Young scientists on seaborne laboratory

A crew of American sailors moored in Dunedin are "sailing for science" on an educational expedition.

Fourteen young researchers from across the United States have been studying how climate change is affecting New Zealand, for six weeks on Robert C Seamans, a sail boat with a wet and dry laboratory on board.

They are completing a 12-week programme with the Sea Education Association (Sea) that offers programmes every year for American students to get hands-on experience learning how to sail and carry out research in disciplines from oceanography to history.

The ship’s chief scientist, Heather Page, said once on board the students were a part of the crew and took part steering the vessel, completing boat checks and collecting samples from the ocean for research.

She said they were "sailing for science".

One of the students, Julian Swensen, 21, of Oregon, said the programme was a great opportunity for him to explore and travel the world but also complete some of his undergraduate qualification.

The students said they were lucky to make it to Dunedin because previous crews could not make it here because of the weather conditions.

Tiegan Paulson, 21, of Minneapolis, said on the way to Dunedin, he was woken up when the boat plunged over some swells and it dropped so badly his shoulder blades lost contact with his mattress.

"I was like ‘whoa, I’m awake’."

The students said they had loved being in Dunedin and were looking forward to spending a bit of time in the city after their programme with Sea was finished.

They were keen to explore the peninsula and Tunnel Beach.