Naming every expedition participant in a telepresence-enabled mission is next to impossible! Many from dozens of institutions across the country have provided input into the expedition plan and are expected to participate. However, we've assembled information about the members of the team who are physically onboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.
And of course, none of this exploration would be possible without the work of the dedicated NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and civilians who operate NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer as part of NOAA's fleet managed by NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation.
Assistant Professor, California State University, Sacramento
Leg 2
Dr. Amy Wagner has been teaching oceanography, geochemistry, and marine geology at Sacramento State since 2015. Although she grew up in the Arizona desert, she was always drawn to the ocean, is an avid SCUBA diver, and loves being at sea. She earned her undergraduate degree in Marine Science from Texas A&M University, Galveston and her Ph.D. in Oceanography from Texas A&M University, with a focus on paleoceanography and paleoclimate. In Sacramento, she is the founder of the WagsLab (https://wagslab.weebly.com/ ), which provides undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct water isotope research projects. Amy has participated in over a dozen research cruises in all the world’s oceans except the Arctic, including one dive aboard the human operated vehicle Alvin. During the expedition, she will be co-science lead, helping to guide remotely operated vehicle dives, providing narrative regarding the seafloor and the geology, providing commentary on squishy sea critters, and interacting with shore-based scientists.
Temple University
Leg 2
Alexis Weinnig is a Ph.D. candidate at Temple University in Dr. Erik Cordes’ deep-sea ecology laboratory. Before starting her Ph.D. at Temple University, Alexis completed a M.Sc. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at San Francisco State University and the California Academy of Sciences in 2015. Her first experience with marine research was at Florida Institute of Technology, where she earned a B.Sc. in Biological Oceanography in 2012. Much of her research involves understanding how humans are influencing deep-sea coral communities. To better understand this, she is conducting multiple-stressor experiments, in the laboratory at Temple University, exposing Lophelia pertusa colonies to various levels of pH, temperature, and oil-dispersant mixtures. Assessments of coral health are recorded during and after exposures by examining both the physiological and transcriptomic response of the coral. Alexis has participated in research cruises using submersibles and remotely operated vehicles in the Gulf of Mexico, the Central Pacific, and this will be her third research cruise in the Atlantic Ocean off of the southeastern United States. She is excited to continue exploring and documenting the incredibly diverse and interesting habitats in America’s underwater backyard!
Mechanical Engineer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Tony Arnold currently splits his time between working for the Navy at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Keyport, Washington, and assisting the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration with ROV operations. He holds a B.S. and a M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hawaii, focused on autonomous robotics in the Field Robotics Lab. Tony started his career as a Mechanical Engineer in the Unmanned Underwater Vehicle group at NUWC, Keyport, and is currently working as an Electrical Engineer in the Rapid Prototyping and Fabrication Technology Division. Tony brings with him a wide range of skills and experience in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and software design.
Hydrographer and Marine Geologist
Leg 1
Neah Baechler is a contract Hydrographer and Marine Geologist dedicated to exploring the depths of our planet’s most elusive ecosystem: the ocean. She began her career at the College of Charleston in South Carolina as a Benthic Acoustic Mapping and Sonar (BEAMS) program student, honing her skills in seafloor mapping. Through the BEAMS program, Neah had the opportunity to sail on multiple research expeditions with NOAA, the University of Washington, and with hydrographic firms in the private sector. These experiences jump started her love for ocean research and time spent at sea. Since earning her Bachelor of Science in 2015, Neah has dedicated herself to exploration and discovery, traveling and mapping the seafloor in far reaching locations. Her passion for research expeditions has only grown, and she plans to further her sub-surface study in a graduate program focused around temperature-driven ocean circulation and its effects on climate. Neah hopes to spread her enthusiasm for all things marine through outreach and documentary filmmaking, educating people about the widespread impacts our ocean has on our daily life.
Outside of hydrography, time well spent for Neah is hiking, camping or reading in a quiet corner of her Portland, Oregon home.
NOAA Teacher at Sea
Leg 1
Jill is the Ohio Sea Grant College Program Extension Educator for Lake and Ashtabula Counties. She works with communities to conduct outreach and education about Lake Erie; identify community needs in regards to research, funding, or scientific expertise; develop partnerships to foster a collaborative approach to management of natural resource issues; and bring science into the decision-making process at the individual and community level. Her areas of focus include outdoor environmental education, marine debris, wildlife ecology, climate change impacts on coastal communities, interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving, engagement of relevant stakeholders, contextual mapping, and use of science in the decision-making process. Jill earned a dual B.S in wildlife ecology and outdoor education with a minor in marine biology from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 2012. She continued her studies at UNH by earning an M.S. in Integrated Coastal Ecosystem Science, Policy, and Management in 2015. Her knowledge in freshwater, estuarine, and marine systems and understanding of management strategies at the local and international scale give Jill a unique perspective on the challenges facing coastal communities and the diversity of approaches for identifying solutions to these problems. Jill holds certifications in Basic SCUBA from NAUI, Leave No Trace Trainer from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, Ohio Boating Education Course from the Ohio Department of National Resources-Division of Watercraft, and Level 1 QDC/HWP Training from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. During Leg 1 of the expedition, Jill will be posting blogs on the NOAA Teacher at Sea website.
Electronic Systems Engineer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Legs 1 and 2
Roland Brian brings 29 years of experience and a keen eye for precision HD video to the program as a video/satellite and telepresence engineer. Roland began his career in the U.S. Air Force where he worked as a Satellite Communications Engineering Technician with visions of working on the U.S. Space Station. He traded in that quest for one of deep-ocean exploration and sharing beautiful imagery with the world. He has worked with the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) and the Okeanos Explorer Program since 2009 and has been engaged in every telepresence-enabled remotely operated vehicle (ROV) expedition. He has also provided services for other projects using OER’s mobile telepresence system, including the 2012 Ring of Fire Expedition. His duties aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer include operation and maintenance of the ship's Telepresence and video systems, including on ROV Deep Discoverer and the Seirios camera platform. Again, Roland’s experience embodies the breadth and depth of knowledge the OER program encourages. When not fine-tuning the video and telepresence systems or training and mentoring new team members, he's actively involved in the editing process of our ever-expanding ocean exploration video library. While not at sea, Roland enjoys life with his wife and family in sunny Sarasota, Florida.
Expedition Coordinator
NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research
Leg 2
Kasey Cantwell is a Project Coordinator with the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER). Kasey has a Master of Science degree in Marine Affairs and Policy and Marine Geology and Geophysics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Science and Biology, both from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Kasey is responsible for coordinating telepresence-enabled expeditions conducted onboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Since joining OER in 2012, she has coordinated over a dozen expeditions and projects, including multidisciplinary expeditions to the Atlantic submarine canyons, the Marianas, Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, Glacier Bay National Park, and offshore the southeastern United States.
Beyond deep-sea exploration, Kasey’s background includes imagery-based mapping of coral reefs throughout the Caribbean, long-term ecosystem monitoring, and evaluating resource management strategies to improve efficiency and data quality.
Mechanical Engineer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Joshua Carlson attended the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, where he received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with minor in Business Administration. He went on to receive his M.S. in Marine Observation Technology from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology. Josh has a diverse background, encompassing the use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and other types of ocean observation platforms for the purpose of studying ocean turbulence. He has designed and built a deep-ocean camera platform for filming deep-water krill in the Antarctic Ocean and provided mechanical engineering and software capabilities on the Woods Hole Oceanographic AUV Sentry during a recent cruise aboard the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer. In his current position with NOAA’s Ocean Exploration program, Josh provides engineering, programming, and at-sea support, acting in the capacity of navigator, pilot, and co-pilot for NOAA’s 6000-meter-rated remotely operated vehicle system, Deep Discoverer. His broad range of skills in both engineering and software control development makes him an invaluable member of our team. When not traveling, Josh resides in Fairhaven, Massachusetts.
Explorer-in-Training
Leg 1
Currently an Ocean Engineering Ph.D. candidate at the University of New Hampshire, Allisa specializes in autonomous marine vehicles with specific interest in autonomous decision making, mission planning, and obstacle avoidance for seafloor mapping and scientific data collection applications. She has gained further experience interning and collaborating with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center – Division Keyport, Washington. Allisa graduated in 2016 from Connecticut College with a B.A. in Physics and minors in Mathematics and Environmental Studies. To supplement her studies, she participated in the study abroad program SEA Semester (Sea Education Association, Woods Hole), first as an undergraduate student and later returning as a deckhand for the program’s transatlantic trip, sailing from Woods Hole to Cork, Ireland.
Video Engineer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Brian Doros is a Television Broadcast Engineer, born in Long Branch, New Jersey. Active in sports throughout high school, Brian moved to southern California spending the next few years traveling the world surfing then exploring his technical interests at college in San Diego, California. After changing his course of study to electronics, he then focused on Broadcast Electronics and Technical Maintenance in Broadcasting. His career path first led him to employment at IBM/MCA Video Laser Disc Company in Costa Mesa, California, doing research and development in the early days of optical laser disc, then to Los Angeles where he specialized in film for television post production. The next several years were spent working in the Hollywood post production industry at Paramount Pictures, MGM / Lorimar Telepictures, 20th Century Fox, NFL Films, and Sony Broadcast Company North America, contributing to his 25 years of experience in television post production and broadcast systems integration. After Hollywood, Brian worked in the fiel,d traveling and upgrading network television facilities to digital broadcasting capabilities during the analog to digital conversion. He now has moved on to less broadcast traditional applications of his background working in his current position.
Sample Data Manager
NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research
Leg 2
During the mission, LTJG Christopher “J” Dunn will be the Sample Data Manager, assisting in processing collected samples and ensuring their proper archival. In addition, he will be shadowing Kasey Cantwell to prepare for the role of expedition coordinator. J Dunn is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer; he taught science and local language in Ugandan colleges and primary schools. He joined NOAA as a commissioned officer in 2016. His first ship was the hydrographic survey vessel NOAA Ship Rainier. He assisted in her missions across Alaska and the West Coast as her Navigation Officer and as a Hydrographer in Charge. In 2019, he joined the team at the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research in Rhode Island. Originally from Wisconsin, J studied geography and molecular biology as an undergraduate. He hopes to set foot on all seven continents with only one more to go – Antarctica this winter.
Network Systems Engineer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Mark holds a B.S. in Information Technology and a Masters in Computer Information Systems from Tarleton State University, where he focused on network security solutions. Mark has over 28 years experience in designing, testing, and supporting numerous variations of voice/data wired/wireless telecommunications networking solutions and security solutions, services, and products. During his career at MCI/Verizon, he held several engineering, research and development, and management positions and was with the company a combined total of over 23 years. During this time, he worked on key network projects and initiatives, including federal security solutions, access solutions, security services, virtualization, and many other large network solutions. In addition, he received four patents for networking and security solutions. Mark is married to his wife of 30 years, Laura, and has three kids and five grandkids. Some of Mark's hobbies and interests include car, truck, and boat repair/restoration; hiking, biking; running; camping; hunting; fishing; boating; amateur radio; storm chasing; home automation/security systems; fitness instructing; and scuba diving.
Sea Grant Knauss Fellow
NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research
Leg 1
Katharine is a Sea Grant Knauss Fellow in the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) in Silver Spring, Maryland. She completed her B.S. in Marine Biology at the University of Rhode Island and her M.S. in Marine and Environmental Science at the University of the Virgin Islands. Her research background is primarily in geospatial analysis, spatial predictive modeling, and coral reef ecology. Throughout her career, Katharine has been involved with NOAA in several capacities. She interned at the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) in 2014 through the NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship Program. After undergraduate, she joined NCCOS full time as a contractor in the role of GIS Analyst working with data from the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program and on compiling data for corals listed under the Endangered Species Act. Since joining OER, Katharine has been leading a working group focused on identifying data gaps in OER's standard operations and making OER's data more accessible.
Photographer and Producer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
For 34 years, Emmy-award winning photographer and producer Art Howard has helped viewers experience life through images from 50 countries and seven continents. A native North Carolinian, Art has followed researchers aboard multiple deep-sea missions, documenting the excitement and challenges of offshore reef exploration. Art will use the latest video technology to bring viewers as close as possible to life at sea from the surface to depths of 3,000 feet, capturing both the scientists and the life they seek to understand. Howard has spent the last 11 years independently producing media for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
Explorer-in-Training, NOAA Educational Partnership Program
Leg 1
Jahnelle is a Master's student and NOAA-CREST Fellow at The City College of New York. Her field of study is Earth and atmospheric science . Her inspiration for wanting a career in environmental science was sparked by volcanic eruptions in her country of birth, Montserrat. The volcanic eruptions from Soufrière Hills spewed toxins such as carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, which is hazardous to both animals and humans. In addition, environmental issues such as food contamination, pollution, and climate change, have helped pushed her to pursue a career in the environmental science field. Her current field of research is in coastal resilience and her current research objective is to understand how coral bleaching events and community structure relate to remote sensing observation of sea surface state variable.
Mapping Lead
NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research
Leg 2
Shannon Hoy is a Mapping Lead with the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER). She has always had a love of the ocean and pursued a degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston, where she was first introduced to seafloor mapping in 2009. During her undergraduate career, she participated with four seafloor mapping expeditions, allowing her to increase her seafloor mapping knowledge and skills, make valuable connections, and travel to exotic places such as Indonesia and Antarctica. Two of these expeditions were actually aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in 2010! After completing her undergraduate degree, Shannon spent the next few years gaining as much multidisciplinary ocean experience as possible. She worked for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Submarine Geohazards Group in Woods Hole, as well as University of Bristol’s Paleoceanography group in the United Kingdom. She continued to map throughout these years, and began specializing in habitat mapping using high-resolution techniques (such as remotely operated vehicle mounted multibeam), seamlessly combining her three disciplines: marine biology, geology, and seafloor mapping. In 2015, Shannon began pursuing her Master’s degree in Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, with the aim to increase her theoretical acoustic and geodetic background. Towards the end of her graduate degree, she jumped at the opportunity to join the OER team as a Mapping Lead, as being an OER Explorer-in-Training nearly a decade earlier had greatly shaped her career and allowed her to pursue her passion for ocean exploration.
Research Scientist
Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center at the University of New Hampshire
Leg 2
Kevin Jerram is a Research Scientist with the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping / Joint Hydrographic Center at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). His first experience aboard the Okeanos Explorer was an expedition to acoustically detect and characterize methane seeps in the Gulf of Mexico in 2011, forming the basis for his M.S. thesis in Ocean Engineering at UNH. Kevin has since been involved in 20+ seafloor and midwater mapping expeditions in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans aboard a variety of U.S. and international vessels. With the National Science Foundation-funded Multibeam Advisory Committee, he supports echosounder system integrations and independent evaluations to enhance multibeam data quality across the U.S. academic fleet.
Kevin was initially drawn to ocean mapping because it blends engineering with exploration. He greatly enjoys supporting the ROV team’s amazing work by producing up-to-date, high-resolution bathymetric surfaces for the pilots and scientists to use during their dives. When back on land, Kevin can be found hiking with his wife and foster dog(s) in the mountains of Vermont and working on their good old sailboat.
Mechanical Engineer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Sean Kennison holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Engineering Mechanics from Pennsylvania State University. He first sailed on the Okeanos Explorer as an intern and member of the Engineering Group, where he performed tasks associated with the launch, operation, and recovery of the ROV system. He has also worked shoreside, designing mechanical parts for the ROVs and assisting with assembly and testing of previously and newly installed equipment. Sean also assisted with installing electronics, testing, data analysis, and troubleshooting on the vehicle. Most recently, he assisted in assembling and modifying a new bio storage box for the Deep Discoverer ROV. While at Penn State, Sean served as team leader on a number of engineering design projects.
Video Engineer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Legs 1 and 2
Bob has almost 50 years’ experience in broadcast engineering. Following a 37-year career with RIPBS, departing in 2006 as Chief Engineer, he worked for the Sea Research Foundation and Ocean Exploration Trust as the Senior Broadcast Engineer. He was responsible for the design, commissioning, and maintenance of the Inner Space Center located at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. He also worked on many research vessels and supported telepresence operations from NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, E/V Nautilus, R/V Endeavor, and R/V Atlantis, plus many other UNOLS ships.
Bob is married and has six adult children, nine grandchildren, and a great-grandson. He and his wife Donna play French horn and are active in many community music ensembles in Rhode Island.
Electrical Engineer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Jeff Laning holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Vermont. He started his career as an intern with Greensea Systems, Inc., where he worked on design, development, and integration of components and software associated with remotely operated vehicles and autonomous underwater vehicle systems.
Jeff is one of our youngest members and came to our group with a desire to learn new and complex electrical systems. Electrical engineers interested in and capable of working on deep submergence systems are one of the hardest positions to fill. Jeff has done a great job as a key member of the team that built Deep Discoverer and has become a skilled pilot, co-pilot, and navigator. His contribution to ocean exploration is certainly something to be proud of and we hope that other young engineers will be inspired by what he has accomplished. Jeff currently resides in Vermont.
Mapping Technician
Leg 1
Jason Meyer first pursued his passion for seafloor exploration while earning a B.S. from the University of Hawaii Hilo in Geology studying volcanic processes along the Hawaiian Islands. He would later go on to receive his M.S. in Geology from the University of South Carolina focusing on regional mapping and classification of seafloor volcanoes along the East Pacific Rise and the Galapagos Spreading Center in the Pacific Ocean.
After graduating in 2006, Jason has worked as a hydrographer mapping the coast, rivers, reservoirs, and lakes along the west coast from Mexico to Alaska and Hawaii. He has endured long hours and challenging conditions at the helm collecting data that serves maritime navigation and construction, environmental studies, and academic exploration. Since dedicating his career to hydrography, Jason continues to be driven by curiosity and the challenge of the unknown depths.
This will be Jason’s second season working on the Okeanos Explorer as a mapping technician. While not at sea, he enjoys climbing, surfing, and backpacking with his family in Battle Ground, Washington.
Systems Administrator
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Jim Meyers attended Williams College and received a B.A. in History. He has worked in the information technology field for over 20 years, including 19 years at various positions at Sea Research Foundation, Inc. in Mystic, Connecticut. He is married with two adult children. Outside of work, he is an avid soccer fan and plans European vacations around match schedules.
Ocean/Mechanical Engineer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Lars holds a B.S. in Ocean Engineering and a B.A. in Spanish from the University of Rhode Island. Growing up on the coast of Maine he developed a constant pull towards the unknown, the unexplored, and chaotic environments and acquired a drive to bring meaning, understanding, and order to these areas. Lars has a professional background working with autonomous underwater vehicles and other subsea robotics systems both internationally and nationally and now supports the Deep Discoverer and Seirios as an ocean/mechanical engineer.
Video Producer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Emily Narrow is a video producer and editor whose work focuses on science and nature. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College where she double-majored in Biology and Cinema Studies. She also holds an MFA degree in Science and Natural History Filmmaking from Montana State University. She was a video producer for a production company in Washington, DC, for three years, where she made public service announcements, ad campaigns, and promotional videos for non-profit and environmental organizations. For the past six years, she has been a freelance video producer, creating videos for clients such as the National Park Service, NOAA, and Montana State University. Most recently, she produced and edited a series of educational videos about camping and hunting for Zero Point Zero Productions. Emily currently resides in Bozeman, Montana.
Software/Data and Satellite Engineer - ROV Pilot/Copilot
Leg 1
Andy started his professional career in the U.S. Navy where he ran a small electronic test system calibration laboratory and instructed NATO students in Satellite Ground Station repair. Following the Navy, he obtained a B.A. in History and a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Vermont before hiring on as the Lead Software Engineer at Greensea Systems. During his tenure at Greensea, Andy designed, developed, and supported over 40 widely varying custom robot control systems and their operator interfaces for government and industry. Notably, Andy was the software lead on our very own Deep Discoverer and Seirios remotely operated vehicles.
Andy reports he so enjoyed working with the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research team, and their exploration mission, that he asked to join. Andy now splits his time between developing software; managing science and engineering data; maintaining the satellite communications system; and navigating, piloting, and co-piloting the deep-submergence vehicles. During his free time you can often find him in Monkton, Vermont.
Explorer-in-Training
Leg 1
Marcel is currently completing a Master's degree in Geological Oceanography at Moss Landing Marine Laboratories. His thesis there is focused on developing multibeam mapping capabilities for the school, as well as conducting preliminary surveys of Monterey Canyon and surrounding beaches.
In the future, Marcel hopes to apply his knowledge of geologic processes and instrumentation to a career dedicated to ocean exploration.
ROV Team Lead
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Chris first joined our group on the Cayman Rise Expedition in 2011, just prior to being hired full time by NAVSEA. For the next three years, an informal NAVSEA-NOAA relationship allowed Chris to continue to participate in our design, engineering, and offshore operations. Chris holds a B.S. in Ocean Engineering and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech with a minor in mathematics. Chris has been a major contributor to our design-build process and a tremendous asset to our offshore operations. He is a skilled navigator, pilot, and co-pilot of our vehicles and brings with him a level of enthusiasm that everyone around him appreciates and respects. In late 2014, Chris joined our Mechanical Engineering team full time and he is enthusiastic about training the next generation and tackling new projects. Chris resides in Falls Church, Virginia.
Mechanical Engineer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Daniel Rogers brings with him a diverse background in engineering, media production, and education. Daniel holds a B.S. in physics and received an M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Hawaii in 2013. His graduate work focused on the development and evaluation of an autonomous marine vessel designed for port and harbor security missions. Before starting his graduate program, Daniel worked as a science educator at the Bishop Museum in Honolulu where he continued as a digital media producer while in school. A lifelong interest in the sciences inspires him to learn all he can about the natural world and he is passionate about sharing the drama and wonder of scientific inquiry with others.
Explorer-in-Training
Leg 1
Kitrea is a student at Bowdoin College, majoring in Earth and oceanographic science and Russian. Through her interdisciplinary studies and research internships in physical oceanography, ecology, metamorphic geology, glaciology, and now the NOAA Explorer-in-Training (EiT) program, she is preparing for a career in geoscience research. While her training thus far has focused on both geology and oceanography, she looks forward to cohesively bringing the fields together by delving deeper into marine geology through the EiT program. Ultimately, through a process of knowledge co-production, she hopes to contribute to our collective understanding of climate change impacts on the ocean and cryosphere. She also cares deeply about representing a diverse range of people and knowledge within geoscience. She looks forward to her EiT experience on the Okeanos because it will be her first long-term vessel expedition and it will help clarify her future graduate study research pursuits.
Electrical Engineer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Levi Unema is an Eagle Scout from Lynden, Washington. He holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering along with a Certificate in Electric Power Engineering from Michigan Technological University. Levi has experience in a number of different industries, ranging from the railroad, to steel mills, to automotive supplier light manufacturing. Currently living in west Michigan, he enjoys being outdoors and staying active.
Video Producer
Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Leg 2
Annie White is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, photographer, and biologist who specializes in conservation biology and animal behavior. She holds a B.A. in Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology from the University of Colorado, and is currently finishing an MFA degree in Science and Natural History Filmmaking at Montana State University. Her career has taken her from collecting dinosaur fossils, to studying wild wolves, to filming cougars, grizzly bears, and now, deep-sea creatures. The years she spent living and traveling with captive ambassador wolves kick-started Annie’s interest in science education and inspired her to reach out to larger audiences through film. Her credits include projects for NOAA, BBC, National Geographic WILD, Travel Channel, Curiosity Stream, and various non-profit groups. In all of her work, Annie endeavors to bring together science, wildlife conservation, and compelling narratives to spark wonder and draw audiences into the lives of real animals. When not at sea, Annie loves to travel, write, and look for any excuse to get out into the natural world.
Expedition Coordinator
NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research
Leg 1
A native of Long Island, New York, Mike took a deep interest in ocean science at a young, age growing up in and on the water. After graduating from SUNY Geneseo with a degree in geological sciences, Mike continued his education at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. At Stony Brook, he worked on several projects, including acoustic mapping of coastal areas, coastal sediment management, remote sea level monitoring, submarine groundwater discharge, and applying his GIS proficiencies. Mike’s M.S. thesis focused on the processing of multibeam backscatter and its relationship to the physical characteristics of the seafloor. After completing a graduate certificate in geospatial science and earning a reputation as a reliable field scientist, Mike started a new position as a hydrographic analyst with NOAA’s Sandy Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping team at the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping (CCOM) at UNH. At CCOM Mike processed outside to NOAA hydrographic datasets, examined additional applications for topobathymetric lidar, collaborated on a seafloor imaging device, and served as a physical scientist supporting hydrographic surveys. As the newest member of the Okeanos Mapping Team, Mike is truly excited to support their mission exploring the oceans. During his off hours, Mike can be found cooking, hiking, or watching movies.
