by 
By Abrian Curington, STEMSEAS Mentor
I have different roles when I’m on the open ocean, depending on the expedition.
Sometimes I’m learning everything I can about the research being done, then communicating that to the public as a Science Communicator. On these trips I keep a sea log of what I’m learning and experiencing. I study through writing:
But sometimes, I’m helping students to communicate what they’re learning as a STEMSEAS Mentor!
STEMSEAS trips often utilize transits: Trips where the ship needs to move to a different location. Typically there is little to no specific at-sea science planned during a transit. Because we’re not putting cameras in the water to explore, nor are we sailing for a specific scientific purpose, I don’t have piles of facts to commit to my journal. This particular transit was fairly rocky and rolly, so we weren’t allowed to look about on deck for a long while. So what went in my sea log, if I wasn’t focused on my own learning? It turned into a personal travelog instead!
Of course, I was also doing some learning, just of a different sort! During the trip, I led a workshop about making zines, showcasing something that we knew well. Zines are booklets, typically small and reproducible on a copy machine, that are meant to be shared! For my zine, I decided to finally crack the mystery of how sound-powered phones work. The sound-powered phones are one of four different communication devices available to use aboard the R/V Atlantis, and I’ve never understood how they functioned without electricity.
So I ran around the ship asking questions, and ultimately got to use one myself! Here is the resulting zine, made just before the workshop as an example. I added tone once I was back on shore, since I brought limited tech along with me on this transit:
Next up, here are two of the group’s projects, created and scanned onboard. Both decided to work in color, which wasn’t picked up too well on the ship’s scanner, but imperfection is one of the most charming parts of analog zine making!
Dr. Tess Weathers wrote about the magic of STEMSEAS and the bonds we made with each other:
Student Trinity Barrueta wrote about collecting treasures at the beach:
The best part about our workshop was that many of the participants identified as neither artists, nor writers, but with almost no direction, each one of them created really interesting stories or guides within just a few hours. I learned something from each project created, both about the wide world around us, and my fellow crewmembers.
This STEMSEAS cruise will be fondly remembered in pictures, both taken and created.
