Standing on the bow of Nautilus, I chat with Isabella Monaco and Gabriela Espino. As we gaze out over Honolulu Harbor, I breathe in the salt air and savor the familiarity of this view. I’ve joined a dozen expeditions with the Ocean Exploration Trust in the past few years, and today marks my tenth port call in Hawai’i. It feels wonderful to be back here, especially for the first expedition of the season. 

For Isabella and Gabriela, boarding this ship and preparing to go out to sea is still a relatively new experience. They are both seafloor mappers returning to Nautilus for their second season, after sailing as interns last year. We watch the sun begin to set over the port and talk about our career paths.