Ocean Water Climate Collection
(Formerly Canadian Ocean Literacy Coalition)
This special Ocean Water Climate Collection brings together some of the world’s most passionate scientists and storytellers to share their research and adventures, helping us better understand the vital role the ocean – and all water flowing to it – plays in human and planetary well-being.
Across geographies, cultures, and generations, each live lesson shares a unique story and key insights on a diverse range of ocean-water-climate related topics. From wildlife conservation and ecosystems’ explorations, to research expeditions and community action initiatives, these stories help build personal connections and hope during a time of rapid change.
So dive right in and learn more about the species, places, and people that live on, in, and around water – salty, fresh or frozen, making up more than 70% of the Earth’s surface.
Upcoming Lessons
Greenpeace is about to depart on a month-long mission to the Arctic deep-sea. The Deep Arctic Expedition brings together world-leading scientists to explore Arctic seamounts and hydrothermal vent fields – ecosystems so remote they remain largely a mystery to humanity.
Join us onboard their specially equipped research vessel and meet some of the scientists, check out some of the gear they’re using, and see what incredible life they’re finding along the Arctic Mid Ocean Arctic Ridge– one of Earth’s least known wildernesses to depths of up to 3000 meters.
The area of the expedition was opened for deep sea mining by the Norwegian government in 2024, but was halted last year after protests from environmental organisations, scientists and the green opposition parties in Norway. Deep sea mining would, according to many scientists, cause irreversible damage to vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems, including the destruction of habitats, and possibly species extinction. The expedition will focus on exploring seamounts, which are biodiversity hotspots in the deep sea, and hydrothermal vent fields – underwater volcanic hot springs that support life in total darkness.
Join adventurer and world class videographer and filmmaker Tom Dixon as he shares some of his favourite places and shots from his 2-year year journey, sailing around the world on board the Darwin200 expedition. As the expedition followed Darwin’s epic Voyage of the Beagle, Tom filmed incredible wildlife and worked with conservation organizations spanning the glove. For those who followed along with our World’s Most Exciting Classroom series Tom captured many of the iconic images and videos from the voyage including when Jesse and Joe were onboard the ship!
Andy is an Emmy Award winning cinematographer and television presenter whose filming adventurers have taken him around the world. He uses the newest camera technology and innovative filming techniques to show a different side of the planet’s most feared and misunderstood predators. Andy specialize in filming sharks, but his projects have included king cobras, killer whales and polar bears. He has more than 100 film credits to his name for the world’s top networks, including National Geographic, BBC, Discovery, Animal Planet and more. His life-long mission is to inspire people to care about our planet and its vanishing wildlife.
Join deep-sea explorer Victor Vescovo to learn what it takes explore the very deepest places on Planet Earth: the technology, team, training, and planning. Why do we do it, what did we find, and what do we hope to learn in the future?
Victor has skied to both poles and climbed the highest peaks on each continent. He is also an accomplished pilot of jet fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and, most recently, manned submersibles. He is now the first person in history to have been to the top of all the world’s continents as well as the bottom of all its oceans.
After travelling 47,000 miles and completing 39 dives, the Five Deeps Expedition has reached its successful conclusion: the first manned descent to the deepest point of each of the world’s five oceans.
Andreas B. Heide is a Norwegian marine biologist, sailor, filmmaker, and former military diver and parachutist. He uses his Arctic sailing vessel Barba as a platform for scientific collaboration and storytelling within a broader context of ocean conservation. Andreas has led numerous high-latitude expeditions, working with a wide network of scientists, educational institutions, and storytellers from across the globe. His work blends adventure, research, and visual storytelling, with a focus on whales, ocean wildlife, and the rapidly changing polar environment. Through the Barba project, he creates impactful content across film, digital media, and immersive formats, aiming to inspire ocean stewardship and connect international audiences with the challenges and beauty of the marine world.
I Am River is a children’s book and environmental education initiative that helps young learners build a personal connection with the St. Lawrence River. By centering the River as the narrator of its own story, our book encourages children to see it as a living, speaking entity – making ecological concepts accessible and personally meaningful. Our hands-on workshops ensure that children don’t just learn about the River, they interact with the concepts, strengthening their sense of place, responsibility, and knowledge.
Join us as we explore how putting tech on marine life is revealing their hidden lives like never before! The Beltran Lab at the University of California, Santa Cruz studies how environmental change shapes animal movement, behavior, physiology, and population dynamics in marine predators. The lab is led by Roxanne Beltran, Explorer’s Club 50 awardee and National Geographic Young Explorer.
Technological advances in animal-borne sensors are transforming our ability to study life in the open ocean, revealing remarkable variation in how individual animals move, forage, reproduce, and respond to environmental change. In this talk, we will highlight how the Beltran Lab combines six decades of long-term research on northern elephant seals with biologging, environmental data, and demographic approaches to understand the traits and behaviors that influence fitness and population resilience.
Join us as we explore how putting tech on marine life is revealing their hidden lives like never before! The Beltran Lab at the University of California, Santa Cruz studies how environmental change shapes Dr. Katy Croff Bell is a deep-sea explorer who is developing new ways to better understand the ocean and make it more accessible to everyone around the world. She is the founder and president of the Ocean Discovery League and a National Geographic Explorer. Katy earned her bachelor’s from MIT in ocean engineering, master’s from the University of Southampton in maritime archaeology, and Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island in geological oceanography. She has led more than 40 expeditions worldwide and discovered dozens of ancient shipwrecks, new organisms, and ecosystems.
Imani Black is the Founder and CEO of Minorities in Aquaculture, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access and representation for women of color in the seafood and aquaculture industries. A trained aquaculturist with a master’s in environmental science, she has hands-on experience in oyster production and workforce development. In this session, Imani will introduce students to the world of aquaculture—what it is, why it matters, and the wide range of careers it offers. Through her story, she’ll show how passion for the environment can turn into meaningful, impactful careers in the blue economy.
Join us for a virtual field trip to the incredible Turtle Hospital in the Florida Keys and meet some sea turtles!
The Turtle Hospital opened its doors 1986 with four main goals: 1) rehab injured sea turtles and return them to their natural habitat, 2) educate the public through outreach programs and visit local schools, 3) conduct and assist with research aiding to sea turtles (in conjunction with state universities), and 4) work toward environmental legislation making the beaches and water safe and clean for sea turtles. The Turtle Hospital contains up-to-date equipment needed to perform a variety of surgeries on different species and sizes of sea turtles. There are 7 species of sea turtles throughout the entire world. Five of the seven are found in Florida: Green, Loggerhead, Leatherback, Hawksbill, and Kemp’s Ridley.
Paige is a polar and deep-sea biologist whose work is expanding what is possible in some of Earth’s most remote and least accessible marine environments. Her discoveries on hadal amphipods, abyssal snailfish, Antarctic invertebrates, and Arctic ecosystems reflect her belief that exploration carries a responsibility: to seek understanding, to return with knowledge, and to share it openly. She is the co-founder and director of Polar BLAST, a research initiative that transforms vessels of opportunity into platforms for Arctic and Antarctic exploration uniting advanced subsea technology with species discovery, policy engagement, and public outreach. Through this work, she ensures that every voyage delivers meaningful science, rigorous data, and accelerates biodiversity discovery while striving to broaden participation and inspire others to understand and protect the world around them.
Nicole has explored from the heights of outer space to the depths of our oceans. A veteran NASA Astronaut, her experience includes two spaceflights and 104 days living and working in space on both the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station (ISS). She performed one spacewalk, was the first person to fly the robotic arm to capture the free flying HTV cargo vehicle, she was the last crew member to fly to and from their ISS mission on a Space Shuttle, and she was a member of the crew of the final flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery, STS-133. A personal highlight of Nicole’s spaceflight was painting the first watercolor in space.
Nicole is also a NASA Aquanaut, who in preparation for spaceflight and along with her NEEMO9 crew, lived and worked during an 18-day and longest saturation mission to date on the Aquarius undersea habitat.
As an Artist, and now retired from NASA, Nicole combines her artwork and spaceflight experience to inspire creative thinking about solutions to our planetary challenges, to raise awareness of the surprising interplay between science and art, and to promote the amazing work being done every day in space to improve life right here on Earth. She is the founder of the Space for Art Foundation.
Gabriela is a marine biologist and shark conservationist who integrates science, policy, and community engagement to shift perceptions of sharks and promote sustainable fishing practices along Honduras’ coast. She is the founder and director of ilili, the first Honduran non-profit dedicated to marine conservation through the lens of sharks and rays. From establishing the first shark fisheries baseline, to working with the fisheries department to promote legislation that supports fishers to creating new citizen science initiatives, ilili’s work is filling critical gaps and inspiring the new generation of shark champions in Central America. A passionate and strategic leader, Gabriela champions solutions that benefit both people and nature, driving a future where coastal communities thrive alongside healthy shark populations.
In November 2025, Mark Evans launched his Oman 3165 expedition, a seventy day journey by kayak along the coastline of Oman in celebration of World Maritime Day. His goal is to capture stories of innovation and biodiversity, celebrating Oman’s rich maritime heritage and using communication technology to inspire the next generation of ocean caretakers for a sustainable future.
He paused the expedition in January after reaching Ras Duqm an will resume again in the fall. Join in as Mark will share his adventures along the coast to date, including 360 imagery, night camera traps in the desert and more! Mark has lived in Arabia for over 25 years, and is now based in Scotland. He was awarded the MBE by Her Majesty the Queen for his work using challenging outdoor journeys for personal development and learning.
Jamal has been passionate about manatee conservation since he was 11 years old, and later jumped at the opportunity to join manatee scientists at Sea to Shore Alliance to assist with manatee captures and health assessments. In his time at S2S he has risen in the ranks from Field Assistant to eventually become Program Coordinator for the Belize Manatee Conservation Program.
He was recently select as one of the Explorers Club 50 and was a 2018 National Geographic Photo Ark EDGE Fellow. In recognition of his efforts, Jamal has been named an Oceana Ocean Hero, Belize National Hero (Meritorious Service Award), and World Wildlife Fund Planet Hero.
No upcoming events found.
Past Lessons
Alison is an ice core scientist and high-altitude mountaineer who explores the history of sea ice in polar and high-alpine regions using ice core chemistry. This involves long months of living in a tent and drilling ice cores in places like Antarctica, Alaska, and the Canadian High Arctic.
As part of Perpetual Planet Expeditions—a partnership between the National Geographic Society and Rolex—Alison led two expeditions to Mount Logan, Canada’s highest mountain. In 2021, she anchored an all-female team of scientists to install the highest weather station in North America near the mountain’s peak. Alison returned in 2022 to successfully retrieve a record-breaking 1,072-foot-long ice core that could contain one of the continent’s most important climate records and will shed light on how climate change impacts even the world’s highest peaks. Alison is an assistant professor and the director of the Canadian Ice Core Lab at University of Alberta, founder and co-director of Girls on Ice Canada.
Join Mark Evans, live from his camp in Oman after a long day of paddling along the coast in his kayak. Catch up on the expedition so far and get a chance to ask Mark some questions.
Oman 3165 is a seventy day journey by kayak along the coastline of Oman in celebration of World Maritime Day, capturing stories of innovation and biodiversity, celebrating Oman’s rich maritime heritage and using communication technology to inspire the next generation of ocean caretakers for a sustainable future. Mark Evans has lived in Arabia for over 25 years, and is now based in Scotland. He was awarded the MBE by Her Majesty the Queen for his work using challenging outdoor journeys for personal development and learning and was awarded the Medal of Honour by the Sultan of Oman for his work establishing Outward Bound in the Sultanate.
Join Disney Conservation as we dive into the world of nesting sea turtles! Learn about the importance of Florida’s beaches for these animals, how biologists learn more about them, what Disney is doing to protect them, and how you can make a difference.
Kristen Swerzenski is a biologist with Disney’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program, which focuses on conducting sea turtle research on the East Coast of Florida, as well as connecting with and educating the public. Disney Conservation, which also leads conservation programs focused on pollinators, songbirds, and corals, is dedicated to protecting wildlife and building a global community inspired to celebrate the magic of nature together.
In July, British adventurer, James Ketchell set sail from Gosport, England on an ocean adventure of nine months and 30,000 nautical miles. James is setting out to achieve his third circumnavigation of the globe and become the first person in history to do so via air, sea and land. He has already cycled around the world and was the first person to fly a gyrocopter around the world. The aim of the project is to connect with classrooms around the world, live from the boat. He will be sharing stories of fun, adventure and educational content, as well as inspiring young people to pursue their own goals and dreams.
Join in as James has just left Cape Town, South Africa and is beginning the long sail across the Indian Ocean to Australia. Catch up on the journey and ask James some questions!
For the past six years, Florian has dedicated several months each winter and spring to living on the ice, immersing himself in the lives of polar bears to document their existence. Through relentless commitment, staying in small pods pulled by snowmobiles, an intrinsic immersion has allowed the team to become intimately acquainted with the Arctic and the diverse personalities of the animals they observe, capturing moments never seen before.
He also works as an aerial cinematographer for projects like Disney Nature’s “Polar Bear” and BBC’s “Frozen Planet 2”, using aerial images to offer a fresh perspective on wildlife behaviour and habitats. His photography creates emotional connections with our planet.
Hi, my name’s Jason, and I’m unapologetically in love with fish and rivers! Lucky for me, my day job is as a large river scientist at the Illinois River Biological Station (IRBS) in Havana, Illinois. I grew up an active, outdoorsy kid in Kentwood, Michigan and am a proud native son of the Mitten State. Two of my uncles took me fishing at an early age, and – pardon the pun – I was hooked. I loved being outside and on the water – ponds and creeks, lakes and rivers; it didn’t matter, I loved it all. Fortunately, after 4 college degrees, now I get paid to find and catch and count and study fish on the Illinois and Mississippi rivers. From tiny iridescent shiners and sunfish to great big paddlefish and sturgeon, our rivers have a lot of amazing native fishy friends to see and love! Sadly, we also have some fishy foes causing problems, like invasive silver carp, which like to jump out of the water and into our boats, sometimes smacking us with their tails or just crashing into us. Join me on a journey as we explore the wonderful watery world of rivers!
Join Disney Conservation as we dive into the world of nesting sea turtles! Learn about the importance of Florida’s beaches for these animals, how biologists learn more about them, what Disney is doing to protect them, and how you can make a difference.
Emily Hardin is a biologist with Disney’s Sea Turtle Conservation Program, which focuses on conducting sea turtle research on the East Coast of Florida, as well as connecting with and educating the public. Disney Conservation, which also leads conservation programs focused on pollinators, songbirds, and corals, is dedicated to protecting wildlife and building a global community inspired to celebrate the magic of nature together
Dr. Perez Valentin from the Applied Physics Lab at the University of Washington, will discuss the importance of the sea ice advance in the western arctic. As our planet warms, progressively less sea ice survives the summer, resulting in thinner winter ice packs. This creates a positive feedback increasing heat fluxes from ocean to atmosphere which can affect sea ice advance over the winter. As the planet gets warmer, these things are changing fast.
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.
Join in this long awaited program highlighting the incredible story of the Erebus and Terror, two iconic exploration vessels lost for over 150 years after their failed journey to find the Northwest Passage! Discovered in 2014 and 2016 these ships are some of the most incredible underwater archaeological sites of all time and are the focus of diving expeditions to uncover their secrets from the team at Parks Canada!
What alien invaders threaten Banff National Park? Habitat Heroes battle aquatic invasive species, noxious plants, and animals that don’t belong in this delicate ecosystem. Students will discover how invasive species affect the environment, how we identify and manage them, and why everyone’s actions matter when it comes to protecting our special places.
Dr. Thomson studies waves and turbulence at the ocean surface, including interactions with sea ice at the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Lab. He will explore the torrent waters of the Cape Horn region and Drake Passage called the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
The fast water swirls in a series of fronts that delineate the warmer waters near Chile with the cold waters by the Antarctic Peninsula. These fronts cause changes in the winds and waves that arrive from the nearly infinite fetch of the mighty Southern Ocean.
Plastic pollution is a massive global issue, but data can help us tell a story that leads to solutions. We will break down overwhelming global production numbers into relatable terms and explore how data-driven initiatives are providing hope by helping to stop plastic from entering our oceans.
Sable Island is a rugged and remote scrap of land off the coast of Nova Scotia. It is a stronghold for seals and wild horses. Right now we have one of our satellite units on the island and will attempt our first live lesson as long as the every changing weather cooperates!
Damian Lidgard will be our guide, he is an Aquatic Biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He works with the Maritimes seal research team on Sable Island — home to one of the world’s largest grey seal colonies! Damian has been studying marine mammals for over 25 years and has visited Sable Island every year since 1996 as both a seal scientist and a wildlife photographer. He’s even been using special video cameras attached to the seals to discover what seals do beneath the waves.
Sable Island is a rugged and remote scrap of land off the coast of Nova Scotia. It is a stronghold for seals and wild horses. Right now we have one of our satellite units on the island and will attempt our first live lesson as long as the every changing weather cooperates!
Damian Lidgard will be our guide, he is an Aquatic Biologist with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. He works with the Maritimes seal research team on Sable Island — home to one of the world’s largest grey seal colonies! Damian has been studying marine mammals for over 25 years and has visited Sable Island every year since 1996 as both a seal scientist and a wildlife photographer. He’s even been using special video cameras attached to the seals to discover what seals do beneath the waves.
Each night in the open ocean, hundreds of millions of tons of fish, shrimps, jellies, and other animals rise from the deep to feed near the surface. Then, at dawn, they descend hundreds of meters to avoid predators. This is the largest animal migration on Earth. Join the team on the RV Falkor (Too) on expedition in the deep sea off the coast of South America to explore this phenomena and hear about the cutting edge science being done on board!
Join the Line P team as they take part in their first survey of the year where they’ll tell you all about life at sea while completing the water and plankton sampling work they do aboard the CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier.
Having started in the 1950s, the Line P program is one of the longest standing oceanographic datasets used to track how a changing climate effects the ocean. The program both monitors properties of the water itself (which tells us about the health of the ecosystems beneath the waves) and hosts researchers from around the world who are interested in learning about ocean physics, chemistry, and biology. This work is so important to continue as the health of the ocean affects us all and we need to track the changes the ocean is experiencing in order to know how we need to adapt.
Chloe Immonen has been an oceanographer at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for a little over three years and she LOVES being at sea! In fact, that’s probably where she’s happiest, apart from when she’s hiking mountains with her dog Billie. Chloe is very lucky to get to live aboard Canadian Coast Guard ships for a few months of every year doing science with her awesome colleagues.
Join scientists live from the lab at the U.S. Geological Survey as they cut open deep-sea sediment cores collected from depths over 3 miles below the ocean surface. Dr. Kira Mizell is a Research Oceanographer and Chief Scientist of the Hawai’i Abyssal Nodules and Associated Ecosystems Expedition, completed in November of 2025. Dr. Katlin Bowman Adamczyk is a Scientist that works alongside Kira in the Global Seabed Mineral Resources Lab at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California. Kira and Katlin will share videos and stories from their latest research expedition and will be sampling sediment cores in the lab to learn more about the geochemistry of deep-sea ecosystems.
Join the Under the Pole Expedition from their sturdy aluminum schooner, designed to navigate all the world’s seas ‑ tropical, temperate and polar regions ‑ or wintering on the ice. Their mission is to advance knowledge of Antarctic marine ecosystems, particularly in the mesophotic zone, and taking action to protect them.
For the past 15 years, Under The Pole expeditions have gone to the Geographic North Pole, spent two years in Greenland wintering in the ice and sailed through the Northwest Passage and to Svalbard. These expeditions stand out for the rarity of the images brought back, others for the value of the scientific work and technological innovation in an environment where humankind can only stay on borrowed time: the ocean. To succeed in exploring polar, temperate, and tropical environments—seldom visited because of their difficult access—requires unconventional resources.
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.
Each night in the open ocean, hundreds of millions of tons of fish, shrimps, jellies, and other animals rise from the deep to feed near the surface. Then, at dawn, they descend hundreds of meters to avoid predators. This is the largest animal migration on Earth. Join the team on the RV Falkor (Too) on expedition in the deep sea off the coast of South America to explore this phenomena and hear about the cutting edge science being done on board!
Justine Hudson is a marine mammal biologist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her work has taken her to Hudson bay and beyond to study beluga whales and in this talk Justine will help us understand the lives of these incredible Arctic marine mammals and the potential impacts of climate change and human activity.
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.
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.
Join Carlee on this journey into the deep to learn about the most amazing creatures in the oceans – sharks! As a renowned author, scientist and educator, Carlee Jackson has dedicated her life to studying sharks and educating others on their importance to the world’s oceans. From her debut on international TV with National Geographic’s Sharkfest to the release of 2 children’s books…Carlee is making waves in the shark and marine science world!
What happens to a snowflake that falls in Roger’s Pass, Glacier National Park? It’s an eventful place for a snowflake to land! We’ll follow our heroine on her wild ride, which will include being examined! smashed! avalanched! plowed! melted! carried! filtered! until she’s finally on her way back to the ocean. Along the way, we’ll cover the basic principles of the water cycle and winter mountain weather.
Sea lamprey are slimy vampire fish with a round, suction cup mouth filled with tiny teeth that attach to other fish like lake trout and drink their blood! They are originally from the Atlantic Ocean but invaded the Great Lakes, where they cause big problems. Each year, these hungry sea lamprey kill about 10 million pounds of fish in the Great Lakes. Sea lamprey control is necessary to reduce their numbers and maintain a healthy Great Lakes ecosystem. Although we have found some effective ways to control invasive sea lamprey populations, there are ongoing efforts to further decrease their numbers in the Great Lakes.
Join Dr. Anne Scott from Michigan State University and Dr. Andrea Miehls from Great Lakes Fishery Commission for a live visit to Hammond Bay Biological Station in Michigan. You’ll get a chance to learn more about these slimy creatures, see live sea lamprey up close, and learn about the ongoing research to develop new ways to control this destructive fish and protect one of the largest freshwater ecosystems on Earth.
Alysa is a conservation biologist specializing in polar bears; she is based out of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada but spends every fall and part of every summer in Churchill, Manitoba, sometimes called the Polar Bear Capital of the World. Alysa has been studying Canadian polar bears for seven years, focusing largely on the western Hudson Bay subpopulation, one of the first to show impacts of climate change. She currently works for Polar Bears International, supporting research and directing conservation outreach programs, all with a mission to protect the polar bear and its sea ice home for future generations. Alysa loves speaking to people across the world about polar bears and their unique lifestyle, and is passionate about helping students feel empowered to take action on climate change.
Angela is one of few female IFMGA mountain guides in the world with a career spanning over three decades. She was president of the American Mountain Guides Association and over the past 20 years has trained and examined aspiring guides. She’s led over 30 high-altitude mountaineering expeditions to the world’s Greater Ranges and guided remote trips from the Antarctic Peninsular to Arctic Svalbard. She skied from Sweden to Norway across Lapland, reached the South Summit of Mt. Everest and has led many technical all-women’s ascents.
Angela has a Master’s Degree in International Mountain Conservation, serves on the IFMGA board and is the vice president of the IFMGA Technical Commission where she leads climate change efforts and projects elevating women mountain guides worldwide. In 2011, she was named AMGA Guide of the Year and in 2022 received the AMGA Lifetime Achievement in Guiding Award.
Among the whales of the Pacific Northwest, every calf learns from the adults who nurture and guide them—much like how human children grow with support from their families and communities. Join Parks Canada to learn more about how whales grow and play in the waters of Gulf Islands National Park Reserve.
In coastal wolf packs, every pup learns from the adults who nurture and guide them—much like how human children grow with support from their families and communities. Join Parks Canada to learn more about how coastal wolves grow and play in Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.
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.
Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants founder Joe Grabowski was recently invited to explore the West African countries of Senegal and Gambia with Variety Cruises. Starting in Dakar with some ship wreck diving and leading to a 400km journey up the Gambia River, it was an amazing experience exploring the slave trade history of the region, the unique culture and the diverse wildlife. This journey is off the beaten track with few tourists visiting the villages and national parks along the river.
Join in for a visual exploration of the history, culture and wildlife of Senegal and the Gambia!
Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants founder Joe Grabowski was recently invited to explore the West African countries of Senegal and Gambia with Variety Cruises. Starting in Dakar with some ship wreck diving and leading to a 400km journey up the Gambia River, it was an amazing experience exploring the slave trade history of the region, the unique culture and the diverse wildlife. This journey is off the beaten track with few tourists visiting the villages and national parks along the river.
Join in for a visual exploration of the history, culture and wildlife of Senegal and the Gambia!
Join one of the world’s most accomplished divers and friend of Exploring By The Seat of Your Pants Jill Heinerth for this special session as part of our Engineering month exploring how she stays safe beneath the waves and in underwater caves with her dive gear! Take a look at some of the world’s most incredible places and journey with Jill into the veins of mother earth!
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.
How would you do science without any money? MARE-Madeira is a research centre on Madeira Island, Portugal, that began in 2013 with two researchers without a dime! Using creativity, MARE-Madeira has grown into the largest research centre on the island and is now starting a deep-sea research program. Learn how your imagination is your greatest tool for doing great science!
This lesson is led by Dr. Diane Esson, Head of Strategy at MARE-Madeira. She’ll share stories of creative science, reveal amazing discoveries in Madeira and walk you down her out-of-the-ordinary path in science. Come ready for an interactive session!
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!
Join us as we travel to the U.S. National Science Foundation-funded IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica! We’ll meet their winterovers, individuals who brave the unforgiving environment to spend a year—sometimes longer—at the South Pole, half of which is enveloped in complete darkness. Every year, two winterovers are selected and sent to the South Pole to operate and maintain the IceCube detector. Learn what it’s like to live and work in one of the most extreme and remote places on our planet!
Join us as we continue our globe spanning Earth Day lessons with a trip to the Arctic, with the special bonus of being out on the ocean! Paige Maroni is embarking on a research ship to shed some light on the deep-sea in the Arctic region. She is a polar and deep-sea biologist whose work is expanding what is possible in some of Earth’s most remote and least accessible marine environments. Her discoveries on hadal amphipods, abyssal snailfish, Antarctic invertebrates, and Arctic ecosystems reflect her belief that exploration carries a responsibility: to seek understanding, to return with knowledge, and to share it openly. She is the co-founder and director of Polar BLAST, a research initiative that transforms vessels of opportunity into platforms for Arctic and Antarctic exploration uniting advanced subsea technology with species discovery, policy engagement, and public outreach.
Vanessa is a wildlife reseacher, science communicator and woman in STEM. Her zoological background has taken her around the world for wildlife research. She is pioneering the use of emerging technologies for whale conservation. Her whale research has taken her to places like the Galapagos, Madagascar, Antarctica and Tonga. In her home country of Australia, she’s using drones in unique and creative ways to assess whale health as they move through the environment in a non invasive way. She’s flying drones through whale spray rising from a whale’s blowhole to collect samples of whale ‘snot’ to learn all kinds of biological information like DNA, hormones and bacteria. This gives us unprecedented insight into marine health in ways we never imagined!
Science in Jasper and Banff’s alpine is uncovering new and startling details about it’s most famous glaciers and how fast they are receding. How much is being lost and what do we think we know about it? Join Parks Canada for a look at some of the people and projects analysing the ice, and an introduction to those working hard to protect what’s left through bringing new data to light about these cold mountain icons.
Please join the Around the Americas Expedition and Dr. Andy Jessup, Senior Principal Oceanographer from the Applied Physics Lab at the University of Washington, as they review the data collected from the heat flux and water temperatures from their journey around North and South America.
Wop-wop-wop-wop-wop-wop-wop… What was that noise?!? A distant helicopter? A woodpecker? Or…a Columbia spotted frog! Listening and looking for amphibians is one way to monitor ecosystem health. Join Parks Canada LIVE from Kootenay National Park as we pull up our waders and explore a wetland. Help us search for frogs, toads, salamanders, and their unique egg masses. Get a behind the scenes look at what the Ecological Integrity Monitoring team does, and why it matters.
What does it take to explore the ocean? Join a live broadcast from the research vessel Marcus G. Langseth as it travels across the Pacific Ocean. In this session, students will learn about the Seven Principles of Ocean Literacy and how they connect to real ocean research happening at sea right now. Through shipboard stories, images from the expedition, and interactive questions, students will discover how the ocean shapes Earth’s climate, geology, ecosystems, and human life.
During this May class, join the Around the Americas crew from sailing vessel One Ocean on the vast blue Pacific, with over 18,000 nautical miles accomplished along our 27,000 nautical mile journey, carving our way north toward one of the most extraordinary ecosystems on earth – the Galapagos Islands. The session will include live updates, storytelling, and a visual presentation highlighting the diverse environments, wildlife, and communities encountered along our route around the Americas.
Lucas Meers serves as the Director of the Jacksonville University Sea Turtle Program at the Marine Science Research Institute in Jacksonville, Florida. For over 15 years, he has monitored sea turtle nesting trends and distribution in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida with Mickler’s Landing Turtle Patrol. Come join this program to learn about their work helping one of the world’s most charismatic species!
Where can you find the oldest animals on earth? The deepest, darkest forests? Giant worms and single-celled organisms the size of your fist? Join Diane Esson, science manager of deep-sea research capacity-building at MARE-Madeira to learn about these cool critters and more!”
Greenpeace is about to depart on a month-long mission to the Arctic deep-sea. The Deep Arctic Expedition brings together world-leading scientists to explore Arctic seamounts and hydrothermal vent fields – ecosystems so remote they remain largely a mystery to humanity.
Join us onboard their specially equipped research vessel and meet some of the scientists, check out some of the gear they’re using, and see what incredible life they’re finding along the Arctic Mid Ocean Arctic Ridge– one of Earth’s least known wildernesses to depths of up to 3000 meters.
The area of the expedition was opened for deep sea mining by the Norwegian government in 2024, but was halted last year after protests from environmental organisations, scientists and the green opposition parties in Norway. Deep sea mining would, according to many scientists, cause irreversible damage to vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems, including the destruction of habitats, and possibly species extinction. The expedition will focus on exploring seamounts, which are biodiversity hotspots in the deep sea, and hydrothermal vent fields – underwater volcanic hot springs that support life in total darkness.
Get ready to explore the real-life island of Madagascar—not just the one from the movie! In this presentation, Jeyna Tutundzic, Program Officer for the Southwest Indian Ocean Seascape, will dive into Madagascar’s amazing ocean and coastal world. We’ll learn about colorful coral reefs, unique sea animals, and the communities that live by the water and depend on it every day. We’ll also compare what the movie shows us to what Madagascar is really like—what’s true, what’s different, and what makes this island so special in real life. By the end, you’ll see why protecting Madagascar’s oceans matters and how WWF is working to keep them healthy for the future.
Andrew Budziak is a Canadian explorer, filmmaker, and wildlife photographer who tells stories about the hidden natural world especially in places most people don’t think to look. As a Fellow of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and a member of The Explorers Club, Andrew leads the project Freeze The Future, where he and a team of ice divers explore frozen lakes in the winter to study tiny organisms called algae and understand how climate change is affecting our freshwater. Through his films and expeditions, Andrew hopes to inspire students to see science as an adventure and to realize that you don’t have to travel far to discover amazing things – you can start exploring right in your own backyard.
Donate
Help teachers around the world provide world class STEM materials.
Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants is Free for Classrooms Anywhere
