100-Year-Old Norwegian Research Ship Sails the Globe for Sustainability

A large sailing vessel with two masts and a white sail, docked at a port on a cloudy day

The Statsraad Lehmkuhl docked in Seattle, Washington. Photo: SCB File Photo

Historic Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl stopped off in Seattle, Washington, during the One Ocean Week conference in late October, as it continued on its year-long journey around the globe promoting ocean sustainability.

The "One Ocean Expedition" left Bergen, Norway on April 11, and made stops in Iceland, France, Portugal, Greenland, and Canada, before the U.S. West Coast leg of its tour that included Los Angeles, California, San Francisco, Seattle and San Diego. Although it was built in 1914, the Statsraad Lehmkuhl has been outfitted with state-of-the-art research instruments capable of taking water samples, measuring microplastics and using sound waves to study sea life. Over its lengthy journey, it's been collecting uninterrupted datasets to track seasonal variations, large scale patterns in marine life and changing climate systems.

A poster depicting a world map with red lines drawn between cities, which are all listed on the right

The crew of the ship includes 25 professional sailors who live and work on the vessel in four-week shifts, as well as a rotating crew of volunteers, researchers and aspiring sailors, all of whom go days at a time on the open sea without access to phones or internet. The so-called "floating university" is touted as a training vessel for both seamanship and modern ocean research, and is powered primarily by wind, creating minimal emissions and limited noise pollution.

"She connects science with storytelling, technology with tradition, and the public with the knowledge needed to protect the sea," the One Ocean Expedition says.

The Statsraad Lehmkuhl is scheduled to return to Bergen and wrap up its journey on April 10, 2026. The ship is open to the public at the majority of its stops.