Anneliese Haleck, a science educator from Samoana High School and a proud alumnus of Tafuna High School, has been selected as a 2023 Science Communication Fellow and will sail aboard Ocean Exploration Trust’s Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus. Anneliese will join the team aboard E/V Nautilus for four weeks in May and June as she explores Palmyra and Kingman Reef.
Anneliese will join the 2023 Nautilus Exploration Program expedition as an expedition communicator bringing the excitement of exploration to learners around the world. Ocean Exploration Trust (OET), a nonprofit founded by Dr. Robert Ballard operates with a mission to explore the ocean, seeking out new discoveries while pushing the boundaries of STEAM education and technological innovation. Over 80% of the global ocean remains unmapped in detail and over 90% remains unexplored.
Anneliese is one of sixteen Fellows selected nationally this year hailing from schools, science centers, and non-profit organizations across eleven US states and territories. Fellows will join the team on different sea-going expeditions from May to December exploring the Eastern Pacific near British Columbia and the Central Pacific Ocean near the Hawaiian Islands, in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, and in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
“I am excited and eager to learn through the Ocean Exploration Trust. I am proud to represent my Samoan people and students. I am most excited to bring back knowledge and experience from the Ocean Exploration Trust for my students and community and to see how that knowledge and experience will be used by our students and community,” says Haleck.
Our community and the public can engage with Anneliese Haleck via Nautilus Live, a 24-hour live-streaming web portal bringing expeditions from the field to explorers on shore via telepresence technology at NautilusLive.org and via social media. Anneliese will participate in daily live audio commentary and question-and-answer sessions through the Nautilus Live website from sea. Ashore, she will also engage in various community outreach events and activities throughout the team to engage students and families in learning about the ocean. Local schools can also schedule free, live one-on-one Q&A sessions with explorers on the ship in English or ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language).
The OET Science Communication Fellowship brings formal and informal educators onboard to engage students and the public in the wonders of ocean exploration, sharing discoveries from the 2023 mission, as well as aspects of daily life aboard a working exploration vessel. Fellows develop their science communication skills and spend several weeks as a crucial part of the team aboard E/V Nautilus. Fellows bring ocean exploration back to their home communities by incorporating their experience into classroom lesson plans, community presentation events, and informal educational opportunities.
