All Hands on Deck
The 2018 National Ocean Exploration Forum
By Katherine L.C. Bell, Adrienne Copeland, Jenni Szlosek Chow, Carlie Wiener, Alexis Hope, and David McKinnie
To fully explore and understand the ocean, we can no
longer rely solely on a handful of large, expensive research
vessels and a small, elite cohort of explorers. We truly need
All Hands on Deck to do it!
On November 8–9, 2018, over 300 people gathered for
the 2018 National Ocean Exploration Forum: All Hands on
Deck at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The purpose of bringing together leaders and change-
makers in ocean exploration, entertainment, recreation,
and art was to imagine creative new ways to enable an
open, inclusive global community of ocean explorers.
Panel discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on work-
shops focused on the forum’s themes of Play, Imagine,
Immerse, Create, Explore, and Connect, inviting participants
to consider different approaches to engage people and
build a better understanding of, and appreciation for, the
ocean. An ocean-based art exhibit was included that show-
cased the works of Schmidt Ocean Institute’s Artist-at-Sea
participants as well as the glass art of Whitney Cornforth,
photography of Keith Ellenbogen, and “Micronauts,”
an immersive installation journeying into the world
of ocean microbes.
The Play and Imagine themes focused on some of the
most fundamental passions ignited in us when we were
children playing games and listening to stories. Participants
explored how to tap into play, games, recreation, and trans-
media storytelling to spark curiosity in explorers of all ages
in order to imagine a bright, optimistic future for the ocean.
Two hands-on workshops focused on Play allowed partici-
pants to join in on the fun by designing and piloting a LEGO
remotely operated vehicle in the Charles River or designing
their own ocean exploration game. In the Imagine work-
shop, participants learned how to identify and craft an
exciting ocean story to bring others along on a journey.
The Create and Immerse themes encouraged using
modalities ranging from art and music to extended reali-
ties to create experiences that transported participants
to other worlds. The groups explored new and exciting
ways to create immersive experiences that conveyed the
mystery, wonder, and inspiration of the sea. The Create
and Immerse hands-on workshops allowed participants
Live interaction and panel discussion with
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and scientists
during Boston Ocean Day at the New England
Aquarium, Simons IMAX Theater. Image
credit: Sam Mitchell, University of Hawai‘i