Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Jhen Allison Paguiligan Seguiwan, a student at Southern Utah University, has been selected as a 2026 Seafloor Mapping & Hydrography Intern in the Science & Engineering Internship Program and will sail aboard Ocean Exploration Trust (OET)’s Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus during its 2026 expedition season.

Born and raised in American Samoa and an alumna of Faasao Marist High School, Jhen was selected from hundreds of applicants as one of 19 interns and will join the team aboard E/V Nautilus in June for 13 days at sea to map never-before-seen seafloor between Hawaiʻi and Guam. Not only will this expedition be the first for the new acoustic multibeam mapping system on E/V Nautilus, but it will also include open-ocean biodiversity and seabird surveys from the ship. 

“Growing up in American Samoa, what many would call just a ‘dot on the map’, taught me that opportunities do not always come to you,” says Jhen. “You have to be curious enough to seek them out. It is an honor to represent my home through this expedition, and I hope my journey inspires future generations to dream big, embrace new opportunities, and realize that no goal is out of reach!” 

Ocean Exploration Trust, a nonprofit founded by Dr. Robert Ballard, operates with a mission to explore the unknown parts of the ocean, seeking out new discoveries while pushing the boundaries of technological innovation, STEAM education, and outreach. Expeditions center on scientific exploration of the seafloor, collaboration with the broader scientific community, and engagement of audiences of all ages via telepresence technology. The team has traveled around the world, helping understand the deep ocean and sharing discoveries live with the world through NautilusLive.org. 

As a Seafloor Mapping & Hydrography Engineering Intern, Jhen will learn to acquire, manage, and process seafloor mapping data from a deep-ocean multibeam sonar, helping to close gaps in high-resolution data coverage worldwide. 

OET’s internships train students in the at-sea environment and provide real-world experience to further develop academic interests and professional career paths via participation in the Nautilus Exploration Program. These interns come from community colleges, undergraduate, service academies, and graduate programs in ocean and atmospheric sciences, seafloor mapping, systems engineering, film, and electrical, mechanical, aerospace, and robotics engineering. 

People worldwide can engage with Jhen and the explorers onboard via NautilusLive.org, a 24-hour live-streaming web portal that brings expeditions from the field to explorers on shore through telepresence technology and social media. Local schools, summer programs, and community groups are encouraged to schedule free, live one-on-one Q&A sessions with explorers on the ship available daily.

About the Ocean Exploration Trust 

The Ocean Exploration Trust was founded in 2007 by Dr. Robert Ballard to explore the ocean, seeking out multi-disciplinary discoveries while pushing the boundaries of STEAM education and technological innovation. Our international program is launched from aboard the Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus, offering live exploration to participants on shore and the public via live video, audio, and data feeds. Learn more about Ocean Exploration Trust. 

The 2026 E/V Nautilus expeditions are sponsored by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, including additional support from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. OET program sponsors and partners for 2026 also include LeeWay Marine, the Office of Naval Research, Flying Fish, National Center for Education & the Economy, QPS, and the Phillip Stephenson Foundation. Learn more about our partners and sponsors.