Next generation scientists set sail to harness space for oceans

Oceans are vital to life on Earth. They hold 97% of the planet’s water, support the livelihoods of over three billion people, and are crucial to weather patterns, climate regulation, global food security and biodiversity.

As Peter Thomson, United Nations Special Envoy for the Ocean, stated, “There can be no healthy planet without a healthy ocean, and the ocean’s health is currently measurably in decline.”

So, it is especially fitting that this extraordinary voyage sets sail today, 22 April Earth Day 2025 – a day when people around the world unite to raise awareness about environmental protection and to take action against climate change.

ESA’s Craig Donlon, organiser of the expedition, said, “The importance of oceans to our planet cannot be over-estimated, basically ‘no blue, no green’. Covering 74% of Earth’s surface, oceans are dynamic and involve complex processes that have huge implications for the health of our planet and all living things.

“Since the advent of the satellite era, our understanding of ocean science has come on leaps and bounds, but with climate change upon us, the demand for ocean resources rising and shipping routes busier than ever, it is imperative that we continue to advance our scientific knowledge and understand how oceans are being impacted so that, ultimately, appropriate decisions can be made.

“Thanks to high-quality and frequent measurements from satellites, we can now observe the global ocean every few days – transforming our ability to understand and protect this vast blue ecosystem.

“As a space agency, arguably with the best Earth observation programme in the world, passing on know-how to the next generation of scientists is our duty, so that they are not only equipped but also inspired to find new ways of using satellite data to understand and help safeguard our planet for the future – which is the purpose of ESA’s hands-on Ocean Synergy Training Course.

Setting sail from Tromsø today, the Statsraad Lehmkuhl tall ship is now home to 50 students and over 20 lecturers and ocean experts. In addition, over 40 citizen scientists will actively participate in the scientific research conducted aboard the ship.

In a message to those participating in this remarkable voyage, Christine Meyer, Governing Mayor of Bergen, Norway, said, “You will return home having changed the world just a little, in that you are also a scientific expedition. You will return home with a cargo of knowledge. And that is something that we all need in these times of climate change, and of environmental challenges.

“We need all the knowledge we can get about the ocean. It is said we know more about the moon than the deep sea. So, this is a journey of adventure and of discovery. A journey of excitement for both the individual and society.”

Throughout the six-week voyage to Nice in France, with stops in Reykjavik in Iceland and the island of Menorca in Spain, students will not only learn about satellite oceanography via lectures, but importantly they will be emersed in a demanding programme of taking in situ measurements and analysing near-realtime satellite data to compare with measurements taken from the ship and with ocean model fields.

The ship’s arrival in Nice on 3 June comes at a crucial moment, just ahead of the United Nations Ocean Conference starting on 9 June. The conference seeks to galvanize urgent action to conserve and sustainably manage oceans, seas and marine resources, while advancing the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14.

Notably, the ESA Advance Ocean Training Course is part of the year-long One Ocean Expedition – a scientific and educational voyage around the Northern Hemisphere oceans, with the overarching goal of drawing attention to and sharing knowledge about the ocean’s crucial role for a sustainable future in a global perspective.

It is an important and timely contribution to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

ESA’s Director of Earth Observations, Simonetta Cheli, commented, “With Earth science at cornerstone of our ESA Earth Observation Programmes, we are proud to contribute to the One Ocean Expedition.

“It is our sincere hope that all participants in this training course make the most of this unique opportunity – to deepen their knowledge, refine their skills and emerge better prepared to advance the field of satellite oceanography as they progress in their scientific careers.”

The importance of investing in our future ocean scientists is recognised by institutes sponsoring ESA’s Advanced Ocean Training Course including Ocean Data Laboratory (France), the Nansen Environmental and Remote Sensing Center (Norway), NASA (US), the Trevor Platt Science Foundation (India) and the Statsraad Lehmkuhl Foundation (Norway), amongst others. Through this sponsorship, international students beyond Europe are able to participate in the scientific voyage.