As students prepare to set sail next week for ocean-going research, academic study, and experiential learning, their faculty offered this update. Ocean Classroom 2025 is off to a great start! Completing their first three weeks with the program, students have come a long way since they first set foot on SEA’s campus in Woods Hole, MA.
Introduction to Marine Science
Professor Jeffrey Schell
For the course Introduction to Marine Science students have spent their time in the classroom diligently taking notes as they build a foundation of oceanographic knowledge. This includes physical oceanography (e.g., convection, Coriolis, winds, and currents); chemical oceanography (e.g., chlorophyll-a fluorescence, primary production, nutrient and carbon cycles); geological oceanography (e.g., plate tectonics, glacial moraines, grain size analysis); and of course biological oceanography (e.g., plankton, nekton, the benthos, marine food webs).
Student sheet anchors – journals in which they write, draw, and record data and notes – are looking great and are full of valuable information that will aid them during the sea component. Students have also spent time in the shore lab recording observations during ocean circulation demonstrations as well as learning to identify phytoplankton, zooplankton and other marine critters that are important for their marine science projects (more on this below). They have also spent time in the computer lab learning how to code mathematical calculations, conduct statistical analyses, and create graphs of oceanographic data. Students will put these important skills to work as they begin to implement their marine science projects. And finally, they have also spent time in the field exploring local ecosystems and dabbling in the scientific process.
Marine Science Research
Professor Jeffrey Schell
For the Marine Science Research class, students began their journey by discussing the numerous steps involved in the scientific process and soon realized that it is much more complicated than they had first believed. Pathways through the scientific process will vary for each student as they consider the many interesting questions we can explore while onboard the Corwith Cramer. A series of group meetings have inevitably led to smaller group and individual meetings as each student’s curiosity is piqued. Students are coming up with really interesting questions and are presently working on developing a research proposal that will be implemented during the sea component.
Oceans and Society
Professor Craig Marin
For Oceans and Society, we have been busy building up our sense of context for the upcoming sailing, science, and coastal community interactions here in Woods Hole and upcoming in St. John (before we wrap up in St. Croix). Classroom time has been a blend of discussions, hands-on activities and a little bit of role play. When they are not busy making connections between readings and our larger course themes, students are building up their knowledge of how SEA makes decisions about research locations and techniques, partners for conducting research and sharing data, and how to make the research as impactful as possible for the communities we visit.
Over the past two weeks, we have been fortunate to learn from some local experts about the historical and modern-day human interactions with the marine environment. This included time spent out in the field with a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag, Chee Pocknett, learning about his tribe’s past and continuing connections to the land and shellfish farming; meeting Jesse Mechling, Director of Education at the Center for Coastal Studies, who provided background on the center’s work assisting entangled whales and monitoring the broader ecosystem that the whales depend on; and, during our field trip to New Bedford and the Whaling Museum, learning about that city’s important role in the underground railroad from a National Park Ranger, Rufai Shardow, on his walking tour of the downtown area.
With our overall emphasis on understanding how different communities have been impacted by their connections to the Atlantic World, we heard from Dr. Akeia de Barros Gomes, who joined us via Zoom for a presentation and discussion about the important role of the Black community in Newport, RI, and New England in general. Students had some insightful questions for Dr. de Barros Gomes based on her autobiographical framing of her work at the Newport Historical Society, as well as her previous roles at the Mystic Seaport Museum and the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
As we prepare for the upcoming time at sea on the Corwith Cramer, students will wrap up their exploration of SEA research processes and prepare to engage in those activities and reflect on the impact of their own research and ship work, the work of those who preceded them, and what future students can offer up in contribution to ocean stewardship efforts.
Nautical Seamanship, Navigation, and Leadership (NSNL)
Captain Pamela Coughlin
Nautical Seamanship, Navigation, and Leadership (NSNL) is an immersive course that transforms individual students into more confident sea-going shipmates through hands-on training in the essential skills needed for life at sea. Throughout September, students master everything from tying essential knots like bowlines and sheet bends to reading nautical charts, understanding marine weather patterns, and navigating using traditional plotting tools. The curriculum balances practical seamanship—including safety drills with survival suits used in the water —with critical knowledge of maritime rules of the road, watch-standing duties, and navigation fundamentals drawn from classic texts like Bowditch's American Practical Navigator. As students progress from learning the parts of the ship and its rigging to reporting lookout observations and steering the vessel, they're building the skills and confidence that will serve them well on their upcoming voyage aboard the SSV Corwith Cramer, where classroom theory meets the reality of blue-water sailing from Woods Hole to St. Croix.
Please wish us Fair Winds!
Learn More About Proctor's Off-Campus Programs
- Ocean Classroom
- Off-Campus Program