In July, 13 science educators from all walks of life hopped on the R/V Marcus G. Langseth in San Diego. The air was filled with excitement and anticipation—none of us had a clue what was coming next.
Until recently, the School of Rock, a professional development program funded by the National Science Foundation that allows science and education to converge, took place exclusively on the now-retired scientific drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution. For the first time, this year the program joined forces with the Langseth, a 235-foot-long seismic research vessel operated by Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, which is part of the Columbia Climate School. The Langseth became our home at sea as we traveled from San Diego first to the East Pacific Rise, and then to the Galápagos Islands. We were promised a crash course in oceanography, Earth science and authentic research at sea, but the reality far exceeded our expectations.
We were also promised adventure. Thirteen days at sea? For most of us, that was uncharted territory—literally. Would we get seasick? Would we get along? Would living and working on a moving ship prove to be challenging, or just part of the adventure? These questions swirled through our minds as we met each other for the first time just hours before boarding time. It didn’t take long to realize we were part of an incredible crew: smart, funny, curious and ready to learn. The uncertainty quickly gave way to camaraderie.
The calm before the big day
As the Langseth headed toward the Galápagos, we spent our days immersed in sessions led by scientists and professors, including Leah Joseph (Ursinus College), Kaatje Kraft (Whatcom Community College), Lisa White (UCMP) and Valerie Bennett (Clark Atlanta University). Using legacy core samples from the International Ocean Discovery Program, we explored topics like microfossils, plate tectonics and the geologic forces shaping Earth’s dynamic Ring of Fire. We discussed how to translate big, messy scientific data into lessons that would spark curiosity in students.
We spent hours in the ship’s labs and classroom, but there was also time to take in the vastness of the Pacific: scanning the waves for whales and dolphins, counting shooting stars from the aft deck and sharing meals with shipmates who quickly became friends. Still, all this learning and bonding was building toward something bigger—the day we’d join real-time research operations at sea.
While School of Rock has always focused on the results and processes of real sub-seafloor science, this year brought a unique and exciting twist. Just a couple of weeks before sailing, geophysicist Ross Parnell-Turner, from Scripps Oceanography, and his colleagues called program leader Sharon Cooper and the Langseth team to ask if we would collaborate to gather some important rapid-response data from the site of a recent eruption on the seafloor at 9 degrees north. As educators, we would now not only get to learn about the science, but we would be actively doing it.
Science in action: the East Pacific Rise
Midway through our voyage, the Langseth arrived at the East Pacific Rise, a fast-spreading mid-ocean ridge where new seafloor is constantly formed. A collaborator of Parnell-Turner’s, Victoria Preston of Olin College of Engineering, boarded the Langseth to investigate the eruption at the Tica hydrothermal vent first observed in April 2025. She joined the transit to take live measurements of the water column directly above the eruption and deploy seismometers in the area. Our job as new members of the science party was to assist in deploying scientific instruments and collecting data that could reveal how the eruption is reshaping this underwater environment and the seafloor itself.
We helped launch ocean-bottom seismometers, which will sit on the seafloor, recording earthquakes and tremors until they’re retrieved about six months from now. We also used a CTD rosette (which measures conductivity, temperature and depth) to collect data and water samples at different depths, giving scientists a snapshot of the hydrothermal vent’s properties.
It was thrilling—and exhausting. Operations turned out to be mostly at night and in the wee hours of the morning. Most of us stayed up all night, too excited to sleep as we took turns monitoring equipment, logging data and watching the team work with precision and purpose. This wasn’t a simulation or a classroom exercise. It was science in the making, and we were part of it!
Never a dull moment at sea
Although “operations day” was the highlight of our transit, the rest of the voyage was anything but boring. Between welding lessons from the ship’s chief engineer, lively evening card games and impromptu movie nights, we stayed busy. We brainstormed lesson plans and developed new teaching resources we’ll carry into classrooms this fall. We also crossed the equator—a milestone celebrated with a mix of maritime tradition and welcome silliness.
This spirit of collaboration extended to everyone on the Langseth. The crew told us that our wonder and enthusiasm were contagious. Preston made herself an ongoing resource, answering our endless questions and encouraging us to share in the scientific process. By the end of the trip, some participants had even co-authored an abstract for the American Geophysical Union meeting—a sign of how far we’d come from those first tentative hours in San Diego.
Exploring the Galápagos—tsunami and all
Our voyage ended with a three-day field trip in the Galápagos Islands, where we explored San Cristóbal’s unique geology and wildlife. It was the perfect capstone: hiking volcanic terrain, seeing the landscapes that inspired Darwin and connecting everything we’d learned at sea to the natural world around us. These days were filled with wonders—giant tortoises in the highlands, sea lions lounging on the sand and the thrill of snorkeling among hammerhead sharks and sea turtles. Each stop felt like stepping into a living laboratory.
The trip came to an end with an unexpected twist that brought our Ring of Fire focus into a more personal journey. A tsunami warning was issued while we were on the island, and our hotel was evacuated as a precaution. With the Galápagos briefly at high risk, we packed our bags, cleared out quickly and waited together for the all-clear. Everything turned out fine—but it added an unforgettable footnote to an already extraordinary journey. Thanks to the strong bonds we’d built on the ship, our group stayed calm, supported each other and even managed to see the experience as another shared adventure.
Relationships and lessons that last
Perhaps the greatest gift of the 2025 School of Rock was the network it created. We left the ship with new colleagues—people we can call when we need ideas, resources or just a pep talk before trying something bold in our classrooms. We left with mentors among the scientists and crew who shared their expertise and their stories. And we left with a deeper relationship with the science itself. The hydrothermal vent eruption we helped investigate is no longer just a headline in a research paper. It’s part of our story, and we’ll be following the results as eagerly as our students will.
By the end of the two weeks, we realized something profound: we hadn’t just endured life at sea; we’d thrived. We’d gained practical skills (who knew welding could be this fun?) and confidence in our ability to adapt. More importantly, we’d rediscovered the sense of wonder that drew us to science in the first place.
As educators, we’ll carry that energy into our classrooms. We want to instill the same curiosity and excitement in our students: the belief that science isn’t just something you learn from a textbook; it’s something you do, and that you can engage with in so many different ways.
Brandi Williams is a doctoral candidate at the University of Oklahoma. She has over 20 years of experience as a secondary science teacher, teaching a range of subjects from life and earth sciences to physical and environmental science.
Edinson Aguinaga Arancibia is a 9th and 10th-grade science teacher originally from Chile and now based in Brooklyn, N.Y. He is committed to fostering an accessible and engaging learning environment for all students, with a particular focus on English language learners.