Seafloor Mapping Intern Vicky Trevino Brings the U.S. Naval Academy to E/V Nautilus
As a midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, Victoria Trevino is no stranger to life at sea. This experience paired with her undergraduate focus in meteorology and oceanography made her an excellent candidate for the Ocean Exploration Trust seafloor mapping & hydrography internship.
In 2024, Trevino sailed aboard E/V Nautilus during NA162, a 10-day expedition to map uncharted seafloor between British Columbia and Honolulu. Working alongside other career mappers in the Corps of Exploration, Trevino brought her unique military perspective to the ship over the Fourth of July holiday where she celebrated in true Nautilus fashion – exploring the deep ocean.
To better understand the ways in which Trevino’s Naval experience informed her time at sea as a seafloor mapping intern. OET sat down with the sailor to learn more about her academy life, educational training, and where she hopes these combined forces will lead her in life.
How has a military academy helped you pursue your interest in STEM?
Being at a military academy has allowed me to explore different STEM classes such as electrical engineering, thermodynamics, and cyber engineering, which are classes I may not have taken if I wasn’t at the Naval Academies. These classes also usually have Naval applications incorporated in them as well.
What are the differences and similarities between your experience on research or exploration vessels and your military experiences?
This is my first time on an exploration vessel but right away, there are many differences! The berthing and lounging spaces are large and quite pretty compared to a normal Naval vessel. For this expedition, there were fewer people on board which was nice to have extra space. A similarity between a research and naval vessel is the shared meals with the crew and team of scientists- we work and eat together.
How would you encourage middle and high school students to think about STEM, maritime, and military careers?
Put yourself out there for as many opportunities as you can because you never know where it will take you! Even if you think you would not be interested in something, try it out once and then decide if you want to pursue it. The great thing about STEM and maritime/military careers is that they can sometimes overlap and you don’t have to limit yourself to one passion.
You gave up your only leave time of the summer to add another at-sea experience. Tell us a little bit about what this internship means for you, both personally and professionally.
I was excited to try out a different vessel experience, especially onboard the Nautilus since I had seen it online many times. I also wanted to meet other scientists who are working in the field and doing everything we talk about in my oceanography classes. This opportunity has also broadened my horizons to consider more scientific career paths when my time in the Navy is done. I have also made connections with other individuals who are also starting their own scientific careers and those who have found their way back to Nautilus time and time again.
This SEIP experience is different than other USNA candidates in that it is a mapping rather than an ROV cruise. How do you feel mapping informs the field of marine science, both in terms of research and militaristic perspectives?
It is important to understand the geology of the seafloor for marine life environments, tectonic movement, ship movement, and possibly even weather predictions. For the military, the Naval oceanography community focuses on studying the sea and the floor below it. This could be used for surface warfare, the submarine force, Navy divers, and even Marines onboard Naval vessels. It is important to understand the geology below the water to best prepare, plan, and defend our Naval and Marine Corps forces when underway at sea.
Mapping the Gaps Southbound
This expedition is a seafloor mapping mission to bring E/V Nautilus from British Columbia back to the Central Pacific for subsequent expeditions of the 2024 field season. This 10-day transit route will fill gaps in seabed mapping within and beyond the U.S. EEZ and thereby support priorities of Seabed 2030, the Ocean Networks Canada Strategic Plan, and the US National Strategy for Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization.
