To meet the workforce demands of the 21st century, students need immersive learning experiences in science, technology, engineering and math — especially in fast-growing sectors like marine science.
"This experience really helped me to realize what STEM opportunities there are out there. It also helped me to better understand the ocean and the marine life that is out there.”
Oregon Sea Grant Extension has organized and sponsored research cruises to give high school and community college students — along with their teachers — hands-on experience conducting science at sea. The program, known as STEM at Sea, is part of Oregon Sea Grant’s broader effort to support a robust and diverse blue economy workforce through career-connected learning.
Between 2016 and 2023, more than 200 high school students and 30 community college students participated in 25 research cruises, according to Tracy Crews, associate director of education at Oregon Sea Grant. As part of Sea Grant’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, several cruises were designed for specific audiences — including students from Chemawa Indian School and English language learners, many of whom identify as Hispanic or Ukrainian.
During the cruises, Oregon State University graduate students, postdoctoral scholars and research assistants teach participants how to use scientific equipment and apply research methods in real-world settings. In one example, students learned how to catch juvenile English sole using nets, contributing to a doctoral study on the effects of low oxygen on the fish.
In another project, students caught skates for a study examining how offshore energy development might impact them. For a third, they helped collect baseline data at a wave energy test site by filming the seafloor and sampling sediment-dwelling animals.
Students have also collected plankton, deployed instruments to measure ocean salinity and temperature at various depths, identified seabirds and marine mammals, and flown drones to film whales. Sometimes the cruises lead to unexpected discoveries — including tens of thousands of juvenile sand dollars and a newly documented population of burrowing shrimp off the Oregon coast.
The program has had a measurable impact. In a 2023 survey of 22 English language learners who participated in cruises, 80% reported increased awareness of STEM career pathways related to the ocean.
“This experience really helped me to realize what STEM opportunities there are out there,” one student shared. “It also helped me to better understand the ocean and the marine life that is out there.”
The cruises are partially supported by the Oceangoing Research Vessel Program at Oregon State University, which is funded by the Oregon Legislature to support research and study along the Pacific Coast.
Through STEM at Sea, students are not only building valuable skills — they are gaining the knowledge, confidence and inspiration to explore careers that protect and sustain the marine environment.
