Chief Steward - Kenneth Wells, Hometown: Lynden, WA

Ken has been sailing for 30 years between the Navy and NOAA. He is also a University of Washington Huskies fan.

2nd Cook - Nathan Thomas, Hometown: San Francisco via Minden, NV

Nate’s loves listening to and making music, his favorite band is Rancid. His NOAA experience includes fishing in the Bering Sea, sailing to Antarctica, working in the both the deck department and galley. Nate enjoys jumping out of perfectly good airplanes and aspires to accomplish everything on his “To Do” list before he dies.

General Vessel Assistant - Mark Walker, Hometown: Perth Amboy, NJ

Mark spent 20 years in the Navy in the electronics department. He also worked for MSC as a supply utilityman. The Okeanos Explorer is Mark’s first NOAA ship—he aspires to work in the electronics department with NOAA. In his free time, Mark enjoys lifting weights, playing basketball, and eating spaghetti.