As an extension educator who regularly helps Ohioans understand soils, crops, and natural resources, Kayla Wyse was already familiar with hands-on learning before embarking on a week-long journey with the 2026 Shipboard Science Immersion, led by the Center for Great Lakes Literacy. But her experience on an EPA research vessel this summer took her knowledge to an entirely new level.
“It was unlike any experience I’d had before,” said Wyse, an agriculture and natural resources Extension Educator with Ohio State University Extension in Williams County, Ohio. “I left with new knowledge, valuable professional connections, and a renewed enthusiasm for helping Ohio communities better care for agriculture, natural resources, and overall quality of life.”
Kayla Wyse, an agriculture and natural resources Extension Educator with Ohio State University Extension in Williams County, Ohio
Wyse was one of 15 Great Lakes educators who joined the Center for Great Lakes Literacy (CGLL) staff and Great Lakes scientists to work aboard the Research Vessel (R/V) Lake Guardian on Lake Superior for a full week in July, thanks to a partnership with the EPA Great Lakes National Program Office and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), with funding from the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. Hosts for this year’s expedition were CGLL partners Minnesota Sea Grant, Wisconsin Sea Grant and Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant, supported by the National Sea Grant College Program and NOAA.
The immersive program placed Wyse and other educators alongside scientists as they studied the Great Lakes environment using state-of-the-art instruments and sampling techniques in a hands-on, intensive learning setting. The cohort walked away with invaluable knowledge that they will now bring back to their roles as educators.
“Throughout the week, we rotated through different kinds of studies: water chemistry, benthic sampling, plankton identification, and sediment analysis,” Wyse explained. “I found myself particularly drawn to water sampling and chemical analysis. As we tested the number of particles in the water, I could not help but think about the rich environment we live in.”
A graduate of Wilmington College, Wyse has served Williams County since 2023 and recently received her master’s degree in plant health management from The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. In her Extension role, she works with farmers, landowners, youth, and community members to connect research-based information from Ohio State to real-world applications.
Wyse had learned about the immersion program years ago from her high school science teacher Donna Meller, who herself participated in Shipboard Science in 2017. Since then, Wyse was waiting for the right time to experience the program for herself.
“As an Extension educator, I am always looking for ways to expand my knowledge and bring new perspectives back to the communities I serve,” Wyse said. “When my high school science teacher talked about her experience on the ship, she was always excited and passionate. And without people like her, I wouldn’t be in my current role.”
Wyse said the Lake Guardian functions as a floating laboratory, where every space has a purpose: a wet lab to process water samples, a dry lab filled with microscopes and analytical instruments, and the deck where a Rosette sampler – an array of sensors and large water bottles used to measure water properties and collect samples at different depths – was lowered into the water.
“During the week, I was struck by how enthusiastic the other teachers were,” Wyse said. “It didn’t matter the time or place – they were prepared with many questions about what we were doing and why. That motivated and encouraged me to continue seeking opportunities to promote agriculture and natural resource education.”
“If the trip taught me anything, it’s this: when we understand the water beneath us, we make better decisions about the land around us.”
Kayla Wyse
Aboard the vessel, the group slept in small but efficient bunks, ate meals prepared by the ship’s cook, and spent evenings discussing data, curriculum ideas, and how to bring what they learned back to their teaching environments.
“But the true value of the program was the chance to work alongside scientists, contribute to real data collection, and build a deeper understanding of the Great Lakes that can be carried into classrooms, Extension programs, and community outreach,” Wyse said.
One connection Wyse made was with Dr. Elizabeth Austin-Minor, a professor at the Large Lakes Observatory at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Wyse and the other educators assisted Austin-Minor with a project observing the photochemistry of Lake Superior, comparing near-shore and offshore waters and whether exposure to sunlight broke down chemical compounds in the water.
Since returning home, Wyse has started to plan ways to integrate Great Lakes content into her programming, including lesson ideas for local schools and programs for farmers and other adult learners.
Shipboard Science educators worked with a Rosette sampler – a large array of sensors and bottles used to measure water properties and collect samples at different depths – on the deck of the USEPA R/V Lake Guardian
“My goal is to help learners see the lakes not as distant bodies of water, but as interconnected systems that influence agriculture, biodiversity, and community across the region,” she said.
Wyse said the Shipboard Science Immersion reminded her why science matters, why stewardship matters, and why educators play a critical role in connecting people to the natural world.
“Seeing the Great Lakes through the lens of long term scientific monitoring reminded me that every system we work with, from a field of soybeans to a watershed, is shaped by forces we can measure, understand, and manage. This immersion strengthened my ability to connect lake science to the practical realities facing our farms and rural communities.”
“And if the trip taught me anything, it’s this: when we understand the water beneath us, we make better decisions about the land around us,” she continued.
Shipboard Science educators spent a week aboard the R/V Lake Guardian, the U.S. EPA’s largest research vessel and the largest research vessel operating on the Great Lakes.
Wyse added that the support Sea Grant and NOAA provided to the CGLL program was exceptional, creating an environment that encouraged learning, collaboration, and meaningful engagement with scientists and educators.
“The experience offered access to people, facilities, and science that many of us would not otherwise have had the opportunity to see firsthand,” Wyse said. “It reinforced how education, agency support, and community engagement all play critical roles in protecting the environment and investigating environmental questions.”
CGLL is a collaborative effort led by Sea Grant educators throughout the U.S. Great Lakes watershed. CGLL fosters informed and responsible decisions that advance basin-wide stewardship by providing hands-on experiences, educational resources, and networking opportunities promoting Great Lakes literacy among an engaged community of educators, scientists, and youth.
For more information on the Shipboard Science Immersions, visit the Center for Great Lakes Literacy website or read about last year’s program. The 2027 program is set to take place on Lake Huron.
Ohio Sea Grant is supported by The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University Extension, and NOAA Sea Grant, a network of 34 Sea Grant programs nation-wide dedicated to the protection and sustainable use of marine and Great Lakes resources. Stone Laboratory is Ohio State’s island campus on Lake Erie and is the research, education, and outreach facility of Ohio Sea Grant and part of CFAES School of Environment and Natural Resources.