Monterey Bay Expedition
The OceanGate Foundation conducted a 30-day expedition in Monterey, California during October, 2011 to perform a series of submarine dives and community outreach events for local students, educators and the general public.
- View our daily expedition log
- View more images from the expedition
- Read comments from teachers and supporters
- See examples of how we are inspiring students and providing teaching opportunities.
- Conduct a trial program with local partners and lay the foundation for a comprehensive educational program in 2012
- Inspire students to pursue STEM related programs by providing opportunities to tour a manned submersible, participate in submarine dives, and meet the OceanGate crew
- Create awareness of the need for ocean exploration and its benefits
During the expedition, the OceanGate team conducted 34 submarine dives in Monterey Bay to provide opportunities for teachers, students and supporters to personally experience the undersea world. As part of our education and outreach program, our submarine pilots gave classroom presentations and hosted field trips to see Antipodes – successfully connecting with over 1,000 local students. Supporting our mission of inspiration, the team also gave submarine tours to 194 people – including 85 people during an open house for scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the local chapter of the Marine Technology Society.
Expedition Highlights:| 34 | Submarine dives | |
| 111 | People experienced a submarine dive | |
| 194 | People toured inside Antipodes | |
| 1,004 | Students participated in an OceanGate Foundation event | |
| 788 | Students attended a classroom presentation | |
| 91 | Students took a field trip to tour Antipodes | |
| 14 | Students from California State University of Monterey Bay designed, deployed and tested robotic devices on Antipodes | |
| 17 | Students and mentors from Aptos High School did a submarine dive as a reward for winning the 2011 MATE Regional ROV Competition | |
| 24 | Monterey area teachers participated in a submarine dive | |
| 13 | Monterey area schools benefited from a classroom presentation or field trip including two undergraduate programs, four high schools, three middle schools, and four elementary schools | |
| 108 | Students and teachers attended the MATE Center ROV Workshop sponsored by the OceanGate Foundation | |
| 57 | People toured inside Antipodes during a public open house |
Beneficiaries:
- MBARI – Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
- MATE – Marine Advanced Technology Education
- NOAA – National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration
- Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
- MTS – Marine Technology Society
- Aptos High School
- Buena Vista Middle School
- California State University of Monterey Bay
- Highland Elementary School
- International School of Monterey
- Jesuit High School
- John Steinbeck Elementary School
- Miramonte High School
- Mission College Prep
- Monterey Academy of Oceanographic Science
- Stevenson School
- Walter Colton Middle School
- West Valley College Geology/Oceanography Program
“Before OceanGate came to Monterey, I was pretty much in the wind. I had no idea what I wanted to study. The OceanGate Foundation gave me that direction, gave me that drive, that’s pushing me to do really well in my classes right now, it’s given me this wind in my sails, picked me up in a new direction in my life. You guys have really given me a lot of direction that I never thought I would ever have. I wish you guys came along a long time ago.”
Austin Schaupp | Monterey High School | Class of 2012
“It’s difficult to express how lucky I felt to be on an exploratory dive. I was able to see organisms in an environment that is only rarely seen firsthand, and almost never by a science teacher who has no underwater skills. What an amazing life experience. I hope that my exposure is able to interest a few young people to become more aware of ocean stewardship.”
Mark Tretter
Science Chairman, Stevenson School | Pebble Beach, CA
