by 
Throughout our voyage, connectivity and collaboration have been common themes. On a social level, we have experienced the interconnectivity between twelve students and five mentors who may have never met otherwise. On a professional and academic level, we have discussed the importance of making connections with professionals in our field. Our mentors come from unique backgrounds in physical oceanography, biological oceanography, geology, geography, and anthropology. I arrived on this cruise with my own biases. As a geology student, I assumed the STEMSEAS program would mostly be a geological excursion. Interacting with these experts expanded my understanding of geology and left me wanting more.
During the cruise, each of the five mentors provided us with engaging and informative lectures about their fields. Within each of these lectures, the speakers provided comments linking their area of passion to that of the other mentors. For example, anthropologist Kris-An Hinds shared with us how the human relationship with nature has changed. This left me wondering, in what ways the various specialties represented on this research expedition (geology, biological oceanography, physical oceanography, geography, and applied anthropology) work together and how each plays a role in their academic relationship. I decided to pose this question to each mentor.
Joseph Montoya, Biological Oceanographer at the Georgia Institute of Technology:
I started by speaking with the Chief Scientist and biological oceanographer, Dr. Joseph Montoya from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Dr. Montoya began his answer by looking at the ocean as a whole and not homing in on just his specialty. “I think a better question is how studying the ocean requires all of these different things. If you want to understand the workings of the ocean, you have to understand how organisms play a role [in it],” Dr. Montoya stated. He further explains, “No one can know everything, but it is helpful to know something about diversity and the abundance and the physiology and diversity of plankton.”
I explained to Dr. Montoya that, as a geology student with no biology background, I had great trepidation about the planktonic aspect of this research cruise. I described how I had originally expected there to be more geology and did not know how to approach these mysterious microscopic wigglers. Dr. Montoya helped bridge that vital connection between the geology that I understand, and the world of biological oceanography explaining that “The little wiggly things can become the rocks!” To take this a step further, the rocks that they become can lead to run-off, depositing minerals in the sea, and nourishing more microorganisms.
In terms of connecting anthropology to biological oceanography, Dr. Montoya provided research into cholera as an example of the intersection of anthropology and biology. An anthropologist would look at how societal behaviors can lead to the spread or communal understanding of the disease. A biologist would look at the actual organisms causing cholera. Both of these approaches, despite being drastically different, are vital for the treatment and understanding of the illness. Dr. Montoya explained, “We don’t live in isolation. We interact with our environment. We have nutritional and other requirements that impact our environment.”
This led me to wonder about the importance of science students making an effort to take science classes outside of their chosen discipline. Dr. Montoya brought up the importance of mathematics as a connecting piece between these various disciplines. “Math will pop up and serve you in ways that you can’t possibly imagine until you run across those problems.”
Kris-An Hinds, PhD Candidate in Applied Anthropology at The University of Southern Florida:
Kris-An Hinds is an applied anthropologist who highlighted the importance of academic collaboration. She explained, “In anthropology, we focus on holism and being as holistic as possible. A lot of time, the different disciplines are siloed and we only focus on our area of specialty. As an applied anthropologist, we are incredibly cross-trained in aspects of multiple disciplines because… to understand what is going on in our world and society we need the perspectives and knowledge from different disciplines”
Ms. Hinds made it clear how important science is to society. “What happens in the science impacts what happens societally, and what happens with society impacts the science.” During her lecture earlier in the week, we learned about the origins of the field of environmental anthropology and how it interconnects with geoscience. Humans have always had a perpetually evolving relationship with nature, both our place in it and how we treat it. Societies are faced with questions regarding what is nature, our role with/over nature, and our impact on the natural world.
I explained to Ms. Hinds that I was initially surprised that there was an anthropologist on the cruise. She laughed and said she gets that a lot. “…when you bring in anthropology, you explain why we as a collective society should care about the work and research scientists are studying. How is this science applicable? How are environmental concerns global?” She continued, “What happens in the Arctic affects what happens in Tropics and we need to understand how this impacts humans….. We are all interconnected and intertwined. Understanding how different groups conceptualize ideas is also important. For example, how Indigenous groups in the Arctic understand the environment is different from how others may view nature from a Westernized lens. It’s always helpful and necessary to understand the science behind the impacts we’re seeing societally.” I asked Ms. Hinds what she had learned from this experience as an anthropologist. She responded, “If I am ever in Jamaica or somewhere else in the Caribbean, I will have a better understanding of the geological phenomenon that is occurring, such as an earthquake. This helps me in my work to explain the impacts the society and understand why it is happening.”
Callan Bentley, Geology Professor at Piedmont Virginia Community College:
Geology Professor from Piedmont Virginia Community College, Callan Bentley, further expanded on the, “why” from a more rock bottom perspective. “Oceans exist because topographic lows exist. Topographic lows exist because of geological processes.” Professor Bentley explained. “The shape of the ocean basins and the evolution of their size over time is dependent on plate tectonics, paleomagnetism, sedimentation, and climate. So, setting the stage for the liquid ocean is a geologist’s job.”
I asked Professor Bentley for his stance on non-geology students taking geology courses, “Everyone should take a geology class because everyone lives on earth. Everyone should take a biology class because everyone is alive. Everyone should take a chemistry class because everyone is made of matter. There is personal relevance far beyond the academic requirements. Academic disciplines are artificial and there’s no natural boundary between the seafloor and sea, and the sea and the organism are all interconnected exchanging nutrients and organisms.”
Amanda Williams, Maritime Geographer at the U.S. Department of State:
The “why” is very important, but as Maritime Geographer for The State Department, Amanda Williams explained, so are the, “when” and “where”. Ms. Williams said, “For geography, the data doesn’t mean much unless you know where and when it occurred. Spatial awareness allows you to analyze patterns and draw relationships between you and what’s going on around you. You need to know where you’re taking these samples to be able to understand these samples.”
I asked Ms. Williams if she thinks that it is important for students who are not seeking geography degrees to take geography classes. “I think every discipline should have a little Geographic Information Systems (GIS) …You should be able to understand the science of where.”
Sandy Lucas, Physical Oceanographer at The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration:
Physical Oceanographer, Sandy Lucas from The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration expanded upon Amanda Williams’s thoughts regarding the “where.” Dr. Lucas states, “From my physical oceanography perspective, the currents in the ocean are moving the plankton around and bringing nutrients into that environment. The physical oceanography is needed to know what a current was, and where it came from.
I explained to Dr. Lucas that when we began the discussion about plankton earlier in the week, I immediately began questioning why I was here and questioning my own intelligence. I wondered if I was the only one who did not have a good grasp on the biological aspect we were discussing and if that was okay. “Part of the whole experience is feeling uncomfortable because that is when you’re leaning…you have to be comfortable sitting in that uncertainty because that’s part of the growth process.” She explained. Ms. Hinds chimed in with the helpful reminder, “If you already knew everything, you would not have been selected for this program. You’re here to learn.”
Many crew members were kind enough to give us talks and tours so we could better understand what they do. We saw how integral each department is to keeping all processes running smoothly, from keeping safe drinking water flowing, to maintaining scientific equipment, to maintaining the internet, to keeping everyone fed and happy. It struck me just how important, and specialized, every person on a vessel like this is. At the end of a tour of the engine room, Third Assistant Engineer Wessel said, “We all have to be good at helping out and educating each other. If there’s something one of us doesn’t know that the other can show them, we do to keep things working.”
The collaboration in the day-to-day operation on board mirrors the collaboration within the science. Without being able to see the ocean from a myriad of perspectives, nothing would completely work. We need to be able to educate one another to gain a better understanding of how oceans formed, why geological events occur, when and where we are, what is out there, and how it impacts us as humans. Like a smooth sailing ship, science is a collaborative effort. As students on a STEMSEAS voyage, we are incredibly lucky to be able to have so many mentors and ship crew members enthusiastic about showing us the importance of teamwork. No discipline exists in a bubble.
Callan Bentley summed up this dynamic relationship: “The planet influences the organisms and organisms influence the planet.” I hope that, as students, we keep this balance in mind and are more willing to expand our academic interests beyond the fields and work we are passionate about to create smooth sailing and effective science. As naturalist John Muir said, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.”
– Mara Cox
