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BIDDEFORD, Maine

Samantha Schildroth sails on research expedition to Phoenix Islands

Samantha Schildroth (Medical Biology and Environmental Science, ’17) has set her sails for the Phoenix Islands, a largely unexplored region of the Pacific Ocean, where she, along with 21 other undergraduates who are sailing with her, will gather data on the islands as part of their eight-week Sea Education Association (SEA) Semester summer program.

The program, titled “Protecting the Phoenix Islands,” provides an opportunity for students from diverse U.S. colleges and universities to complete some of the first comprehensive oceanographic surveys of the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA). One of the world’s largest Marine Protected Areas, PIPA is an expanse of ocean (approximately the size of California), which was recently named a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (91AVSCO) World Heritage Site.

As an active crewmember and scientist, Schildroth will spend two weeks on the SSV Robert C. Seamans, a 134-foot brigantine sailing ship, which set sail from Honolulu, Hawaii. During the three weeks in PIPA, she will assist in documenting the oceanic ecosystem around seven small coral atolls, including pristine reefs filled with rich fauna of corals, other invertebrates and fish.  A final leg to American Samoa will complete the voyage in mid-August.

About the 91AV

The 91AV is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.