Sea Education Association (SEA)

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Founded in 1971, and located in Woods Hole since 1975, the Sea Education Association (SEA) has been a leader in marine education, developing an understanding of the importance of the ocean and of its powerful role in seemingly every aspect of our lives—whether we live on, near, or at great distances from the shore. The idea is to give students the opportunity to study the ocean from a multitude of academic perspectives and to do it from the platform of a traditional sailing vessel, therefore combining a rare blend of theoretical learning and the application of such knowledge. Coursework for students from any academic discipline involves the studying of maritime policy, history, and literature in addition to ship navigation and oceanography. They learn about the ocean’s power and mystery, use scientific technology to study it, and design research projects that will be the focus of their work at sea.

SEA offers programs for college students, high school students, and teachers, and for students in the MIT/WHOI graduate program. The SEA Semester is the primary program upon which the other programs at SEA are designed. SEA Semester was developed in direct collaboration and affiliation with Boston University. Over time, SEA has sailed with students “studying abroad” for a college semester from 300 colleges and has formally affiliated with nearly 30 colleges/universities nationwide.

The SEA sailing vessels—134-foot brigantines—operate year-round. The SSV Corwith Cramer sails the waters of the North Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea, while the SSV Robert C. Seamans sails the waters of the Northern and Tropical Pacific.

Contact Information

Main Phone: 508-540-3954
Admissions: 800-552-3633 ext. 770
171 Woods Hole Road
Falmouth, MA 02540
Mailing address: P.O. Box 6
Woods Hole, MA 02543
www.sea.edu