Kim Etsitty from Navajo Pine High School sets sail this week as a Science Communication Fellow (SCF) in a deep ocean exploration expedition.
Ms. Etisitty is also a curriculum writer with the Los Alamos National Laboratory.
She originally hails from Chinle, Arizona, and is joining the OET’s Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus as part of a deep ocean exploration team exploring the waters of Palau’s National Marine Sanctuary alongside the Palau International Coral Reef Center, NOAA Ocean Exploration, and other Palauan and U.S. collaborators.
Together, the Corps of Exploration will explore deep ocean mountains and biodiversity, bringing the excitement of exploration to learners in the Navajo Nation and worldwide.
“I am of The Bitter Water clan and born for The Water Flow Together Clan; my maternal grandfather is from The Towering House Clan, and my paternal grandfather is from the Mexican People Clan. In this way, I am a Navajo woman,” Ms. Etsitty explains.
The Navajo Nation community, and curious minds worldwide, can engage with Etsitty and the explorers onboard via NautilusLive.org, a 24-hour live-streaming web portal bringing expeditions from the field to explorers on shore via telepresence technology and social media. Local schools, summer programs, and community groups are encouraged to schedule free, live one-on-one Q&A sessions with explorers on the ship, which are available daily.
Etsitty was selected from a worldwide pool of applicants to join a cohort of 13 Fellows from across Oceania and North America. While at sea, Fellows participate in live remotely operated vehicle dives from the control room, host connections from an onboard broadcast studio, and embed among the diverse team of professionals onboard. Fellows also bring their experiences home, developing classroom and community connections to share lessons learned from the expedition.
Ocean Exploration Trust, a nonprofit founded by Dr. Robert Ballard, operates with a mission to explore the unknown parts of the ocean, seeking out new discoveries while pushing the boundaries of technological innovation, education, and outreach. OET promotes science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM) education worldwide using the excitement of exploration to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.
OET’s nine 2024 expeditions in Hawaiʻi, American Samoa, US Pacific Remote Islands, Palau, and Canada will contribute to the ocean being better understood by supporting international scientific and U.S. governmental priorities, particularly understanding ocean changes, sharing that knowledge with others, and contributing discoveries and data that will inform future conservation and management decisions.
About the Ocean Exploration Trust
The Ocean Exploration Trust was founded in 2007 by Dr. Robert Ballard to explore the ocean, seeking out new discoveries in geology, biology, maritime history, and archaeology while pushing the boundaries of STEAM education and technological innovation. Our international program is launched from aboard the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus, offering live exploration to participants on shore and the public via live video, audio, and data feeds. Learn more about Ocean Exploration Trust.