Charting Change: UVic Lab Powers Pan-American Ocean Expedition
May 08, 2025
A 14-month research expedition has set sail from Victoria’s Inner Harbour, embarking on a 43,500 km journey to circumnavigate the Americas. The goal: gather real-time, open-access data on marine ecosystems, atmospheric and oceanic conditions, and the health of coastal kelp forests — with key support from the University of Victoria’s Geography Department.
Tracking Kelp from Pole to Pole
One of the expedition’s central objectives is to assess the distribution, health, and environmental conditions of giant and bull kelp forests along the coasts of North and South America — from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. These underwater forests are critical carbon sinks, biodiversity hotspots, and indicators of ocean health.
To guide this research, UVic’s Spectral Remote Sensing Lab, led by Dr. Maycira Costa and aided by UVic Geography alumna Gabrielle Wade, identified and mapped approximately 40 unique kelp forest sites using satellite imagery and long-term environmental data. These locations will be used for field validation and long-term ecological monitoring throughout the journey.
Open-Source Science Meets Education
In addition to kelp monitoring, the expedition will deploy custom-designed SWIFT buoys to collect wave, atmospheric, and oceanographic data. All research outputs will be shared openly with global audiences and integrated into educational platforms through a collaboration with Exploring By The Seat Of Your Pants, a Canadian organization that connects students to scientific expeditions via live broadcasts and classroom resources.
The team will visit more than 50 ports across the Americas, offering public science outreach and digital storytelling throughout the 14-month voyage.
A Return to the Route, 15 Years Later
The vessel’s captain, Mark Schrader, last sailed this same route 15 years ago. The 2025 expedition will revisit known kelp beds and compare conditions today with previous baselines — providing a rare long-term dataset to evaluate climate impacts, pollution, and species shifts, such as sea urchin proliferation.
Collaborators on the expedition include UVic, the University of Washington, UCLA, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Global Change, Local Expertise
As oceans continue to warm and coastal ecosystems face mounting pressures, research like this is essential to understanding how marine environments are changing — and what it will take to restore and protect them.UVic Geography is proud to play a role in this pioneering project, combining spatial science, remote sensing, and hands-on fieldwork to tackle some of the planet’s most pressing environmental questions.
You can track the One Ocean's current location here:
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