Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Anneliese Haleck, a science teacher from Samoana High School has been selected as a 2023 Science Communication Fellow and will sail aboard Ocean Exploration Trust’s Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus where the public will be able to engage with Haleck via Nautilus Live, a 24-hour live-streaming web portal.

Anneliese will join the team aboard E/V Nautilus for four weeks in May and June as she explores Palmyra and Kingman Reef, in a groundbreaking STEAM initiative exploring deep-sea biology and geology in the Central Pacific Ocean.

She is one of sixteen Fellows selected nationally this year hailing from schools, science centers, and non-profit organizations across eleven US states and territories. Fellows will join the team on different sea-going expeditions from May to December exploring the Eastern Pacific near British Columbia and the Central Pacific Ocean near the Hawaiian Islands, in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, and in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. 

“I am excited and eager to learn through the Ocean Exploration Trust. I am proud to represent my Samoan people and students. I am most excited to bring back knowledge and experience from the Ocean Exploration Trust for my students and community and to see how that knowledge and experience will be used by our students and community,” says Haleck.

She will serve as an expedition communicator bringing the excitement of exploration to learners around the world. The public can engage with Haleck via Nautilus Live, a 24-hour live-streaming web portal bringing expeditions from the field to explorers on shore via telepresence technology at NautilusLive.org and via social media.

Anneliese will participate in daily live audio commentary and question-and-answer sessions through the Nautilus Live website from sea. Ashore, She will also engage in various community outreach events and activities throughout the team to engage students and families in learning about the ocean. Local schools can also schedule free, live one-on-one Q&A sessions with explorers on the ship.

ABOUT ANNELIESE HALECK

Anneliese Haleck is going on her second year as a science educator at Samoana High School. She teaches grades 9 through 12. She graduated from Tafuna High School and the American Samoa Community College and University of Hawaii at Hilo with a focus on Marine Science and Communications. She was a part of QUEST (Quantitative Ecological Surveying Techniques Program), MOP (Marine Options Program) and was a Marine Science Intern. Being involved in different programs allowed her to network, expand her knowledge and cultivate essential skills in order to grow in her field.

She is passionate about educating our Samoan students on the importance of being a part of the narrative on various marine-related issues (both local and global), such as coral bleaching, marine pollution, coral restoration, sustainability, etc. She teaches her students how to collect water samples and measure salinity; therefore, cultivating critical thinking. She especially enjoys teaching her students how to prepare for fieldwork through the use of quadrats and transact measuring.

Her students are also a part of the NOAA Ocean Guardian School. Through this partnership, Anneliese hosts monthly cleanups where she and her students collect and classify debris. Her students will choose various marine-related projects to work on. Students will present their findings through various outreach activities. She looks forward to learning more about how modern technology and science can further help us tackle important marine environmental issues.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) promotes STEAM education around the world using the excitement of exploration and innovation to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. It was founded by Dr. Robert Ballard in 2008

“One of the major goals of our Nautilus Exploration Program is to motivate the next generation of explorers in STEAM fields,” said Allison Fundis, OET’s Chief Operating Officer, “we are very excited to provide educators and students with the direct experience in ocean exploration while allowing them the opportunity to share that experience with their peers around the world.” 

 The 2023 Nautilus Expedition is sponsored by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, the Office of Naval Research, Ocean Networks Canada, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and private donors. OET education program sponsors and partners for 2023 include Office of Naval Research, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, CITGO, QPS, and the Phil Stephenson Foundation.  

The affiliated institutions and organizations of the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute include the University of Rhode Island, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, the University of New Hampshire, Ocean Exploration Trust, and the University of Southern Mississippi. Learn more about our partners and sponsors.