Three teachers from American Samoa, Neon Osa from Tafuna High School, as well as Lottie Haleck and Anneliese Haleck from Samoana High School, have been selected by Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) as 2024 Science Communication Fellows.
These educators will sail aboard OET’s Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus this summer as part of deep ocean exploration expedition teams and bring the excitement of exploration to learners on the island, and worldwide.
Neon, Lottie, and Anneliese were selected from a worldwide pool of applicants and will join a cohort of 13 Fellows from across the Pacific and North America.
The educators will join three different expeditions as expedition storytellers during missions across the Central and Western Pacific Ocean this year.
In July, Anneliese Haleck, who was the first classroom educator from American Samoa to sail on Nautilus, will return to the team in a leadership role as a mentor for new Fellows during an expedition to Jarvis Island, part of the US Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.
Anneliese shared, “As Dr. Sylvia Earle says, ‘Even if you never have the chance to see or touch the ocean, it touches you with every breath you take, every drop of water you drink, every bite you consume.
“Everyone, everywhere, is inextricably connected to and utterly dependent upon the existence of the sea.”
From August through September, OET will conduct two expeditions aboard E/V Nautilus to explore deep-sea habitats around American Samoa in collaboration with the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa and other partners.
Neon will sail as a Fellow in September as the ship explores locally.
She says, “I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to expand my professional network and learn from esteemed scientists and leaders within this program. Representing Tafuna High School in this initiative is an honor, as it will allow me to enhance my knowledge of ocean exploration and share it with my colleagues and students. Additionally, I intend to create meaningful professional development opportunities to educate and benefit our wider community.”
Then, in October, Lottie will join an expedition exploring the waters of Palau National Marine Sanctuary, a sister sanctuary to the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.
“I’m honored and excited to be selected as a science fellow aboard E/V Nautilus. Two things I’m most looking forward to are seeing a whale shark and learning from others on board the ship. I believe their experiences and knowledge will greatly contribute to what I’ll give back to my community, the classroom for my students, and my own growth as an individual,” said Lottie.
Congratulations ladies!
Photo: Anneliese Haleck on board Nautilus in 2023
