This afternoon we sailed into Palmyra Atoll. At
around 1500h, our standing bow-watch, Lucas, yelled ‘Land Ho!’ with excitement
upon discerning the silhouette of the island. Standing on the tip of the bow, a
group of us then gathered with binoculars to confirm that we did in fact see
land ahead. We were subsequently guided into the magical atoll by flocks of
gracious sea birds, and welcomed by energetic dolphins leaping in the water off
the starboard side.
As we approached the pristine atoll, we began to
see individual trees and several islets, surrounded by multi-tonal turquoise
water, lush green vegetation, and wispy skies painting a picture with colors of
brightness so high they cannot be captured through a camera lens. Students and
staff swarmed to the forward deck to witness this moment, and for the quietest
period of time I’ve ever experienced on the deck of the Robert C. Seamans, there was complete silence as we all gazed in
awe at the surreal image forming in front of us. Palmyra had us all in a
trance, a fixation that was only broken by the rush of students to the portside
quarterdeck, where someone announced a sighting of manta rays as we were
anchoring in front of the marine research station.
Approaching Palmyra was like entering a wild
virgin land of a different era. We felt like true explorers encountering what
seemed like a mirage in the middle of the Pacific after ten days of purely open
seas.
This thirst for exploration is a unifying theme
in our diverse group. In one way or another, we are all driven by a powerful
curiosity to understand the world around us. Through scientific pursuits, and
through individual reflection. This innate yearning for discovery is what
brings people out to sea in the first place. We are participating in a
fascinating marine research excursion and engaging in a riveting sailing
adventure, but we are also on a transcendental journey of deep personal growth
and life re-evaluation. Altering the baseline of reality has forced us to
discover our truest self, unhindered by society, standards, work, or school –
just the ship and the open ocean.
While the sea has helped us discover ourselves,
we’ve also been discovering the complexities of the sea throughout our
expedition. Students on the trip are all pursuing independent research projects
to answer innovative questions about marine biology and oceanography, aiming to
explain an aspect of the ocean they’re fervently passionate about. Guided by
world-class scientists whose pursuits have also been driven by this same
unquenchable desire for exploration, we’ve been exposed to different ways of
viewing discovery. Discovery can involve evaluating a phenomenon through a
different lens, finding out something completely new, encountering an unnamed
species, or synthesizing data and attempting to make sense of the wonders of
nature. We are mesmerized by the magnificence of our planet and use science to
decipher its beautiful intricacies. Charles Darwin made his greatest
discoveries regarding speciation on the voyage of the HMS Beagle when he was
about 22-years-old. There is something
remarkable about this period in our lives, where vitality, open-mindedness, and
the curiosity of youth perfectly merge with intellectual development, critical
thought, and scientific exploration. Everyone on this ship exhibits this
insatiable curiosity and I know great things are to come.
For me, arriving at Palmyra felt like I was on
the brink of discovery, I was discovering a mystical new place and about to
begin my exciting research project on coral reefs, where I’ll be delving into
the largely unexplored field of coral disease ecology and trying to figure out
how coral disease might be transmitted and propagated. Hopefully I’ll discover
something new and shed some light on disease dynamics through my studies in
this magnificent atoll just waiting to be explored. I am excited for all the
discoveries we’ll make on our voyage, and am thrilled to continue this
adventure with such a phenomenal group of young explorers!
-Nicole Rodriguez
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