By Amber D. Dodd
In the field of marine biology, less than 5% of all marine biologists are Black. But that’s something that Howard University may be able to change through OceanX, an ocean exploration initiative.
Through its Young Explorers program, OceanX provides opportunity to university students with a seat on the OceanXplorer, one of the most advanced exploration, scientific research and media production vessels ever built.
“It’s a program where you have opportunities to challenge ourselves and push ourselves to discover and create, dissect and explore,” says Enoch Jones, a senior and one of last year’s Howard attendees.
Gadi Purcell and Miyah Brooks were students who participated in past OceanX voyages. Five students represented Howard University during the nine-day voyage on the Red Sea last year. Jones, Ethan Hayes, Makai Williams, Leah Anderson, and Caleb Harris were the Bison on board. The students mapped the Red Sea’s ocean floor, a rare opportunity due to the strict access rules by Saudi Arabia.
During the Young Explorers program, the student cohort has a chance to examine important social topics such as overfishing, water pollution, and how climate change is affecting the aquatic landscape.
“When you have an opportunity like this, the last thing you want to do is not seize the moment,” Anderson said. “How do you jumpstart a career in marine biology without an experience like this?”
The Young Explorers program also grants students the opportunity to participate in organic cultural exchange. Last year, since the expedition stopped in Aqaba, Jordan, seven Jordanian students participated in the voyage as well.
The collaborative project gave Bison a chance to witness the similar and vast cultural aspects of student scientists of their own age. Veronica Shaw is the Program Coordinator of the Young Explorers Program and ensures the effectiveness of the voyage, including the nuance of culture.
“There was this super awesome cultural exchange where we’re learning about the Jordanian kids and they’re learning about Black American students from an HBCU.” Shaw said.
Through its initiative, OceanX is aiming to provide equitable opportunity to participate in “ocean philanthropy,” a way to highlight contemporary and historic issues related to the world’s seas. The program is intentionally built to secure a sturdy diversity pipeline nationwide as part of OceanX’s diversity programs.
“We’re looking to engage the entire (Howard) university in this program, meaning we want our scientists to come down and we want to do live classrooms from our ship into some of the classes at Howard. We want this to be an enriching program,” says Carla Lewis, OceanX’s head of business development.
Mechanical engineers can pursue marine engineering. Microbiologists can study microorganisms affected by the warming sea temperature. With opportunities in film and media, operations and oceanography, the program is curated to satisfy the needs of students outside of the biology programs.
“The program exposes everyone to all things,” Shaw says, detailing tasks where scientists are working in the media field and vice versa. “(A student said) ‘I think you just turned this filmmaker into a scientist.’ That’s so telling about the impact the program is having on these kids.”
