Ship to Shore: A Great Lakes Science Alliance

Natural Sciences, Places & Travel, Science, Society & Culture

Sunken schooners. Nearly invisible plastics drifting miles offshore. A weather balloon launched off ship decks. A submersible descending into the freshwater dark, hunting for wrecks no one has seen in over a century.

This is a glimpse into what happens when National Marine Sanctuary researchers team up with Viking’s nearly 700-foot luxury expedition ships: a powerful partnership cracking open new discoveries across the Great Lakes.

From the depths of Lake Huron to floating research labs, join science communicator and Sanctuary Fellow Cassidy Beach in three audio episodes featuring candid conversations with field scientists, submarine pilots, and maritime archaeologists revealing what’s really happening beneath the surface of these inland seas.

Step into the freshwater with us, just make sure to keep your headphones dry. Hit subscribe, and let’s explore what’s waiting between the ship and the shore.

Episodes: 3
Releases: Daily
Typical length: 13 min
On air since: 2026
Latest episode: 1 month ago

Episodes

3 episodes, from the first

Season 1

The Science Port and the Ship of Opportunity

Episode 1

Show notes

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When a nearly 700-foot expedition vessel anchors off Alpena, Michigan, it’s delivering more than sightseeing. It’s bringing a floating research platform to a community built on maritime history. In our debut episode, Sanctuary Fellow Cassidy Beach explores how NOAA’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Viking Expeditions built an unlikely partnership to share real-time data side-by-side. From onboard labs to classrooms on shore, discover how open science is replacing doom-and-gloom with actionable freshwater solutions.

Featured Guests:

• Stephanie Gandulla — Maritime Archaeologist & Resource Protection Coordinator, NOAA’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
• Jason Hayden — Chief Scientist, Viking Expeditions

Sources & Resources:

• Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary👉 https://thunderbay.noaa.gov/
• Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary👉 https://thunderbayfriends.org/
• Viking Expeditions👉https://www.vikingcruises.com/expeditions/cruise-destinations

Host: Cassidy Beach — Sanctuary Fellow & Science Communicator — http://cassidyebeach.com

Sep 25, 2026 13 min
Talking Trash with Great Lakes Plastic Pioneers

Episode 2

Show notes

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Unlike the open ocean, the Great Lakes don't have endless currents to sweep trash away. Whatever enters these inland seas stays in our watershed. But how do researchers actually track this synthetic footprint scattered across thousands of square miles of open water and coastlines? To find out, Sanctuary Fellow Cassidy Beach explores the frontlines of freshwater plastic research in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Dive into the high-tech filtration systems and standardized shore surveys mapping Great Lakes plastic. Can sifting through debris and microscopic fibers really unlock a cure for eco-anxiety? Grab your field gear and come along to find out.

Featured Guests:

• Sophie Stuart — Education and Outreach Specialist & Volunteer Coordinator, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation in support of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
• Hayley Charlton-Howard — Field Scientist, Viking Expeditions

Sources & Resources:

• Current state of microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes and potential risks👉https://pubs.acs.org/ascecg/article/10/43/14074/1494675/Microplastics-in-the-Great-Lakes-Environmental
• Mass and distribution of plastic pollution in the Great Lakes👉 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X1630981X
• NOAA’s Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project 👉https://marinedebris.noaa.gov/our-work/monitoring/marine-debris-monitoring-and-assessment-project
• Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary👉 https://thunderbay.noaa.gov/
• Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary👉 https://thunderbayfriends.org/
• Viking Expeditions👉https://www.vikingcruises.com/expeditions/cruise-destinations

Host: Cassidy Beach — Sanctuary Fellow & Science Communicator — http://cassidyebeach.com

Sep 28, 2026 13 min
Exploring the Freshwater Graveyard

Episode 3

Show notes

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Over a hundred shipwrecks lie hidden beneath the surface of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and upwards of a hundred more are still waiting to be found. But how do you hunt for history in pitch-black, frigid freshwater? Join Sanctuary Fellow Cassidy Beach as she steps into the world of lakebed mapping and wreck discovery through shadows, sonar, and submersibles. From "mowing the lawn" with multibeam acoustic technology to piloting research subs past sunken hulls and alien-like sinkholes, we explore the science, the ethics, and the human stories lingering on the bottom of the Great Lakes.

Featured Guests:

• Andrea Yoxsimer — Resource Protection Specialist, NOAA’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
• Alex Andreani — Chief Officer Submarine Pilot, Viking Expeditions

Sources & Resources:

• Lake Bed 2030👉https://glos.org/lakebed-2030/
• Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary👉 https://thunderbay.noaa.gov/
• Friends of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary👉 https://thunderbayfriends.org/
• Viking Expeditions👉https://www.vikingcruises.com/expeditions/cruise-destinations

Host: Cassidy Beach — Sanctuary Fellow & Science Communicator — http://cassidyebeach.com

Sep 28, 2026 11 min