Those that head out to sea on modern-day oceanographic research expeditions are fortunate to have access to communication technologies that allow for email, social media and blog postings, and perhaps even live Zoom sessions. These tools provide the opportunity not only for scientists to share results with colleagues on shore, but the technology allows anyone on the ship to keep in touch with family members back home who are tracking the expedition. But there was a time before satellite connections and email allowed for an exchange between the ship and shore. Here we provide a little insight into how communications from ships at sea took place during the very first oceanographic research expedition on H.M.S. Challenger to the scientific drilling vessels Glomar Challenger and JOIDES Resolution.

The Challenges of Communications from H.M.S. Challenger

When H.M.S. Challenger left port in 1872, there were no computers on board or satellites to connect with to send or receive email messages. Telegraph cables were emerging and being laid across the ocean floor for messages to be sent to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, but this was not an option for ships on the water. At that time, handwritten letters were the primary form of communication and the only way to share information across the miles.

This “snail mail” version of communicating for Challenger worked very well, thanks to Great Britain’s global reach via ships on the ocean. Since Challenger docked at ports frequented by British ships, letters and news stories could be exchanged.

Charles Wyville Thomson, the civilian scientific director on board Challenger, was well-aware of the importance of communicating their science and adventures. Wyville Thomson frequently wrote reports and articles during the three-year expedition, including 15 articles published in the monthly evangelical British periodical Good Words. Each article is full of scientific detail and includes sketches, not credited but most likely completed by expedition artist and secretary to Thomson, John Wild.

Additional Challenger scientists, sailors and officers wrote letters and non-technical books for the general public that resulted in widespread attention across multiple audiences (W.J.J. Spry’s The Cruise of Her Majesty’s Ship “Challenger”, Henry Moseley’s Notes by a Naturalist on the “Challenger”, etc.).

The first “Letters from H.M.S. Challenger” published in Good Words (1873, v. 14, p. 394-397), titled I. Bermuda, April 7, 1873. Authored by Charles Wyville Thomson. In public domain and available through HathiTrust.

Communications from Glomar Challenger and Early JR Expeditions

Fast-forward to 1968, the time when the Deep Sea Drilling Project vessel Glomar Challenger began exploring the ocean through scientific ocean drilling. Dr. Suzanne O’Connell (Wesleyan University) sailed on two legs of Glomar Challenger – Leg 74 (June-July 1980) and Leg 96 (Sept.-Nov. 1983). Dr. Pamela Kempton (Kansas State University) sailed on Leg 83 (Nov. 1981-Jan. 1982). Both scientists recall there was no email or internet, that those on board were essentially isolated from freely communicating back home. Scientists received a printout once a day with news updates. There was also a shortwave radio operator on board. One could sign up for a 15-minute time slot for a conversation that had to be relayed through the operator and a telephone call. The conversation could be overheard easily by others on the ship. One always had to say “over” at the end of the sentence, which caused a great delay in the conversation.

Despite the communication isolation from their family and friends, the scientists did generate a sense of community among themselves. For example, Dr. Kempton shared that her Glomar Challenger expeditions sailed over Christmas. One way they celebrated the holiday on the ship was to go around and make presents for each other out of whatever they could find on board.

Drs. O’Connell and Kempton also have memories of how communications on JOIDES Resolution were different in the early years. Dr. O’Connell recalls on Leg 113 (Dec. 1986-March 1987) that communication exchanges between ship and shore were only done once a week, on Saturday evenings. Dr. Kempton shared that on her JR expeditions there were email bursts twice a day, but there was a character limit to what you could type. One would have to pay a fee if they exceeded the limit, and no files could be sent as attachments. She also remembers that across all of the scientific ocean drilling expeditions she has sailed (she sailed on four), communications have improved.

JR Communications in the 2020’s

For the scientists and marine technicians that sailed on JOIDES Resolution in its final years as part of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP, which concluded in 2024), email, social media, telephone, web browsing, web conferencing, direct messaging, and large file transfer services all became available. However, the reliance on satellite communications to keep the JR connected with the world was slower than high-speed internet service one would experience on land. Internet access was limited to computers in the laboratory spaces, with one personal device allowed to connect to the ship’s wireless network. There was also an official “Zoom room” on the ship where scientists could sign up for a short, private Zoom session with family members. Email addresses were assigned to everyone on board the JR for faster, internal ship communications. In March 2023, Starlink services were installed on the JR and significantly increased the internet speed and access for all on board. Two marine computer specialists were part of the technical crew to oversee the computer and network services.

[*Text on this page was adapted from L. Guertin’s post on the AGU blog GeoEd Trek, The science communications from H.M.S. Challenger were “Good Words” and more (26 March, 2022), and JR blog post Communications from the sea – before personal wi-fi, supplemented with information from personal communications with scientists that have sailed on Glomar Challenger and JOIDES Resolution (Dr. Suzanne O’Connell, Dr. Pamela Kempton, Dr. Keir Becker, Dr. Tim Bralower).]