Photo: Samantha Whitcraft Day 3, Pangaea Explorations’ Line Islands Expedition, Aboard S/V Sea Dragon, approximately 416 miles south-southwest of Oahu, Hawaii headed to Palmyra Atoll. While steering our boat towards an ever-distant horizon, the seas roll under the bow hour after hour. I can’t help but marvel at the azure […]
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The Northern Line Islands await Sea Dragon
Island 1 of 10: PALMYRA. Population: 12. Shark population: 85% of the biomass of the underwater world Island 2 of 10: TERAINA. Population: 1,400. Constant breaking waves on all sides, landing will be interesting – no wonder they are so isolated. Island 3 of 10: TABUAERAN. Population: 2500. Communication with […]
Read MoreAdventurers sail through wave of tsunami debris–from the Guardian.
Adventurers sail through wave of tsunami debris Team track tsunami debris from Japan’s disaster to gain insight into how plastic pollution travels across the world’s oceans The floating dock from Japan that has washed up on a beach in Oregon, US. Photograph: Reuters/Oregon parks department The Pacific Ocean is a […]
Read MoreMidway Atoll, Midnight Philosophy, and A Plastic Buffet For Albatrosses.
We’re just west of Midway Atoll and we’ve found the sun, thankfully. Sea Dragon is dried out, but we’re under provisioned and almost entirely out of vegetables (even canned) and the watermaker is acting up (again) and so the crew isn’t allowed fresh water showers. We have 1500 liters of […]
Read MoreFeeling Low 1005, a Gale, and The Synthetic Specter on Deck
Well, at least we’re consistent on this voyage. We’re like a magnet for crap weather out here and once again have found ourselves stuck in a low pressure system that’s spewing big winds, drenching us in torrential downpours and making my eyes glue to the barometer for any signs of […]
Read MoreGhost Ship: A Lost Skiff Off 1500 miles off The Coast Of Japan
Position: 29°11.9 North 170°35.2 East “It’s a whale” yells Tracey from above deck. I’m eating humus below in the salon with Dani, after forgoing Kelvin’s lunch of fried Kim Chi with rice and seaweed. Wildlife sightings are like breaking news aboard Sea Dragon, sometimes the only demarcation from one day […]
Read MoreTrawling for pseudo-fish eggs
When Macro becomes micro the impact of plastic pollution shifts from being an eyesore for humans to an intestinal sore for fish. The greatest migration on the planet is not the seasonal movements of wildebeest across Africa or Canada geese over North America, but the nightly mad rush of millions […]
Read MoreBird In The Hand And A Brief Respite
Day four out and we’re still soaked. The wind has finally subsided to a manageable 15-20 knots,at times we’re even nearly becalmed. But last night we had 30 knots plus, sometimes close to 40 which made for several sail changes through the night. Reef 3, Reef 1, Stay sail down, […]
Read MoreChasing A Tsunami, Following a Typhoon, It’s On Baby.
Our expeditions are kind of like summer camp for plastic nerds. Yes, we have real research to conduct, but that doesn’t make us any less nerdy. And if there is one thing all the partners who brought this voyage to life, Algalita, 5 Gyres, and Pangaea Explorations are at heart, […]
Read MoreMeet the Crew–Leg 2 Asia Pacific Expedition
Marcus Eriksen – Research Expedition Leader Marcus Eriksen received his Ph.D. in Science Education from University of Southern California in 2003, months before embarking on a 2000-mile, 5-month journey down the Mississippi River on a homemade raft. His experience on the river led to a career studying the ecological impacts […]
Read More“Mrs. Sakaida’s Hand”
Mrs. Kazuko Sakaida stood on the deck in front of her childhood home as the rumbling roar of a million tons of water, pushed trees, cars and houses over her family’s rice fields. She put up her hands to brace herself, to cover her fear, to hold back the surge. […]
Read MoreVolunteering in Fukushima-
Hi everyone, 8 of us traveled north of Fukushima to volunteer with a relief organization. We helped an 80 yr. old woman by shoveling 5 tons of rock away from the back of her house. We spent the night, then rented a car to drive further north to visit some […]
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