Educational Resources

Join the 2025/26 Around the Americas Expedition team for an inspiring classroom experience as they “close the loop” on their extraordinary journey around North and South America.

After thousands of miles at sea, months of gathering ocean data, meeting coastal communities, and witnessing the beauty and challenges of our marine world, the crew is returning with stories that can spark a new generation of ocean stewards.

In this special session, the team will share their reflections on the expedition’s highs and lows, the scientific discoveries that surprised them, and the real-world impacts they’ve seen from climate change,  and shifting marine ecosystems. Students will hear firsthand what it feels like to navigate powerful currents, collaborate with researchers across the hemisphere, and live each day with the ocean as their constant companion.

Most importantly, the crew will highlight the meaningful actions young people can take right now—small steps that collectively create big change for our planet’s future. From field science to citizen initiatives, from coastal care to creative advocacy, they’ll offer concrete ways for students to use their voices, curiosity, and passion to protect our shared ocean.

This is more than a recap of a voyage—it’s an invitation to join a movement.
Welcome aboard, future ocean stewards.

Join the team from the Around the Americas Expedition with guests Ann Avary, Director for the NW Center of Excellence for Marine Manufacturing & Technology and Les Valsquier the ATA’s Director of Technology, as they work their Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) for their pole – to – pole kelp study. A ROV is vital in exploring kelp forests up close, capturing video and data from places humans can’t easily reach.

The Around the Americas Expedition is a 14-month voyage, that just launched in May. They will circumnavigate North and South America aboard the 48-foot sailboat, One Ocean. The mission focuses on scientific research, education, and community outreach to raise awareness about ocean health. Building on Captain Mark Schrader’s original 2009–2010 journey, the expedition will compare oceanic changes over the past 15 years.

Please join the Around the Americas Expedition alongside Dr. Ana Belén Yánez Suárez a marine biologist, National Geographic Explorer, Conservation Leadership Programme Alumna, and PhD candidate at Memorial University of Newfoundland as she dives into New records of deep sea sharks, skates and chimeras in the Galapagos archipelago.

The Around the Americas Expedition is a 14-month voyage, that just launched in May. They will circumnavigate North and South America aboard the 48-foot sailboat, One Ocean. The mission focuses on scientific research, education, and community outreach to raise awareness about ocean health. Building on Captain Mark Schrader’s original 2009–2010 journey, the expedition will compare oceanic changes over the past 15 years.

Please join the Around the Americas Expedition and our special guests from BC Whales—Janie Wray, CEO and lead researcher, and Grace Baer, biologist, conservationist, and research/project manager—as we learn how drones are being used to study and save whales. From measuring their bodies, understanding threats like entanglement and ship-strike, and collecting their snot: drones are helping us to do it all!

The Around the Americas Expedition is a 14-month voyage, that just launched in May. They will circumnavigate North and South America aboard the 48-foot sailboat, One Ocean. The mission focuses on scientific research, education, and community outreach to raise awareness about ocean health. Building on Captain Mark Schrader’s original 2009–2010 journey, the expedition will compare oceanic changes over the past 15 years.

Please join the Around the Americas Expedition alongside Dr. Ana Belén Yánez Suárez a marine biologist, National Geographic Explorer, Conservation Leadership Programme Alumna, and PhD candidate at Memorial University of Newfoundland as she dives into New records of deep sea sharks, skates and chimeras in the Galapagos archipelago.

The Around the Americas Expedition is a 14-month voyage, that just launched in May. They will circumnavigate North and South America aboard the 48-foot sailboat, One Ocean. The mission focuses on scientific research, education, and community outreach to raise awareness about ocean health. Building on Captain Mark Schrader’s original 2009–2010 journey, the expedition will compare oceanic changes over the past 15 years.

Around the Americas Expedition would like to invite you to this exciting class! We are joined by the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute’s Program Coordinator, Hannah Horsfield. Hannah earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Geography from Cardiff University. Join Hannah as she discusses important environmental issues, such as marine plastic pollution.

The Around the Americas Expedition is a 14-month voyage, that just launched in May. They will circumnavigate North and South America aboard the 48-foot sailboat, One Ocean. The mission focuses on scientific research, education, and community outreach to raise awareness about ocean health. Building on Captain Mark Schrader’s original 2009–2010 journey, the expedition will compare oceanic changes over the past 15 years.

This online classroom from the Around the Americas Expedition is designed to open doors into the growing world of blue industries. ovate with our ocean.Here you’ll discover how people around the world work with and for the ocean: scientists, sailors, engineers, innovators, problem-solvers, and protectors. This classroom helps you find the path that fits you and shows how you can make waves in the blue industries.

Guest speakers:

Mark Schrader – Captain Mark Schrader was born in Nebraska. He had never seen the ocean until he was a teenager when his family moved to California. He made a life in Washington State on a farm and became a small business owner. He has completed two single-handed circumnavigations of the world. He also successfully skippered the first Around the Americas circumnavigation for science and education in 2009/10 and now the 2025/26 Expedition.

Mike Beemer - Michael Beemer is the department chair for the Marine Technology Center. He will be discussing career options and our program offerings related to repair & maintenance of boats, & career options for working on boats as onboard engineers.

Quinn Olson – Quinn Olson, Owner and Lead Rigger Northwest Rigging will discuss career pathways in the sailing industry, where to find them and how to follow them.  

Kelp forests are among Earth’s most dynamic and productive marine ecosystems, created by giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) and bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). They are also integral to the marine carbon cycle, boasting primary production rates comparable to those of tropical rainforests. Beyond their ecological importance, kelp forests hold cultural significance for Indigenous communities along the Pacific coast and contribute to commercial industries and scientific research.

The Around the Americas Expedition is a 14-month voyage, that just launched in May. They will circumnavigate North and South America aboard the 48-foot sailboat, One Ocean. The mission focuses on scientific research, education, and community outreach to raise awareness about ocean health. Building on Captain Mark Schrader’s original 2009–2010 journey, the expedition will compare oceanic changes over the past 15 years.

The temperature of the ocean right at the surface is usually a few tenths of a degree Celsius (0.2 to 0.5 °C) cooler than the bulk temperature just a millimeter below the surface. Even though the difference is small, on a global scale the effect is important for estimating the uptake of CO2 by the ocean. This so-called “cool skin effect” is due to the typical conditions of cooling at the surface that results in a net flow of heat from the ocean to the atmosphere. Dr. Andy Jessup will explain and analyze what the crew from sailing vessel One Ocean has collected to date.

The Around the Americas Expedition is a 14-month voyage, that just launched in May. They will circumnavigate North and South America aboard the 48-foot sailboat, One Ocean. The mission focuses on scientific research, education, and community outreach to raise awareness about ocean health. Building on Captain Mark Schrader’s original 2009–2010 journey, the expedition will compare oceanic changes over the past 15 years.

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Dr. Thomson studies waves and turbulence at the ocean surface, including interactions with sea ice. His work emphasizes field measurements and physical processes and includes the development of instrumentation and autonomous platforms like the MicroSWIFT Buoy Tracker. This buoy provides real-time data on wave conditions, sea surface temperature, and buoy location. These small, GPS- equipped wave buoys are deployed as part of the 2025 Around the Americas expedition to help scientists monitor dynamic coastal and open ocean environments.

The Around the Americas Expedition is a 14-month voyage, that just launched in May. They will circumnavigate North and South America aboard the 48-foot sailboat, One Ocean. The mission focuses on scientific research, education, and community outreach to raise awareness about ocean health. Building on Captain Mark Schrader’s original 2009–2010 journey, the expedition will compare oceanic changes over the past 15 years.

Register Now!