Salish Sea Expeditions was founded in 1996 to inspire a passion for exploring, understanding, and respecting the marine environment through hands-on scientific inquiry.

Who We Are

Salish Sea Expeditions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established to provide an opportunity for students to design and conduct real scientific research from the decks of a 61' sailing vessel on Puget Sound.  These innovative 'science-under-sail" programs are tailored for students from 5th through 12th grades.  See our online collected works series Student Research of Puget Sound of student authored papers featuring the results of research projects conducted aboard the SV Carlyn.

Why We Exist

We believe that today's youth are the future leaders who will develop policies, conduct research and make decisions impacting our world. To help them be engaged citizens of the future, our multi-day science education programs stimulate young minds, anchoring an understanding of science and critical thinking.

Over 3,200 middle and high school students, 900 teachers and 80 schools have sailed the waters of Puget Sound as students of our innovative “science-under-sail” programs aboard the 61’ sailing research vessel Carlyn. Read More…

Save the Date for our
Annual Dinner and Auction 2009 Science Under Sail

Please join us on  Saturday, March 7th, 2009 for an evening of crab races, amazing eats, fantastic auction items and good company! Doors will open at 5:00 p.m. at the Bell Harbor Conference Center located at Pier 66 on the waterfront in Seattle, WA.  Tickets will be $75 or host a table of ten for $700.  Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Please contact our Event Coordinator Lorrie Kalmbach-Ehlers at (206) 780-7848 x3# or lorrieke@salish.org for any additional information you may need.

Salish Sea Expeditions Awarded NOAA Education and Training Grant

Salish Sea Expeditions has been awarded $113,585 in grant funds from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) grant program. The program was recently expanded to the Pacific Northwest and Salish is one of five grant recipients under the expanded program. The NOAA program provides funds to support environment-based education in the nation’s watersheds. The funding will support program enhancements in Salish’s 2008 through 2010 program seasons. Read More...

Tide Pooling with Alan Rammer

On Saturday August 16th Salish was host to a guided tide pool exploration with Alan Rammer, the Marine Conservation and Education Program Specialist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and fantastic teacher!  We have some wonderful photos to share with you at our new FLICKR site.

For those of you who have read The Highest Tide, Alan Rammer is characterized as Professor Kramer in this wonderful coming-of-age novel by Jim Lynch. The book is about Miles O’Malley, a thirteen year old boy who lives on the tidal flats of the Puget Sound, his obsession for marine biology, and the discoveries of his youth.  And, if you are curious about the book (a Salish Staff favorite) take a look at the REVIEW