From December 30 to January 8, the Performance Materials Lab team will be heading into the Lesser Antilles for a multi-island expedition across St. Lucia, Martinique, Dominica, and Guadeloupe. This ten‑day journey will launch our new year of research and education with a focus on vibrant tropical ecosystems, coastal communities, and the changing health of Caribbean waters.
Where We Are Going
Our route will carry us north through four islands that sit along a volcanic arc, each with its own mix of reefs, seagrass beds, mangroves, and steep rainforest‑covered slopes. St. Lucia and Dominica are especially known for their dramatic coastlines and rich nearshore habitats, while Martinique and Guadeloupe offer a blend of French Caribbean culture and biodiverse coastal waters.
While the scenery will be stunning, our presence there is driven by a critical scientific purpose.
The Mission: Mapping the Invisible
The primary objective of this expedition is a comprehensive water quality assessment along our route. While the surface often looks pristine, near-shore environments are increasingly vulnerable to agricultural runoff, plastic micro-particles, and other contaminants.
At each island landfall—and key points in between—our crew will be deploying instruments to collect precise water samples. These samples will be carefully stored aboard our vessel and transported back to our shoreside laboratory. There, they will undergo rigorous analysis to identify contaminant levels. This data is crucial for establishing baselines and helping local communities understand the unseen pressures acting on their marine resources.
Powering the Future of Research
Science at sea requires reliable energy, and this trip serves a secondary, vital purpose: a real-world shakedown of our vessel’s newly installed power system.
Sustainable research requires sustainable infrastructure of solar panels. We are moving away from traditional reliance on fossil fuels and testing an integrated system designed for greater efficiency and a lower carbon footprint. The varied conditions between St. Lucia and Guadeloupe—ranging from calm harbors to open ocean swells—will provide the perfect testbed to ensure this new system can support the rigorous energy demands of our scientific equipment on future, longer-range missions.
The Crew: The Next Generation of Scientists
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of this voyage is the crew itself. Leading the expedition as Chief Scientist is Dr. Roger Tipton, bringing years of ocean experience to the helm of the research agenda.
Follow the Journey
As we prepare to depart on December 30, we invite you to follow along. We will be sharing updates from the field as connectivity allows, offering a glimpse into the daily realities of marine research.
This trip is a step forward in our commitment to understanding and protecting our blue planet—one island, and one sample, at a time.
