Academics

Where Is It?

Cruise Track: Woods Hole, MA to St. Croix, USVI
Port Stops: Bequia, Dominica, Grenada
(Typically one)

When Is It?

September 3 - November 19, 2013 (Space Available)

What Is It?

Plastic Pollution & Marine Debris
Engage in hands-on interdisciplinary research focused on plastic pollution and marine debris in the ocean, a science in which the most basic questions have yet to be answered. You will ask questions such as: How much plastic is floating in the ocean? What is the fate of this ocean plastic? How does this new substance affect the ocean ecosystem? You will also consider human impacts through the lens of Maritime Studies: What is the role of public perception? How does this shape management or policy decisions? How do we begin to solve this problem?

Student research will build on SEA's long-term data set on marine debris, a topic for which SEA has become well renowned. Building on 25 years of plastic pollution research, our 2010 Plastics@SEA research voyage was the first federally-funded research expedition dedicated solely to examining the accumulation of plastic debris in the North Atlantic Ocean. A second Fall 2012 voyage continued to push SEA’s marine debris research forward into questions about the role and fate of debris in ocean ecosystems. The Fall 2013 Ocean Exploration program focus will extend this unique research opportunity to undergraduates seeking to learn more about the issue.

"Into the Gyre" - Documentary on 2010 Plastics@SEA Voyage 2010 Plastics@SEA Voyage - SSV Corwith Cramer

Where Is It?

Cruise Track: San Juan, Puerto Rico to St. Croix, USVI
Port Stops: Montserrat, Martinique, Dominica, Culebra (Tentative, typically three to four)

When Is It?

January 2 - March 24, 2014 (Space Available)

What Is It?

The Caribbean: A Convergence of Islands, Cultures, and Ecosystems
This semester offers the adventurous student an authentic and comparative experience designed to explore the diversity of Caribbean island cultures and ecosystems.

The cruise track exposes you to the rich and often overlooked diversity of several islands, from their geology and biodiversity to their peoples and cultures. Depart beautiful Old San Juan, sailing past El Morro out into the Atlantic Ocean where you will conduct sampling over the Puerto Rico Trench - the deepest part of the Atlantic! Cross the Antilles current as you venture into the Southern Sargasso Sea making your way to the islands of the Lesser Antilles.

Pursue an independent oceanographic research project from a wide range of topics, taking advantage of the region’s diverse ocean and island ecosystems. Explore the islands of the eastern Caribbean, an area in which varied legacies of deep-rooted European colonialism still exist today. Experience world-class, trade wind sailing amidst lush volcanic islands unlike any others in the world. Visit three to four distinctive and off-the-beaten-path ports, each with its own story to tell. Chances for marine mammal sightings are good given the time of year!

Potential port stops include Montserrat, Martinique, and Dominica offering the chance to explore active and ancient volcanoes, sandy beaches, and lush tropical island landscapes. The voyage may end with a stop in the Island of Culebra where you can snorkel with green sea turtles before finishing in St. Croix.

Program Description

Understanding the oceans is an essential aspect of appreciating how the world works and how we relate to it as human beings. The sea is so complex that it is impossible to comprehend from the perspective of a single academic discipline. With that in mind, this interdisciplinary semester combines insights from oceanography, the humanities, and the social sciences with practical skills in seamanship, allowing students to deepen their awareness of and appreciation for the ocean through hands-on research and personal experience. Each semester offers a unique academic theme allowing students to address and answer some of the most pressing global questions related to the ocean environment.

On Shore in Woods Hole
During the 6-week shore component, intensive academic coursework prepares students for their research cruise. With full access to SEA faculty and the world-renowned Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution/Marine Biological Laboratory Library, students design original research projects to be completed at sea. Maritime Studies provides a wider historical and social perspective on the impact of humans on the world's oceans, and on the experience of going to sea. Nautical Science introduces practical seamanship skills and the theoretical background necessary to safely operate a tall ship on the open ocean.

At Sea on the Open Ocean
As full, working members of the scientific team and sailing crew on one of SEA's state-of-the-art research vessels, students manage shipboard operations, navigate by the stars, analyze oceanographic samples, and visit foreign ports off the beaten path. Most importantly, students learn to challenge themselves and develop new leadership, teamwork, and research skills. Depending on the semester, students may have the option to choose between sailing in the Caribbean, Atlantic, or Pacific.

Course Descriptions

Oceanography, CAS NS 221 (3 credits)
This course provides students with the scientific foundation needed to investigate the planet's oceans. It introduces them to the scientific study of the ocean and serves as the foundation for the courses in practical oceanography taken during the sea component. As they learn about modern ocean studies and technological advances in instrumentation, students develop proposals for independent research projects to be carried out at sea.

Maritime Studies, CAS NS 222 (3 credits)
The relationship between humans and the sea is the focus of this course. Maritime Studies examines maritime commerce and technology, and discusses cultural expressions of the maritime experience in works of literature and art. This course also looks at the role of ships as agents of contact and change, and at marine conservation issues that shape today's ocean policy debates.

Nautical Science, CAS NS 223 (3 credits)
Nautical Science teaches the practical skills and theoretical background necessary to safely operate a tall ship on the high seas. Students learn and apply essential concepts in general physics, astronomy, and meteorology. During the sea component, students apply these concepts while acting as active and increasingly responsible members of the ship's crew, working toward the ultimate role of Junior Watch Officer.

Practical Oceanography I, XAS NS 225 (4 credits)
Students learn how to safely deploy and recover modern oceanographic sampling instruments, conduct shipboard laboratory research, analyze oceanographic data, and operate a fully equipped laboratory at sea.

Practical Oceanography II, XAS NS 226 (4 credits)
Students collect, analyze, and present data for projects of their own design. Each student completes an original research project in oceanography under the guidance of the Chief Scientist on board the vessel.

Who Should Apply?

SEA Semester: Ocean Exploration is the perfect program for any student interested in taking a firsthand look at the oceans. This program attracts students from all majors who are interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of our world's oceans: both science majors who are looking for field research opportunities, and non-science majors who are hoping to fulfill science requirements in a hands-on way!

While there is an emphasis on oceanography, the curriculum is designed for students representing a wide diversity of backgrounds and interests. Because the program combines multiple academic disciplines, it draws students from majors as varied as history, environmental science, biology, journalism, and studio art.

Recent student majors have included (but are not limited to):

SEA Semester operates on a rolling admissions basis, so there are no application deadlines. Students are accepted on a case-by-case basis until the program is full.