Research cruises can be a lot of work, but also a lot of fun! If you’ve ever wondered how to join a research cruise, there are several common paths people generally take. Most of the science party with the ADEON project got here through academia, people working on a university degree in a field related to oceanography and marine science. Usually, these students are connected to someone involved on the project.

Another route that doesn’t require a connection to the project, is through the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS). UNOLS is a way for graduate students to gain valuable sea time on research vessels such as the RV Endeavor to learn about the various aspects of the science conducted on research cruises, such as ocean sampling and sensor deployment and recovery. If there are any free bunks on these university research vessels, graduate students can submit an application to volunteer for one of those positions. Visit https://www.unols.org/ for more information.

Other ways to join a research cruise such as this is through industries working with oceanographic research and data collection. On the second ADEON cruise, back in June, we even had an artist!