Seas Your Future generously reserved a berth for science on each voyage in the summer 2022. This enabled me to recruit young and aspiring scientists, mainly students of relevant degree courses, to work as Scientist in Residence on board the Pelican of London.
Helena was our first Scientist in Residence this summer season and carried out a range of citizen science projects with the sail trainees. The data on they collected was reported to conservation organisations, such as the British Trust for Ornithology and the Sea Watch Foundation, as well as Nasa Globe Observer.
She describes her experience:
“It was really fun to be on the Pelican, all the people were great, and could enjoy the experience of being a part of the crew of a tall ship. It was very peaceful to be just there looking at the sea, learning about marine species from the Irish sea, which I didn’t know before, and also learned a lot about clouds and it was completely amazing to be able to see them from a tall ship, many miles offshore, without any building covering them from our sight!”

It was a delight to work with Helena and her sunny nature and enthusiasm was infectious to the young sail trainees, who got involved with her work whenever they had time.
Helena summarised some of their observations during the voyage in this poster.