Science at Sea

Taking knowledge further

Get an inside look at innovative science and conservation projects

The ships in the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions fleet are not only equipped for adventure—they also host important research and conservation work as part of the Visiting Scientist Program. This innovative initiative allows scientists to use the fleet as a platform to build and foster their research endeavors in places like Antarctica, the Arctic and the Galápagos. 

The Visiting Scientist Program has been active for years, and in response to the program’s popularity with guests, National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions is expanding it for the upcoming travel seasons. Now, more travelers than ever before can voyage alongside fascinating researchers, enjoy talks on their findings, and in some instances participate in the scientific process through activities such as data collection.  


New and Ongoing Research Projects

National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions has supported projects that take place all over the world—from pole to pole and everywhere in-between. From manta rays to microbes and microplastics, we are excited to support and collaborate on research projects throughout our worldwide fleet.

Undersea Realms

Marine scientists are using the National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions fleet as a platform to dive into ocean habitats and make discoveries from the intertidal to the deep sea.

Long-term monitoring of rocky shore temperatures and biodiversity

Coastal ecosystems can be exceptionally challenging, exposing organisms to extreme and constantly changing environmental conditions as well as heightened climate change vulnerability. The CCTBON project is a decades-long monitoring program assessing temperature and biodiversity trends on hundreds of Atlantic rocky shores, including the severely understudied polar and tropical regions. This long-term effort provides crucial data improving understanding of links between temperature and biodiversity while uncovering climate change impacts on intertidal ecosystems. National Geographic Explorer Rui Seabra and his team will be joining the National Geographic Endurance in June 2025 for this project.

Oxygen and productivity around the Svalbard Archipelago

Marine algae living in sea ice and the upper ocean are tiny powerhouses, using carbon dioxide and sunlight to produce oxygen and food for larger organisms in the sea. Globally, marine algae produce 50% of all the oxygen we breathe, and simultaneously remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to stabilize Earth's climate. This project will examine changes in seawater oxygen concentrations to understand how microbial communities respond to varying Arctic environmental conditions. National Geographic Explorer Allison Fong and her team will be joining the National Geographic Resolution in June 2025 for this project.

Turbulence and microstructure features from Greenland fjords: Comparing oceanographic processes in high-latitude fjords (Patagonian-Greenland)

This project investigates turbulence and dissolved oxygen levels in Greenland fjords, focusing on atmosphere-ocean interactions. A Microprofiler VMP-250 will measure physical properties of the water column. Understanding these processes is key to assessing climate-driven changes in polar marine ecosystems. Data collected during the voyage contribute to global efforts monitoring ocean deoxygenation and its impact on marine life. Dr. Ivan Santos and his team will be joining the National Geographic Endurance in August 2025 for this project.

Ice melt and biological productivity at the edge of the Greenland ice sheet

Over the past few decades, Greenland’s ice sheet and coastal waters have underdone rapid changes. This project measures shifts in physical, chemical, and biological ocean properties along the west coast of Greenland. Objectives include investigating how ocean temperature changes are linked with glacier ice loss and determining how summertime ice sheet melt is altering nutrient availability for algae growth. Understanding connections between these processes is critical for quantifying how Arctic marine ecosystems will evolve in the future. Dr. Mike Wood and his team will be joining the National Geographic Endurance in August 2025 for this project.

Monitoring macroalgae extent and biodiversity in the Arctic - a novel approach using eDNA

Seaweed provide key ecosystem services, such as food, habitat, fuel, carbon sequestration, and coastal protection. Arctic and sub-Arctic seaweed biodiversity and extent are shifting rapidly with climate change, however they are difficult to study. This project is interested in where different species of seaweed are found in the Arctic and sub-Arctic, how their distributions are changing, and what this means for communities. National Geographic Explorer Chloe Nunn and her team will be joining the National Geographic Explorer in July 2025 for this project.

Environment

Using state-of-the-art ships as their roving base camps, researchers are studying environmental science and human impacts in remote parts of the world.

Mapping microplastics and microfibers in water and air

Rozalia Project for a Clean Ocean has been investigating the problem of microplastic and microfiber pollution and developing solutions for a decade. One of those solutions is CSI for the Ocean: A Global Citizen Science Microplastic Mapping and Monitoring Program. As part of this effort, the research team leads guests in exploring microplastics and anthropogenic microfibers that could be floating on the ocean’s surface or suspended in the air.  National Geographic Explorer Rachael Miller will be joining the National Geographic Resolution in June 2025 for this project.

Ice at the edge: Walls of change

The single largest source of uncertainty in projections of sea level rise is the speed at which the ice sheets – Greenland and Antarctica – will retreat. The structural processes that control ice stability (how tall can cliffs get? how do they hold themselves together?) are not (yet) well understood. Observations of ice cliffs, where the ice sheets meet the ocean, are essential. The main objective of this project is to opportunistically observe coastal glacier cliffs and icebergs, and document their changing faces. National Geographic Explorer Catherine Walker and her team will be joining the National Geographic Resolution in July 2025 for this project.

Acoustic monitoring of glacier melting rates 

Most glacial ice loss happens when the glacier comes in contact with seawater. As marine-terminating glaciers melt, the small air bubbles trapped inside the ice explode and make a distinctive cracking noise. This project uses an array of underwater microphones to record the melting noise. The sounds will be correlated with local Greenland glacier dynamics, thus allowing measurements of ice melt rate from a safe distance. National Geographic Explorer Matthias Hoffmann-Kuhnt and his team will be joining the National Geographic Resolution in July 2025 for this project.

Assessing biodiversity and water quality amid growth of Icelandic fish farming

With increased consumption of Atlantic salmon grown in pristine waters, fish farming is expanding from west to east Iceland. Introducing fish farms to pristine fjords could cause excess organic load, habitat alteration, and/or introduce pathogens and chemicals to the marine environment. This project aims to characterize organism biodiversity and measure water quality throughout several Icelandic fjords to provide a deeper understanding of the current conditions and monitor fish farm impacts. Dr. Emma Cross and her team will be joining the Natoinal Geographic Explorer in July 2025 for this project.

Wildlife and Ecology

These scientists are joining expeditions to search for some of the planet’s most incredible creatures—from tiny microbes to giant whales—and using what they find to advance the knowledge of species and ecosystems.

Whales on the map: Monitoring whale distribution at coastal development sites

Cetacean research in northeast Iceland is limited, relying largely on anecdotal reports from local fishers. In Finnafjörður, a proposed port and mineral processing plant will likely increase vessel traffic and introduce risks to cetaceans such as underwater noise, pollution, ship strikes, and entanglement. With the goal of informing responsible coastal development that prioritises conservation, the Whale Wise team increases understanding of the region’s cetaceans ​​through acoustic and spatial distribution data documenting their occurrence and diversity. Benedek Regoczi and Katharine Hall will be joining the National Geographic Explorer in June 2025 for this project.

Citizen Science

Guests can get involved in the advancement of science by participating in a variety of research projects hosted on their expedition..

Happywhale

Whales have unique markings on their flukes that allow scientists to identify individuals and track them across the globe. When guests capture pictures of the whales spotted on expedition, they can submit them to the Happywhale app to aid in the tracking process. National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions ships are also outfitted with Whale ID accounts and dedicated tablets that use AI to identify the individual whales within minutes of a photo submission.

iNaturalist BioBlitz

Travelers to South Georgia are invited to participate in a BioBlitz, where guests and staff join forces to photograph all the plant and animal species that they can find in a designated area during shore landings. Participant photos are then uploaded to the iNaturalist app, where they become part of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, an open-source database used by scientists and policymakers around the world. 

eBird

Guests traveling on any expedition are encouraged to keep track of the birds that they spot and log their sightings on the eBird Mobile app. The app is linked to eBird, a global online database of recorded bird sightings that is available for scientific research, education and conservation.