SEA Semester presents an ocean of opportunity! Many of our alums continue their SEA Semester research back on their home campuses – and beyond. Kalina Grabb, who participated in SEA Semester class S-250 while an undergrad at Harvard University, recently returned to SEA as a coral reef specialist and instructor for our Caribbean Reef Expedition program. She is now a Ph.D. student in the MIT/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) Joint Program, researching reactive oxygen species (ROS) and collaborating on a new submersible research instrument, called the DISCO, which she brought on board for this voyage for students to see in action. ⁣

With nearly 50 years of surface neuston tow data, SEA’s archives offer the unique opportunity to examine biological response to global change. SEA Semester leverages the opportunities presented by its remote, open ocean cruise tracks and repeated annual sampling to build valuable datasets in poorly studied areas of the world.

And the envelopes please…

Congratulations to Katie Hall, S-275, winner of the 2018 SEA Semester Video Contest with her video, “SEA SPICE.”  Second place goes to Johann Vollrath, S-267, and third prize to Alex Merkle-Raymond, C-279.

Highlights from our live chat with NASA astronaut (and former Sea Education Association Assistant Scientist) Ricky Arnold aboard the International Space Station. Among other topics, he reflected upon his experiences with SEA saying, “There’s nothing I’ve done in my life that prepared me better for my experience up here.”

Zoya Buckmire, of St. George’s University in Grenada, talks completing her final academic assignments and Caribbean Reef Expedition’s conclusion in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Gretchen Beehler, of Purdue University, describes snorkeling the coral reefs around Barbuda as part of SEA Semester’s Caribbean Reef Expedition.

Halley Steinmetz, from UMass-Amherst, describes snorkeling the reefs around Montserrat and a tour of the volcano, as part of Caribbean Reef Expedition.

Bryan Jew, of University of California, San Diego, describes his research in the Tobago Cays as part of SEA Semester’s Caribbean Reef Expedition.

Cami Mirow from Mt. Holyoke College describes her week ashore in Grenada before boarding SSV Corwith Cramer.

Tom Haller of Colorado College describes what he is looking forward to as he and his shipmates get ready to head to the Caribbean and SSV Corwith Cramer.