Wendy Liu
At the intersection of ideas and action, this is Longitude Sound Bytes, where we bring innovative insights from around the world directly to you.

I’m Longitude fellow Wendy Liu. Welcome to our Longitudes of Imagination series, where we are exploring the roles of individuals, technologies and research that is helping advance understanding of our oceans!

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We spoke with the members of the Schmidt Ocean Institute, which is a philanthropic foundation that is enabling scientific expeditions on their research vessel Falkor at no cost to the world’s scientists.

In today’s episode we feature highlights from a conversation I led with Eric King, Senior Director of Operations at SOI.       

As a young professional who studied physics, worked on seismic data analysis projects, and is now learning about the EdTech field, I was interested to hear about how Eric got started at SOI and brought together the oceanographic community around the world to successfully help launch a wide variety of pioneer research projects.

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Eric King
I came on to the organization right at the very beginning, right at 2010, when this organization purchased a used vessel and began to convert it into an oceanographic research ship. All we had was this idea, this concept of the ship. At the time when we first began, we knew that the oceanographic science community globally needed some additional players, they needed some additional assets, and some new opportunities to provide the scientists and researchers, engineers, and technologists the chance to go to sea not just to collect data, but to perhaps troubleshoot and test some of their robotic systems or some of their theories with new systems to collect that data.

So I came in a role that was called a Marine Operations Manager, then over the years moved through the ranks. But really there were no ranks, because that was one of the first employees to be hired. What we’ve done over the years, and what I’ve been primarily focused on, are really three things.

The first is the overall operation of our research ship, Falkor. And now we’re transitioning to our replacement vessel called Falkor (too). So everything that has to do with ship operations and ship management and ship logistics, and that includes overseeing and ensuring that all of the scientific gear and equipment are in a state of pretty much cutting edge.

The second is related to the operation of our actual science mission. So once we decide what type of program that we’re going to support, what group of scientists, what’s the specific discipline or multi-discipline that this group of scientists want to conduct on our ship as part of a collaboration, and partnering because that’s what we’re about. First and foremost, it’s about collaboration and partnerships. Because we can’t do this alone. We can only do this, what we do within the oceanographic community, with partners. But once we’ve decided who we’re going to partner with for the next year or the next couple of years, then I oversee the team that actually puts that program together. So we work very closely with the scientists to make sure that before they come, and we plan this a year in advance for a one or two-month cruise or an expedition. So my responsibility is to make sure that we have our team working with the scientists, so that we’re making sure that all the equipment on board is going to meet what they need to have to be successful in their program. And then once they get on board the vessel, to ensure that we are actually doing the work.

And the third part is communication of what we’re doing and helping to connect with those outside of our organization. I spend a lot of time working with other research organizations around the world within the international ship community, not just within the United States of course, but across all continents: Oceana, Asia, Canada, South America, Europe, Scandinavia. And together what we’re trying to do, and what I’m trying to do within our organization, because we’re very young, we’re only 10 years- we’ve been doing this a short amount of time, is build these partnerships and these collaborations. So we don’t want to collaborate with just the scientists and researchers, we need to collaborate with the other organizations that are either government-funded or philanthropically funded like we are. One of the things that makes us unique, Wendy, is that we’re solely funded through the philanthropy of our founders, Eric Schmidt and Wendy Schmidt. And because of that, that gives us some freedom to maneuver in some unique ways that that others aren’t always able to. So those are the three areas that I’m primarily responsible for and working on a day-to-day basis.

Wendy
Thank you, Eric. That’s really cool. So you mentioned how you manage the external relationship with the rest of the oceanographic community. And you also mentioned that your trip to Spain here is to have an ongoing conversion of your ship into an oceanographic research vessel. So can you tell me more about that, and how that lines up with the vision of SOI?

Eric
Sure. So when Eric Schmidt and Wendy Schmidt decided that they wanted to have an oceanographic research vessel that would be made available to the greater scientific community around the world, they were very smart in their approach. Their tactic was to find a vessel we could convert into a platform that had state-of-the-art systems, and that could pretty much sail the majority of the oceans, and that would be an environment for communication and discussion, and that could also serve as a catalyst to inspire others to perhaps do something similar or to come along with us on our journey. Over the past 10 years we’ve supported hundreds of scientists, we’ve mapped the sea floor, well over a million kilometers square kilometers of the sea floor, supported 1000s of miles of collecting data. And what we’ve learned over the years doing this is that the ship that we have actually was good, but we can do better, so that we can expand on what we’ve been doing and provide even greater assets and greater capabilities to the science community. So last year, our founders identified another vessel that they wanted to bring into the organization to replace the one that we have now. A vessel that could support more scientists, stay at sea longer, work in the deep ocean, support robotic systems, be far more capable and stable as a platform for working in a variety of harsher climates and environments. And one that was going to be really reliable for decades to come.

It was built in 2011, here in Vigo, Spain, where I am now. And we brought the ship back to its original shipyard. It was originally built as an energy sector support vessel. And now we are taking this ship and completely converting some of the interior spaces into scientific laboratories. We’re adding a tremendous amount of multi-beam and single-beam echo sounders and scientific sonars to the ship, and they’re all going to be installed in the hull. It’s going to be actually one of the largest suites or arrays of scientific echo sounders and sonars on any oceanographic research vessel, and then we’re putting in additional capabilities for launching and recovering robotic systems off the side of the vessel and off the start of the vessel. And we’re adding capabilities and capacities for additional scientists. So by the end of this year, we’re going to have a ship that really is going to be absolutely fantastic for the scientific community to use. And this ship is being offered to the scientists around the world at no cost to them. So we’re funding the entire program to scientists, when they’re on board they will have access to all of the equipment, including our robotic vehicle that we built. It’s called Subastian. We built that in 2014 and 15. And we’ve had nearly 500 deep-sea dives with the vehicle with our science collaborators over the years. And we’re going to make all this available to them at no cost. It’s going to be quite a quite a facility. The facility part of it is integral, the ship, which is now called the Falkor—and that’s t-o-o, too, and it’s in parentheses too by the way, it’s Falkor and too in parentheses.

We’re providing now so much more than just a research vessel. We’re working with communities, really trying to bring awareness to ocean health, to conservation, to the importance of understanding the ocean, You cannot just look at the ocean and one square, one cube of water by itself, and understand the ocean. The Earth is a living, breathing planet, it is one massive system, but to understand that system is incredibly hard. And of course, the closer that you look, the more complex it becomes. And yes, the more data that you collect, you realize that to understand that data, you actually need more data. And to understand that data takes an incredible amount of computation power. So it’s a really exciting time. And we share what we’re doing with the rest of the science community, those that are operating research ships, and we’re also trying to learn from them.

Wendy
Exactly. But for 10 years, you guys are super impressive from what I just heard, because you just told me about the big picture of operating marine vessels around the world, and all the key components such as the data transmission, and also the crew operation and all that. It’s amazing how you are building this facility for the world to use for free. So what types of research projects are managed at SOI? Can you give some examples where your team or other scientists on board accomplish something amazing, something you didn’t necessarily expect in the first place?

Eric
So a few good things have come out of COVID. Mostly it’s been very unfortunate, very bad, but the few good things that have happened, one of them in particular to us, to Schmidt Ocean Institute and our operations, is that we kept our ship Falkor In Australia for a year and a half. We’d only meant to be in Australia working for about nine months. But because of COVID, the beginning of 2020, we found ourselves needing to keep our ship there for logistics purposes, for the health and safety of our crew and those that we were working with, and our other operational considerations. Staying in Australia was the best decision.

And what we did in Australia, we really advanced our abilities to support scientists who are working from home. So we had several expeditions where we didn’t have any scientists on board, it was just our crew, our technicians. And we allowed them to participate remotely through what we’re calling telepresence and telecommunications and teledata. And that means that the scientists could actually see in real time and also direct the operations from their perspectives, from the things that were important to them as scientists for a particular expedition, for a month or even two months. While at sea we were mapping the sea floor, or we were sending our robotic vehicle down to look at specific targeted areas at their requests, based on the data that they were getting in real time from the areas that we were mapping. And in particular we spent months mapping the Great Barrier Reef, off the east coast of Australia, we’ve mapped hundreds and hundreds of square kilometers. Thousands actually, of square kilometers of sea floor. It was one of the largest seafloor mapping campaigns that ever been done in Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. And we were so dedicated to mapping the Great Barrier Reef in an area called the Coral Sea that we are now featured as a very special exhibit at the Australian National Maritime Museum in Sydney.

Being there in Australia for a year and a half was really unprecedented. It’s the longest time for sure any non-Australian research vessel has been working in their waters. We made really great friends. The collaboration was fantastic. The creativity of the scientists that we were working with, and trying to figure out how we could make best use of our ship in their waters, was just unprecedented. It was a fantastic opportunity.

Wendy
When you mentioned about the contribution to Australia, Marine Science and how you’re able to make great friends there, that kind of reminds me of another thing I want to ask you about, which is your interest in this field. Did you always know that you wanted to work with the ocean when you were younger? When did you first develop your interest? And how did your career take you to the Schmidt Institute?

Eric
So I went to this school for four years. It was called Maine Maritime Academy. It’s one of the five maritime academies in the country. And I learned how to be a sailor on commercial vessels, but while I was there I took a couple courses in oceanography. And I always had this parked in the back of my mind, that interest in what’s happening below the surface of the ocean. And back then I didn’t really comprehend how vital the ocean was to the entire ecosystem of the planet. I did a few things after I graduated from college. Then I met some people from the University of Washington and I learned that there was a job opening at the School of Oceanography for someone to come and manage their oceanographic research vessel that went out to sea for months at a time and worked with scientists from all over the United States. And I didn’t know anything about ocean sciences, but I knew ships. I’d been working with ships for four years before then. And I thought, My gosh, this is really an interesting opportunity. So I became an employee of the University of Washington School of Oceanography, about 20 years ago. I really quickly fell in love with the work that we were doing, the people that we were connecting with, the benefit of the science that we’re doing. Suddenly the work had real meaning, you know, I was able to take this very tangible, technical knowledge of vessel operations, and now add to that this growing understanding, this learning of the oceanographic community and the ocean sciences. I found myself really excited about working. After about eight years at the University of Washington, I had gone back to graduate school there and completed a degree in public administration, I learned about this opportunity, where I am today, about this new organization that was just starting. It was a nonprofit organization funded by a philanthropic family that wanted to bring this new platform, this oceanographic research vessel, to the scientific community. It was just an idea at the time, an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up. And since then, every day is learning so much more. And our strategic plan is going to bring us over the decade to a place where we can far expand what we’re doing, and move it beyond just what we’re doing on the water surface. We’re looking into the sky, into the atmosphere, we’re looking inwards to land, trying to bring that all together as such a dream for me that I never even knew existed, in that rural town of Maine back in the 1980s.

Wendy
Wow, this is a great story. You mentioned how the scientists are collaborating together and you’re doing something that’s so new. And I just wonder if you can share something about creativity? How much room is there for creativity in your field? Can you share some examples?

Eric
Scientists have been collaborating since the beginning of time, really, and that’s no different with the ocean sciences. They collaborate with other organizations, and there’s different levels of collaborations and different meanings behind collaboration and partnering as well. But one of the things that we’re trying to do, to expand on how we collaborate and how we partner, is through opportunities. And giving the scientists and the researchers, the technologists, the engineers that we seek out and we hope they seek us out, is to do just as we’re talking about, being creative. There are certain ways that we think science should be conducted. There are certain ways that we think we should collect data. There’s certain ways that we think that we should process information. But that was how we thought about things yesterday, the day before. What we’re really most interested in is technology, and how technology can surprise people in ways that we never could have imagined. But to do that, you have to open your mind, and we don’t talk about thinking outside of the box. We actually want to push to all corners of the box, we want to push beyond the corners of the box and expand the box really. To do that, though, is a bit of some retraining, perhaps, of the way that we’ve been doing business for hundreds of years, and even the way ocean sciences are taught today. And we’re seeing that happen already.

We now know, you can’t just study one spot of the ocean, we have space and time issues. And we also have to look what’s above the surface, or even at the very top layer of the surface. It’s a whole ecosystem just at the surface of the ocean. And then we look inland to understand what’s happening inland, thousands of miles inland. We have to have an understanding of what’s happening in the ocean, and even at the deepest parts of the ocean. So to pull all this together, when we’re talking about creativity, we need technology. We need robotics, we need software, we need artificial intelligence, we need machine-based learning. We need minds that are trained and taught in new ways. We need people from all over the world to come and join us, not just from the United States or the North America, or from the largest landmass in Oceania, from Australia, where we made such great friends and collaborators. But there are brilliant people all over the world. And some of those brilliant people don’t happen to live in areas where they have access to facilities like our new ship. So we need to reach them. And we also have to understand what is important to them, right? So we don’t have the answer. Our organization is trying to be a catalyst, we’re trying to provide opportunities, especially to those people that don’t have such access, those that are in small island developing nations, or coastal states, where they, as I mentioned, don’t have any resources. Our ways of conventionally looking at science in the ocean and doing oceanographic research may not be their conventional ways. So how do we connect those two? How do we connect the ways that we’re looking to do science on a big ship, like what we’re building with incredible technologies, a massive amount of its infrastructure, but pair that with communities in coastal states that don’t have access to or haven’t thought about doing research the way that we’re doing it, and the partners that we’ve worked with over the past decade. The same thing for us. There’s a lot of observational data and a lot of observational research that’s done in small island developing nations and other coastal states by those who have been living in the lands far longer than we’ve been sailing the sea. So the creativity part is really exciting. Especially when we’re trying to think about doing ocean science in ways that we haven’t thought of before. And sometimes you have to take a step back, take a breath, and actually look out of the windows every once in a while and not just at the screens that are in front of you that you’ve been staring at processing the sea floor data.

Wendy
I know, right. And that applies to so many other fields too, you have to step back and take a break. And once you walk away and walk back, the problem is solved. And I really like how you mentioned how it’s not necessarily thinking out of the box, per se, it’s just to get into every corner of the box and expand the box. I also like your approach of how you are seeking for talents around the world, especially in those less representative areas, and try to kind of level the playing field to get the technology accessible to them, try to make it accessible and understandable by every talent. That is really a good approach.

And before your podcast goes out to influence other people, you have influenced me, actually, to a point that- you know, when you’re saying how you’re in Australia, and how you made so many friends and imaged the ocean floor, the coral reefs, and I just feel like I want to be there, I want to do that. So I’ll look into this.

Eric
Oh you should, Wendy. I mean, it is amazing. Just like I was saying before, the more data that we collect, the more that we learn, then the more we realize how little we know, and how much more data we need to collect. Now we have the ability to even listen more closely and to study the animals that are in the ocean. It forces us to rethink how we go about our business and- maybe not just rethink how we go about the business, but maybe retrain ourselves and also look for other ways, or new areas that we should be studying. I mean, it’s just, it’s incredible. It’s a great time to be in the ocean sciences world right now.

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Wendy
After having the opportunity to speak with Eric, I have come to appreciate the role of collaboration and communication for the success of each mission. Besides his expertise in maritime science and a strong will to do good, Eric demonstrated to me that strong leadership skills are also critical for bringing large groups of scientists together. I appreciated learning about his experiences and want to hone my own communication skills so that I can unite people from different backgrounds to make an impact in my endeavors.

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