News

Tuesday, 23 June 2026
Anchorage in Menemsha Bight: 41 deg 21.6’N x 070- deg 46.9’W
Log: 690.0 nm
Weather:  Winds NNE Beaufort Force 4.  However, here in our protected anchorage the seas are calm.  It has been cloudy all day with on and off rain; but not enough to dampen the spirits here on the Corwith Cramer! 

As I write this blog, I am listening to laughter and chatter coming from the Main Salon of shipmates that have forged life-long friendships and memories through their shared experience – the struggles and triumphs that come with any successful voyage at sea.  We have had our fair share of fine weather, but we have also weathered a gale and rough seas.  Students have worked tirelessly, day and night, as members of the ship’s crew. They have hauled lines, set and struck so many sails, stood lookout in the middle of the night under a carpet of stars, and taken their turn at the helm – all in the name of ocean exploration and our mission to better understand the wonders of the sea. 

To that end, today was a big day!   A few short hours ago, students presented their final oceanography projects.  Oceanography Weather and Whales, Project Plankton, and Deep Sea Studies shared their discoveries with the entire ship’s company.  

All the deployments, all the sample processing, the hours spent sieving sediments, sorting nets, identifying critters under the microscope, recording numbers (so many numbers) on a multitude of datasheets.  “Toward what end?” the students asked in the middle of the night as they pulled one more net back aboard, full of bioluminescence.  

Well, here, presented on the deck of the Corwith Cramer, were the many answers to that question.  We learned of the distribution of whales (and Mola mola) along our cruise track and how they were related to sea surface temperature trends and ocean currents.  We learned about the vertical migratory patterns of zooplankton and discovered that copepods are not always the most abundant critter in the sea!  And we learned about the influence of depth and sediment type on the abundance and diversity of organisms found living there.  And so much more!  I could not be more proud of each and every student.  All made important contributions to their group projects and presented their part of the story with poise and professionalism.  

That being said, the greater accomplishment of this voyage is that each and every student has risen to the occasion and proven themselves to be great shipmates.  For those who go to sea, there is no higher compliment.  

It has been a pleasure and an honor to sail with the students and crew on SEA Expedition I, and I hope to sail with all of you again soon!  

Cheers

Jeff Schell, Chief Scientist