Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Guest Explorer: Gaelin Rosenwaks


Gaelin Rosenwaks is the Founder and President of Global Ocean Exploration. Always fascinated by the marine world, Gaelin began diving at 14 and has since continued exploring ocean ecosystems.

Beginning her career at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution studying Southern Ocean zooplankton, Gaelin earned her Master’s Degree at Duke University while working with Tag-A-Giant to track bluefin tuna. From the Antarctic to the Arctic to the Pacific and Atlantic, Gaelin has conducted fieldwork in most of the world's oceans. For Gaelin, there is nothing better than being in the open ocean surrounded by endless blue water and passing wildlife.

To share her passion for ocean exploration, marine conservation and photography, Gaelin founded Global Ocean Exploration (GOE) in 2008. She now participates and conducts expeditions in every ocean to alert the public to the challenges facing the oceans and what scientists are doing to understand these changes.

Gaelin is a US Coast Guard Licensed Captain, and a Fellow of both the Royal Geographical Society and the Explorers Club where she served as Secretary of the Board of Directors. She has also appeared as a scientific consultant and angler on the National Geographic Channel Series, Fish Warrior.

Follow Gaelin's expeditions on Twitter @GaelinGOExplore or visit her website!


Getting to Know Gaelin Rosenwaks
  1. Why do you explore? How are you continually inspired to explore?

    I explore because I have a constant curiosity about the planet and our oceans. I am not satisfied with looking at pictures in a book. I always have more questions, I want to take that step beyond the beaten path to find out more no matter where I am in life. My expeditions have taken me to remote areas, some of which have been traveled to before, but it is what is beyond the known that drives me to continue to explore and share what I find.

  2. Is there one expedition in the past or future that you consider to be the culmination of your career?

    While I have been on many amazing expeditions and have many in mind for the future, I don't think that I can even think about the culmination of my career at this point. In fact, I believe that the nature of exploration makes this question impossible to answer as there is always something more out there, a new adventure, a fantastic discovery.

    Until the end of my career and upon reflection, perhaps I could answer this, but I can never see a culmination. If I do, I suppose I would stop exploring. I can say that my first expedition to the Antarctic early in my career set the bar high for all of my future exploration.

  3. Most people think explorers are daredevils and risk-takers- how do you perceive risk?

    I think that this is one of the greatest misperceptions about explorers, but I realize that while I do not see myself as a risk-taker, others perceive me as one. While I go to far-off, remote places and enter into situations where I do not know the outcome, I am always as prepared as possible for all that I may encounter so as to eliminate as much risk as possible. Careful preparation and an understanding of one's limits minimizes a great deal of risk.

  4. What are the greatest personal or professional challenges you face as an explorer?

    The greatest personal challenge is being away from home for long periods of time and often in places with limited connectivity. Once in the field, it is fine, but when my dogs are sitting on my duffel bags not wanting me to leave, it makes leaving difficult!

  5. Do you have one piece of advice for anyone of any age who dreams of exploring the oceans?

    There is nothing better in life than to follow your dreams and passion. With hard work and persistence, you can achieve your dreams and whenever the road gets tough, just go to the beach and take a deep breath of salt air into your lungs; it will remind you instantly why you are on your path.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

5 Exploration Lessons From Entrepreneurs

I have many friends who are entrepreneurs, and I have many friends who are explorers. Even though their paths rarely cross, I believe they are kindred spirits. As such, they have much to learn from each other. Here are 5 lessons that explorers can learn from their entrepreneurial brothers and sisters:


1. IDEAS ARE A DIME A DOZEN

All entrepreneurs suffer from a common disease, Idea-itis, which essentially results in the proliferation of countless business ideas ... each of them with the potential to turn into "the next Facebook" or to "change the world." Unfortunately, they eventually find that there are very few original ideas, and regardless ideas are not nearly as important as execution. As the saying goes, "talk is cheap." In fact, a popular refrain among early-stage investors is that "flawless execution always trumps a superior plan."

Likewise, all explorers have multiple ideas for expeditions ... each of them with the potential for huge scientific discoveries or other successes. Unfortunately, a relatively small percentage of these ideas are turned into successful expeditions. Explorers should instead concentrate their efforts on creating plans for their expeditions and executing them.


2. FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS

As a follow-on to the previous lesson, entrepreneurs are always told to "focus, focus, focus," especially in the early stages of their ventures. Even once they pick a single business idea and start executing on their plan, it is too tempting to start growing and expanding before the young company is ready. With limited resources, a new venture cannot afford any distractions.

Once an explorer chooses to pursue a particular expedition and begins executing on that plan, they should maintain focus throughout the process. It is far too easy to lose sight of the mission objectives, so explorers should avoid getting distracted by other additional objectives ... what consultants call "scope creep." The most successful expeditions push the limits of the team and its resources, but always focused toward a common objective.


3. FAILURE CAN (AND SHOULD) BE AN OPTION

Part of what makes Silicon Valley, well, Silicon Valley, is that technology entrepreneurs there live by the code of "fail early, fail often." The general precept is that you don't want to spend too much time, money, and resources pursuing a business model that was flawed from the beginning. You would much prefer to find out early if your idea is doomed, so you can switch to a better idea. The underlying premise is that nothing is a true failure as long as you learn from it and apply those lessons to future ventures.

This particular entrepreneurial lesson does not carry over 100% to the world of exploration, because in this line of work failure can often lead to personal injury or even death. However, despite this caveat, the general idea still holds. Every successful expedition in human history built upon the work of earlier explorers ... some successful, others not so much. No failed mission is a true failure as long as we can learn from it and apply those lessons to future expeditions. In fact, often this type of mentality is precisely what can save lives when expeditions hit insurmountable obstacles and expedition leaders are willing to turn back short of their mission objective rather than take on unnecessary risks.


4. NEVER BE THE SMARTEST PERSON IN THE ROOM

Early-stage investors like to say "we invest in teams, not ideas." Likewise, almost every successful entrepreneur credits their venture's success to the strength of their team. Unless an entrepreneur is Steve Jobs, they should never be the smartest person in the room, because they can always benefit from the expertise and experience of other members of their team. In startups, this means building a team comprised of the best people an entrepreneur knows who can help with finance, sales, operations, engineering, etc. Guy Kawasaki has said that at Apple they lived by the saying, "A players hire A+ players, but B players hire C players, and C players hire D players."

While they may have the idea for an expedition and the drive to push it to success, explorers should remember that they cannot do everything by themselves. Not only is exploration a "team sport," but also explorers need to have enough self-confidence to surround themselves with experts who are much more experienced and knowledgeable than they are.


5. GREED ... IS GOOD

In the 1987 film Wall Street, Michael Douglas' character, Gordon Gekko, famously declared that "greed is good." While many entrepreneurs have adopted that as their mantra, Gekko never really uttered those exact words. More insightful entrepreneurs are familiar with the full quotation, which also provides good lessons for explorers:

Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures, the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms--greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge--has marked the upward surge of mankind, and greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the U.S.A.

We all seem to accept that true explorers must have a passion for their work. While cooperation and collaboration among explorers is arguably preferable to ruthless competition, the most successful explorers throughout history have been extremely "greedy"... at least by the general concepts in Gekko's speech. They strive for knowledge and achievement with all of their might, and they absolutely will not let anything stand in their way. Granted, we might call this more "perseverance" or "ambition" than "greed," but the personal drive is the same: in order to accomplish great feats, explorers should desire huge success for themselves, for their teams, and for their expeditions.




Contributed by

Guillermo A. Söhnlein
Founder & CEO
Blue Marble Exploration
Atlanta, GA, USA

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Adventures of an Aquanaut:
Exploration to Inspire STEM Learning

It has been exactly 10 years since I fulfilled a childhood dream of visiting Antarctica.

As an Antarctic Studies student at the University of Canterbury, I was given the opportunity to spend two weeks at New Zealand’s Scott Base on Ross Island. This internationally competitive postgraduate course provided first-hand experience of living and working in the extreme polar environment.

It was a life-changing event that ignited my passion to inspire the public, particularly young people, to live more sustainably and harmoniously. Rather than pursue a Research Higher Degree, I returned home to Australia with the idea of using unusual exploration initiatives to inspire STEM learning.


BioSUB

Funding for my first initiative, the BioSUB Project, was provided through a $50,000 sponsorship prize I won in the Australian Geographic 'Live your dream' Wildest Adventure Competition. My idea was to spend two weeks living in an underwater capsule at the bottom of a lake in a one-of-a-kind science adventure. Making headlines around the world, the BioSUB was a great success and a real labor of love for which I received the coveted Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year award.



The BioSUB was designed as a partly regenerative system and evolved into a virtual underwater classroom. Some of the oxygen I needed to survive underwater was generated by a photosynthetic bioreactor designed and built by students from a high school Advanced Biology class. I also built a pedal powered generator that produced enough electricity to power my laptop. I used cameras, the Internet and a telecom system to communicate with people from all over the world from the depths of the lake. Thousands of people worldwide followed my progress over the Internet.


Life Amphibious

My projects are a way of raising awareness of critical environmental issues around the globe in a fun, provocative and scientific way. My next project, Life Amphibious, was an adventurous human-powered submarine expedition through the Greek islands. In partnership with the Mediterranean Association to Save the Sea Turtles, I promoted their “Small Garbage” campaign in island schools. The Ecole de Technologie Superieure in Montreal, Canada, supported me by sending an assistant professor, four young engineers and their pioneering Omer 6 submarine to Greece for the expedition.


The submarine featured a biology-inspired design, resembling a penguin, as the means of propulsion. The aim of the Life Amphibious project was threefold: to get young people excited about science and engineering; to inspire environmental awareness; to provide university students with an educational experience that translated their theoretical knowledge into reality.


LEGOLAND ATLANTIS

In 2010, I completed a project with LEGOLAND Deutschland® as Project Manager and “Edutainer”. My role was to launch the LEGOLAND Year of Records by living in an underwater house in the LEGOLAND ATLANTIS by SEA LIFE aquarium. I entered on 30 March and surfaced again two weeks later having achieved a new Guinness World Record for the most electricity generated by pedaling underwater (2,502 watt hours).



It was a globally unique experiment with over 100,000 children and parents visiting me on location in LEGOLAND Deutschland® and via the Web site. The project featured on National Geographic Channel’s Naked Science ‘City Under the Sea’ documentary and with over 100 million viewers globally, the project was awarded a silver medal at the Econ Awards in Germany in the category “PR-Activity”.


Tik and Bubbles Underwater Headquarters

Most recently, I started developing a new educational initiative called Tik and Bubbles with the intention of designing community-based science projects that are creative, collaborative, challenging and fun. Tik, an underwater superhero, will encourage young people to pursue STEM studies and careers, promote and protect Australia’s marine biodiversity and lead an active and healthy lifestyle.



I have just completed a successful peerfunding campaign with StartSomeGood to create the ultimate underwater superhero headquarters to be located off the coast of Australia. I raised over $33,000 and set a new Australian record using their peerfunding platform. Let the challenge begin!

I invite you to follow my new project as it unfolds and encourage you to get in touch with any ideas or questions you may have. If you’d like to get involved in some way please let me know, as I am sure we can find a way.

Follow Lloyd's exploration adventure initiatives on Twitter @Lloyd_Godson or visit his website!




Contributed by

Lloyd Godson
Marine Edutainer and Aquanaut
New South Wales, Australia

Thursday, November 21, 2013

To the Deep!
A Starter Guide to Submersibles

Know the difference between a submarine and a submersible? Planning an underwater expedition and need to get a landlubber crew to the deep? Here’s a beginner's guide to human-occupied submersibles to get started.

The history of ocean exploration is well known: the descent of the Bathysphere, Jacques Cousteau, Sylvia Earle, and the discovery of the RMS Titanic wreck are familiar to most. But what options still exist for humans to explore the oceans in person? Only 5% of the ocean, the earth’s largest habitat, has been explored. Humans have a long way to go; what technology exists to continue to explore and push the limits of human understanding?


(Left to Right) Beebe and Barton's Bathysphere and wreck of the RMSTitanic

Whereas submarines are fully autonomous large vessels offering long-term living space for many people, manned submersibles (subs) are small and require surface support, but are highly versatile. Research institutions, governments, and private companies around the world have built submersibles primarily to conduct oceanographic and archaeological research underwater first-hand.


(Left to Right) Cutaways of a submarine and a submersible

As new technologies develop, filmmakers, marine resource prospectors and tourism outfits are using subs to gain access to previously unreachable parts of the planet. Though each sub is unique and adaptable for use across industries, there are several common designs.


Spherical & Hemispherical Dome Submersibles

This style of sub allows for the most immersive underwater experience ranging from depths of 200-1000m for multiple pilots and passengers. The large field of view makes these subs ideal platforms for filmmaking and photography as well as conducting research and exploratory missions. In addition to use by scientific institutions, these subs are also increasingly built by for-profit companies and purchased by private individuals.

(Left to Right) OceanGate's Antipodes, GEOMAR's Jago, Triton's 3300


Deep Submergence Vehicles

Almost exclusively built by national governments, Deep Submergence Vehicles (DSVs) are the “space shuttles” of the sea, built to push the limits of human exploration of the sea and reach 4,500-11,000m. Currently, China, Japan, Russia, France and the US own and operate DSVs in partnership with scientific institutions. To withstand the intense pressure of the deep, windows are small and limit the view outside. Sampling equipment, like manipulator arms and pressurized containers to collect samples are common on these subs, often used in tandem with Remotely-Operated Vehicles (ROVs).

(Left to Right) WHOI's DSV Alvin, Ifremer's DSV Nautile, JAMSTEC's DSV Shinkai


'Flying' Submersibles

Built more like a plane than a submersible, these subs “fly” through the water, offering a unique exploratory experience. Capable of higher speeds and greater maneuverability than traditional bulbous subs, these winged subs can also be launched without surface support. Diving up to 200m, this type of submersible attracts a market of private individuals, allowing thrill-seeking exploration enthusiasts an unusual glimpse of the underwater world.

(Left to Right) Sub Aviator Systems' Super Aviator and Hawke's DeepFlight Super Falcon


Commercial Submersibles

The workhorses of the sea, commercial subs are built to assist in rescue and salvage operations, oilrig inspection and maintenance, seafloor mineral resource development and film and data collection. For the most part, these subs are owned by private companies and contracted by government, military, and scientific institutions. Highly maneuverable to enable underwater work, these subs carry one or two pilots and reach depth ranges from 50-1000m.

(Left to Right) Nuytco Research's DeepWorker and Dual DeepWorker

These common submersible designs may be found exploring the ocean in every corner of the planet, and new designs continue to be developed to reach new depths and achieve innovative goals. With so much of the earth's largest habitat unexplored and unknown, the future of human exploration of the ocean using manned submersibles promises to be an exciting one!

Photo credits: Manned Underwater Vehicles Committee's Sub Database



Contributed by

Samantha Wishnak
Education and Outreach Coordinator
Blue Marble Exploration
Brooklyn, NY, USA

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Expedition Photography:
Recording the Journey

Storytelling and the ability to share one’s expeditions and discoveries are key elements to exploration. During the expeditions of early explorers, like Columbus and James Cook, paintings and drawings captured moments of discovery and hardships. An expedition artist was always brought along to document the journey. Once photography was invented, expedition photographers were brought to photograph these moments of discovery along with the daily life during the journey.


When I think of the seminal work of an expedition photographer, I recall Frank Hurley’s images from Shackleton’s Endurance Expedition in 1914. Through his images, one can get a sense of the desolation of being trapped in the ice and feel the cramped living quarters of the ship during the day-to-day operation. Once trapped in the ice, the images become more compelling as he continued to photograph the ship being crushed by the ice and life on the ice once the ship went down. These images bring the story to life and allow for a deeper connection than words alone. Photographs, like the early paintings, capture the intangible while bringing you into the moment.


Photography has come a long way and is now accessible to everyone and, for that reason, plays an even more important role in our expeditions and storytelling. As an explorer and expedition photographer, I am acutely aware that followers of my expeditions expect to see compelling images.

We now have the ability to bring people sitting on their couches along on the journey in real time. Through blogging and social media, viewers can experience expeditions in the most remote corners of the world through both still images and video, getting a sense of place as exploration happens. Because of this technology, we end up with an unedited version that captures moments and raw emotions rather than, as the explorer and photographer, we remember it once we are home. I think this is extremely powerful.


As a photographer, my camera is always with me on an expedition to catch that unexpected moment, but also to capture the everyday. Moments from an icicle hanging from a ship railing, to the first glimpse of sea ice when steaming north in the Arctic Ocean, or the science being conducted on board. All are documented in an effort to record the journey and share these precious moments from remote corners of the world.


More of Gaelin's photography may be found at Global Ocean Exploration's website, and follow along with her expeditions on Twitter @GaelinGOExplore!

Photo credits: Gaelin Rosenwaks' Arctic acidification expedition (all color photos), Frank Hurley's Antarctic expedition (black and white photos)




Contributed by

Gaelin Rosenwaks
Founder/CEO
Global Ocean Exploration
New York, NY USA

Friday, October 11, 2013

Exploration Live!
From the Deep Sea to Outer Space

Want to explore the depths of the ocean or the far reaches of the universe without leaving home? Researchers and explorers are increasingly offering ways to join their expeditions around the world in real time, no matter your location.

Thanks to video streaming from robots and submersibles and live videoconferencing with astronauts and aquanauts, all you need is an internet connection to experience first-hand the thrill of discovery!


NAUTILUS LIVE

With a mission to bring the deep sea into homes and classrooms around the world, the Ocean Exploration Trust operates the E/V Nautilus in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. Led by founder Dr. Robert Ballard, a rotating team of scientists guides expeditions from onboard the ship and through “telepresence,” allowing for researchers to collaborate from afar.


Video captured by ROVs streams to the Inner Space Center at the University of Rhode Island where it is examined and simultaneously broadcast live to the public. This month, the Nautilus is exploring seafloor ecosystems with active seismic and volcanic activity near the West Indies.


NOAA OKEANOS EXPLORER

It may come as a surprise that some of this summer’s most popular reality television was streamed live…from the deep! The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration made a media splash with their expedition on the Okeanos Explorer off the coast of the Northeastern US, hooking tens of thousands of viewers.

With daily coverage and live analysis by biologists, geologists and oceanographers likened to sports commentary, NOAA succeeds in getting a whole new audience excited about their daily deep sea squid sightings.




SLOOH SPACE CAMERA

Connecting land-based observatories to the internet, Slooh offers live broadcasts of events in space including spacecraft transits and asteroid and comet sightings. In 2011, Slooh’s footage of the total lunar eclipse was streamed live through Google, reaching billions of viewers, and this week streamed the fly-by of NASA’s Juno spacecraft on the way to Jupiter.


Making outer space even more accessible, Slooh engages a citizen scientist network to crowd-source broadcasts and recently released an iPad app allowing anyone to capture photos remotely using their observatory’s telescopes!


NASA

NASA has also engaged a wider audience through live-streaming events from the International Space Station. Astronauts host Google+ Hangouts, fielding questions from viewers around the world, and even teach mini lessons about gravity and physics from the ISS.


On Earth, NASA recently partnered with privately funded Orbital Sciences to live broadcast their Cygnus rocket launch, carrying supplies to the ISS.





With less than 5% of our world’s oceans explored and a whole universe outside of our planet, human exploration is at an exciting peak. Now, live streaming expeditions and events help make otherworldly landscapes accessible to anyone with an internet connection!





Contributed by

Samantha Wishnak
Education and Outreach Coordinator
Blue Marble Exploration
Brooklyn, NY, USA

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Student Explorer: Rebecca Ziegler


As a Blue Marble Exploration Student Explorer, Rebecca combines her lifelong enthusiasm for “the big blue” with the formal study of the world beneath the surface.

Currently a student at the University of Hawai'i-Hilo, Rebecca is working towards degrees in Marine Science and Communications. A PADI-certified Divemaster and AAUS Scientific Diver, Rebecca works as a research assistant and field-lab technician in the Marine Science department. Most recently she participated in a shark tagging field course and became a responder for stranded sea turtles on the Big Island. While not in the water, Rebecca leads fellow students on outdoor adventures around the island through her university’s student recreation program.

While in high school, Rebecca served as a Youth Ambassador for Scott Cassell’s Undersea Voyager Project, participating in a submersible pilot training program and learning new ways to explore the ocean. In 2011 her underwater footage of a baby Gray Whale taken while SCUBA diving in Laguna Beach, CA quickly went viral and was shown on media outlets around the country, launching Rebecca into the world of underwater filming and photography. This experience inspired her to start an online campaign to save the Aquarius Reef Base, resulting in a chance to dive to the base in person! Rebecca continues to use her passion for exploration to inspire her peers to get excited and take action to conserve the ocean.

Follow Rebecca's adventures on Twitter @BectheDiver or visit her website!


Getting to Know Rebecca Ziegler
  1. Why do you explore? How are you continually inspired to explore?

    Ever since I was young my imagination has run rampant with adventures in unknown places, always wanting to see new things and experience the world. Besides watching shows or movies about far-off places, listening to the stories from people I meet from other countries keeps me driven to explore beyond my backyard. I have always loved being around the ocean, when it came time to pick a career, it seemed like a no brainer! The ocean is so vast, with so little of it explored and so much still to learn, I have jumped at any chance to get my feet wet.

  2. Is there one expedition in your future towards which you are continuously striving?

    South Africa is currently on the top of my radar for future expeditions. I am hoping to do both a wildlife filmmaking program and a great white shark research internship there this coming summer. This will be the first time I will be in a new country, across the world by myself, and I can’t wait!

  3. Do you have one piece of advice for other students who dream of exploring the ocean?

    My advice would be to challenge yourself to try something new whenever you can. Whether it be a new sport, hobby or even going on a club event, you never know who you will meet along the way, or what you will learn! I have learned the only things I have ever regretted are things I didn’t do. Get involved with any local dive clubs, aquariums, or beach cleanups. Stay updated on the latest in the underwater world and if your ocean hero is making a stop near your hometown for a conference- go see them! Introduce yourself, shake their hand, and don’t be shy. Step out of your comfort zone, dare to dream, and you might discover something new.

  4. Who are your role models in exploration and why do they inspire you?

    My role models in exploration range from Her Deepness, Sylvia Earle, to Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his family’s legacy of ocean exploration. Their pioneering feats in the underwater world feed my hunger for pursuing my own adventures. But more personally my family, friends, and colleagues inspire me to dream, discover and explore the world around me.