Picture of the ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl

The One Ocean Expedition 2025 - 2026

In the wake of the success of the One Ocean Expedition 2021-2023, Statsraad Lehmkuhl will set sail again in April 2025 for a new, 12-month-long expedition. Join us on a journey that explores the ocean's crucial role in our future.

The One Ocean Expedition 2025-2026 is an ambitious initiative aimed at raising awareness and sharing knowledge about the major challenges facing the ocean.

Through an extensive program of research activities, knowledge dissemination, and political dialogue, the expedition seeks to inspire global engagement for a more sustainable ocean.

The journey begins during One Ocean Week in Bergen in April 2025 and returns to Bergen during One Ocean Week 12 months later in 2026.

A Challenging Route

As a proud ambassador of the UN Decade of Ocean Science, the Statsraad Lehmkuhl will visit 20 different ports in Europe, the USA, Central, and South America.

One of the most exciting aspects is the plan to follow in Roald Amundsen’s footsteps and sail through the legendary and extremely challenging Northwest Passage in the Arctic, on the voyage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The crew on this leg will consist of Norwegian and international students from UiT The Arctic University of Norway.

Open Legs for the Public

Many of the legs of the One Ocean Expedition 2025-2026 will be chartered by the expedition’s partners, but there will also be legs with regular ticket sales for the public. Ticket sales for the open legs will start in the summer of 2024.

During her almost two years at sea, Statsraad Lehmkuhl will sail more than 55.000 nautical miles and visit 36 ports worldwide.

A Floating University

Statsraad Lehmkuhl is primarily a training ship, providing education in sailing and traditional seamanship.

During the One Ocean Expedition, it also functions as a floating university and a research vessel. The 110-year-old ship is equipped with state-of-the-art research equipment that continuously collects data on the health of the ocean.

The life in the ocean along the route will be examined, and researchers will document the traces of human activity: What pollution is present, such as microplastics, and how much noise is generated by our activities on and in the ocean? Some specific topics will be studied, such as the exchange of CO2 between the atmosphere and the ocean, and how it affects the acidity of the water.

A sailing ship produces little noise, making it ideal for collecting acoustic data just below the ocean surface. Lehmkuhl is equipped with both passive listening hydrophones and active echo sounders.

In the Ports

In the ports, the ship will be used for conferences, open ship events for school classes and the public, lectures, meetings between diplomats and politicians, and as a social gathering point.

The UN's Sustainable Development Goals

As part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science, the One Ocean Expedition will particularly contribute to the following Sustainable Development Goals:
14 - Life Below Water
13 - Climate Action
4 - Quality Education
17 - Partnerships for the Goals.

Collecting water samples in the Pacific. Photo: Malin Kvamme.
Collecting water samples in the Pacific. Photo: Malin Kvamme.

The ocean unites us.

Common challenges such as climate change and ocean acidification affect all parts of the ocean. Therefore, the idea of sailing across the shared "One Ocean" with a vessel that both invites and requires everyone on board to collaborate smartly is a great way to highlight the core of the challenge in achieving sustainability, while also emphasizing the ocean's role.

Students from The University of Bergen combine sustainability studies and seamanship training in the Pacific. Photo: Malin Kvamme

Building on a Success Story

The One Ocean Expedition 2025-2026 builds on the success of the previous expedition, One Ocean Expedition 2021-2023. Over the course of 20 months, the ship sailed 60,000 nautical miles and visited 37 different ports around the globe.

Local students taking part in a workshop i Jamaica. Photo: Ole-Morten Algerøy
Local students taking part in a workshop i Jamaica. Photo: Ole-Morten Algerøy

The Ship Inspires

The previous expedition demonstrated that Statsraad Lehmkuhl is a unique platform for bringing together and inspiring students, researchers, leaders, and ordinary people in the effort for a cleaner ocean.

A total of participants from 62 different nations took part in the various legs of the voyage.

Research and fieldwork from the first expedition have so far resulted in six published scientific articles, six master's theses, and one doctoral dissertation.

UN sustainable develpoment goals

The One Ocean Expedition is a recognized part of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (SDG). We aim to contribute in particular to the following SDGs:

14 - Life below water

13 - Climate action

4 - Quality Education

17 - Partnership for the goals.

Follow us online

The Lehmkuhl Fooundation invites everyone to become "digital passengers" on this epic expedition, to and follow us online through our website and our sosial media channels.

Facebook statsraadlehmkuhl
Instagram statsraad_lehmkuhl

Parts of the expedition will also be open for you to join on board with us!

One Ocean logoUN logos

The One Ocean Expedition 2025-2026 is a 12-month voyage aboard the Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl, aimed at raising awareness and sharing knowledge about the crucial importance of the ocean for a sustainable future on a global scale.

Follow the expedition