Molokaʻi kumu sets sail on deep sea exploration of Central Pacific Ocean aboard Nautilus vessel

A Hawaiian immersion program teacher from Molokaʻi set sail last week as a Science Communication Fellow in a deep ocean exploration expedition with the Ocean Exploration Trust. Gandharva Mahina Hou Ross, a kumu at Molokaʻi High School’s O Hina I Ka Malama program, joins Ocean Exploration Trust’s (OET) expedition to Jarvis Island, in the US Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, as part of a team of scientists and explorers.

Sailing aboard OET’s Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus this summer, Ross will explore deep ocean mountains and biodiversity bringing the excitement of exploration to learners on the island and worldwide. Ross brings his classroom expertise and deep ocean experiences as a Hōkūleʻa crew member to Nautilus.

The Molokaʻi community and curious minds worldwide can engage with Ross and the explorers onboard via NautilusLive.org, a 24-hour live-streaming web portal bringing expeditions from the field to explorers on shore via telepresence technology and social media. Local Hawaiʻi schools, summer programs, and community groups are encouraged to schedule free, live one-on-one Q&A sessions with explorers on the ship available daily. While onboard from July 18 to Aug. 6, Ross is also available to host connections in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi.

Ross was selected from a worldwide pool of applicants to join a cohort of 13 Fellows from across Oceania and North America. While at sea, Fellows participate in live remotely operated vehicle dives from the control room, host connections from an onboard broadcast studio, and embed among the diverse team of professionals onboard. Fellows also bring their experiences home, developing classroom and community connections to share lessons learned from the expedition. 

Ocean Exploration Trust, a nonprofit founded by Dr. Robert Ballard, operates with a mission to explore the unknown parts of the ocean, seeking out new discoveries while pushing the boundaries of technological innovation, education, and outreach. OET promotes science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) education worldwide using the excitement of exploration to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. 

OET’s nine 2024 expeditions in Hawaiʻi, American Samoa, US Pacific Remote Islands, Palau, and Canada will contribute to the ocean being better understood by supporting international scientific and U.S. governmental priorities, particularly understanding ocean changes, sharing that knowledge with others, and contributing discoveries and data that will inform future conservation and management decisions.