Meet Ocean Explorer Gareth Turgeon

OET proudly welcomes Gareth Turgeon to the Corps of Exploration as part of the Science & Engineering Internship Program. This internship program supports community college, undergraduate, and graduate students in building professional workforce experience and exploring STEAM-related careers that connect to research themes like robotics, ocean science, education, and exploration. Gareth is joining E/V Nautilus for our NA178 expedition as a seafloor mapping intern.

We sat with Gareth to learn more about his experience at sea and the path that led him to Nautilus.

Describe your role with OET.

Hi everyone! I am a seafloor mapping intern aboard E/V Nautilus for the duration of NA 178. I will be managing the sonar and logging and cleaning data, as well as deploying probes to measure sound velocity. These tasks work separately but together to help global programs such as the Seabed 2030 Initiative and many others. 

Can you tell us a little about your background? What influenced you as a child?

I was born and raised just south of Cincinnati Ohio. However, I currently go to school in Traverse City MI where I am pursuing a bachelor's degree for Marine Technology. As a kid, I was influenced by fictional works by authors such as Jules Verne, Robert Louis Stevenson, and a non-fictional book about the discovery of the Bismarck by our founder, Dr. Ballard. All of these books and more influenced me to be naturally curious about the world around me. This cultivated within me a natural desire for exploration and discovery of the unknown, to which I credit my interest in programs such as the SEIP Seafloor Mapping and Hydrography internship as well as those offered by Marine Technology Society. 

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I have always been interested in exploration. First, I wanted to be an astronaut and aspired to be the first one to set foot on Mars. Then I became interested in archaeology after I watched the Indiana Jones movies for the first time. After that, I wanted to be a helicopter pilot just like my Dad. While these may be very diverse interests, the common theme of exploration is readily apparent. I am very happy to have settled on the realm of Marine Science, conservation, and exploration as I have found that we know more about the Moon than we do about the Oceans of our own Planet.

What would you consider to be your greatest challenge entering this field?

Honestly, my greatest challenge was the fact that I was from a landlocked city, in a landlocked state in the midwest. I love my hometown and I will always be grateful to have had the opportunity to grow up there, but I also believe that I have felt the call of the ocean since I was little. If you ask anyone in my family they will all tell you that I am happiest on the beach or under a palm tree. Thankfully, I was able to overcome this barrier by signing up for Workshops through Marine Technology Society. These week-long camps introduced me to all different sectors of the Marine Tech realm, and they are how I got acquainted with my current program at Northwestern Michigan College. 

Do you have any advice for someone looking to follow a similar path?

Apply, Apply, Apply! I am a firm believer in the idea that you miss one hundred percent of the shots you don't take. Through Workshops, Internships, and my program at NMC I have been able to familiarize myself with many facets of the Marine Industry, even if minimally so. Exposure to these subsystems will open doors for you in this industry which would be otherwise unavailable, and that experience will take you far.  

What's next for your ocean studies and career?  

My next goal is to finish my Bachelors at NMC over the next year and a half, but after that I am hoping to spend time aboard research vessels like the Nautilus and any others that would have me aboard. I enjoy being at sea, and I want to explore the world and discover something new. Honestly, I love the whole Marine Realm and am a diver and surfer in my spare time. I want to do anything in this line of work that gets me more time on (or under) the water.