Aboard the Karma

Aboard the Karma

The Karma is a U.S. Coast Guard-certified, passenger-for-hire vessel that has been refurbished with a variety of oceanographic research sampling instruments to provide a hands-on learning experience for its passengers.

A former shrimp boat, the Karma is 57 feet long and 16 feet wide. It operates year-round and can carry 25 passengers in addition to its crew of three. The Karma is operated by the husband-and-wife team of Bryan and Whitney Curry. They alternate the duties of captain and naturalist for the discovery cruises, and are sometimes joined by Russ Miget, who coordinates the FCP, as a second onboard naturalist.

While aboard the Karma, passengers will be guided through activities using the following onboard equipment:
Secchi disk
Sediment dredge
Plankton nets
20-foot shrimp trawl
Water sampling and testing equipment

The samples collected with the plankton nets are examined using a video-enhanced microscope. Specimens from the shrimp trawl are placed in the boat’s three large saltwater touch tanks for observation then returned live to the bay.

Topics discussed aboard the Karma include:
marine biology and ecology
watershed ecology and management
coastal industries
coastal processes
meteorology and climatology
fisheries management
coastal and maritime history
water chemistry and quality
beach, dune and wetland ecology
marine transportation and safety