Q&A sessions available with Guam resident for deep sea exploration

Teachers and community groups are invited to schedule free, live question-and-answer sessions in September regarding deep ocean exploration with Cara Lin, a seagrass and mangrove conservation coordinator at the Guam Coral Initiative. Sessions can be booked here and organizers can request Lin to be their presenter.

Lin is part of the 2023 Nautilus Exploration Program to promote education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics while also seeking out new discoveries. She will be aboard the Ocean Exploration Trust’s exploration vessel, Nautilus, as she joins the expedition team in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument as a science communicator.

Lin was selected as a 2023 Science Communication Fellow due to her work at GCRI, which includes monitoring, research, and education concerning our seagrass, mangrove habitats and coral reef habitats.

Her work in education includes running field trip programs, creating teacher resources, visiting classrooms, and running activities for the Guam Department of Agriculture’s various public events.

“I am so excited to share our exploration journey in real-time with students in Guam and showcase potential career paths for our future ocean scientists, explorers, engineers, videographers, and educators!” expressed Lin.

Lin is one of sixteen fellows selected nationally this year across eleven US states and territories. The sixteen fellows will join the team on different sea-going expeditions from May to December.

For those who can’t book a session in advanced, they can also tune into Nautilus Live, a 24-hour live-streaming portal on their website, NautilusLive.org, and watch the exploration feed.

Lin will participate in daily live audio commentary and question-and-answer sessions through the Nautilus Live website from sea. Ashore, Lin will also engage in various community outreach events and activities throughout the next school year to engage students and families in learning about the ocean.

“Science Communication Fellows bring expertise as educators and storytellers to work alongside scientists and engineers and make discoveries about the planet,” said Megan Cook, OET’s Director of Education and Outreach. “We are proud to elevate these role models for learners, with a particular focus on reaching communities who have been historically marginalized from STEAM and maritime fields.”

Ship-to-shore interactions are conducted using Zoom or Google Meet and last 30 minutes with time for an expedition update and audience-led Q&A about careers, discoveries, or the exploration process.

Interactions are not broadcast publicly to allow for a more personal connection with their science and engineering team but can include multiple classrooms or virtual logins.

Interaction scheduling requests should be submitted no less than 72-hours prior to the date/time you are interested in hosting the live event. Additional advanced notice is recommended.

Live interactions are not recorded on Google Meet and can be recorded on Zoom, if requested, but organizers are welcome to record the connection on your side to share with parents or other class periods.

Anyone who plans to rebroadcast a recording or share it on social media must first notify [email protected] for permission at the time you request the session.

Multiple sites can join the same interaction. There is no limit to the number of classes which can join a Google Meet or Zoom. If an organizer chooses to use this format, it is their responsibility to outline a communication flow for the multiple sites:

If they would like to link multiple sites together, they must note it in the request.

Additional answers to frequently asked questions can be found here.

Thomas Benavente comes from Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. He enjoys talking to the public to share the island spirit. He can be reached through (671) 483-1440 or [email protected].

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