Every journey with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions promises adventure, but some voyages—particularly in the Arctic, Antarctica and Galápagos—give guests the chance to observe research and conservation in action through the Science at Sea program. Ashley Knight, the program’s manager, reveals how science takes the thrill of exploration to the next level.
Get Inspired By Photos, Videos, Webinars, Stories, And Exclusive Offers.
Sign Up
What is the Science at Sea program?
It is defined by three pillars—first, the Visiting Scientist Program, where scientists are invited on board to collect data for their studies and to interact with guests. The second is citizen science—established programs where, with the guidance of naturalists, guests can collect data in the field. The third is a collaborative program, where the fleet’s own naturalists support ongoing research.
What types of research projects can the fleet effectively support? How are visiting scientists selected?
A request for proposals is sent out twice a year detailing the destinations that are accepting projects. A team of highly experienced naturalists evaluates the submissions and decides which projects can be supported on the ships.
The fleet doesn't have elaborate science labs and facilities like you would find on a dedicated research vessel, but the fact that the ships sail to remote locations is very helpful for certain types of projects.
Observational studies are highly encouraged. It’s easy to accommodate scientists who want to stand on the bridge and look for whales, birds or other animals that are typically seen during transits. The ships have also supported environmental DNA research and projects that collect seawater. There is one scientist who regularly travels to remote locations aboard the fleet to install tiny sensors in the inner-tidal regions that track ocean temperatures.
The guest experience is always prioritized, so research needs to seamlessly align with voyage operations. It’s remarkable that the program can support such impactful research with the resources on board.
What makes National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions voyages the ideal platforms for Science at Sea?
For more than 50 years, the fleet has been taking people out into nature—exploration and education are in the company’s DNA. Providing a platform for people to build meaningful projects is a huge contribution to science. Plus, having a scientist on board collecting data gives guests an even deeper perspective about what is happening in a destination. Travelers are always curious and eager to learn, so the opportunity for one-on-one interactions with the scientists is highly prized.
Citizen science projects are a natural fit because they often draw on monitoring the natural world. National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions does a lot with iNaturalist, Happywhale and eBird—apps that invite people to contribute pictures of what they’re seeing in the wild. Over time, scientists can use this information to determine things like the density of invasive species. Observational data is incredibly important in these remote locations.
Can you talk about a notable discovery made by a visiting scientist?
One visiting team has joined the polar fleet in Antarctica for the past 10 years. On every visit, they do a whale assessment. Their findings, which examine the impact of krill populations on whale health, have appeared in nine different publications. It’s exciting that their data comes exclusively from National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions ships.
How do visiting scientists interact with travelers?
Visiting scientists are asked to give presentations about their work and the research that they’re conducting aboard the ship. They will sometimes hold “office hours” on vessels with science hubs. They can use the computers to pull up imagery and graphs from their research and walk guests through findings in greater detail.
What is the biggest value-add of having scientists join expeditions?
They become part of the community, and unite travelers and expedition teams with a common purpose. One example is Rachael Miller, a National Geographic Explorer who studies microplastics. She likes to bring guests out on the Zodiac to help her collect water samples, and everyone has fun taking their turn.
Hosting these projects creates a collaborative atmosphere on board, with the naturalists helping the scientists and the scientists taking out guests to help collect data—the whole group is making the research happen. It fosters camaraderie and reinforces that everyone is on this journey together.
