by 
Dearest Gentle Reader,
Today, August 3rd, 2024, marks about 6 days that my fellow STEMSEAS scholars and I have been out and sea, and the experience thus far has been nothing short of amazing. Being from the Sunshine State, Florida, and having never traveled so far northwest or anywhere this far for that matter, this was a journey that I’ll never forget. Even as we come to the bittersweet end of this adventure, it’s been full of so many excursions I would have never dreamed I would be on in a million years. For instance, visiting Earthquake Park and taking in the beauty of an area that was ravaged by a 9.4 quake was memorable. The earthquake leveled and buried a nearby neighborhood through a process called liquefaction, which is when the Earth under the neighborhood lost its structural integrity and acted much like a fluid. As you can imagine it must’ve taken a great deal of force.
Later that day we visited the oh-so-gorgeous Beluga Point and took in the nearby scenery and geology. Then, a select group of students and I were lucky to take a boat trip to visit Resurrection Bay where we got to see more of the local fauna like puffins, otters, eagles, and even mountain goats. With the expertise of Professor Callan Bentley, we were able to identify local rock formations, like ophiolites, sheeted dikes, and pillow basalts. Prof. Callan enthusiastically explained to us what caused their creation.
I, along with a few of my fellow scholars, have never spent time out at sea like this. While it wasn’t fun for some folks, to say the least, I luckily was not affected by the constant swaying and rocking of the waves against the Sikuliaq. Other than the threat of seasickness and sudden losses of balance, life aboard the Sikuliaq has been amazing! The crew has been so hospitable and attentive to our every need. Not to mention how the close-knit and tight crew welcomed us into their family.
Every moment of this opportunity was truly breathtaking. I am more than grateful to have been chosen to be a part of this great team of individuals and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
With warm regards,
Bryan Rosier
