in French Polynesia
SEA in the NEWS
"Exploring Sustainability, Building Community, and Fostering Connections: Frances Ostensen ’24 and Her SEA Semester"
By Rachel Wachman
The Wesleyan Connection
Feb. 2023
When Frances Ostensen ’24 set sail aboard the SSV Robert C. Seamans this fall, she knew she was in for an adventure.
Ostensen, a biology and Science in Society Program double major who spent the semester abroad with the Sea Education Association (SEA), learned more about the environment, human civilizations, and their endless connections than she ever expected.
Her chosen program, called Sustainability in Pacific Island Communities and Ecosystems, began in Woods Hole, Mass. in October. After flying to the South Pacific in November, Ostensen set sail in a loop around Polynesia alongside seven other students, professors, and crew members on a 134-foot brigantine. The group visited the islands of Tahiti, Mo’orea, Huahine, Rangiroa, Nuka Hiva, Ua Huka, and Raroïa.
Frances Ostensen sailed with SEA Class S-306, Sustainability in Polynesian Island Cultures & Ecosystems, in the fall of 2022.
Contact: Douglas Karlson, Director of Communications | 508-444-1918 | dkarlson@sea.edu | www.sea.edu
Share This Story
Recent News
SEA’s Dr. Heather Page co-authors study on oxygen loss on coral reefs
SEA’s Assistant Professor of Oceanography Heather Page is the co-author of a ground-breaking study examining the effects of hypoxia, or low [...]
Sea Education Association Plans Return to Phoenix Islands
This summer, students and scientists from Sea Education Association (SEA), an ocean-focused study abroad organization based in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, will [...]
Sea Education Association Appoints Dr. John Wigglesworth President
Veteran Educator, Mariner, and SEA Alumnus Takes Helm Woods Hole, MA – Jan. 12, 2023 – Sea Education Association (SEA) has [...]
SEA’s Dr. Kara Lavender Law Shares Insights on Ocean Plastic Pollution
SEA Research Professor of Oceanography Kara Lavender Law shares insights on ocean plastic pollution in two recently published news articles. Plastics [...]
Students Conduct Field Research on Health of Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are vital ocean ecosystems, yet they face many threats caused by human excess. This fall, students enrolled in Caribbean [...]
Students Sail South Pacific to Study Island Cultures, Ecosystems, and Environmental Issues
This fall, a select group of college students is sailing the South Pacific aboard the tall ship ocean research vessel SSV [...]