Scientists join indigenous Pacific sailors to investigate centuries-old skill of wave piloting

A group of world-leading scientists is joining Pacific sailors on a voyage like no other – to understand how indigenous sailors find their way by sensing the swells of the ocean.  

Master navigators and sailors from the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific are famed for their extraordinary skill of wave piloting. Using feel and sight, they read the water and wind, noticing subtle changes in ocean swells to sense islands 50km beyond the horizon and find their way.  

The Marshall Islands, which lie between Hawaii and Australia, are made up of 29 atolls and cover around 750,000 square miles.  

Researchers from the University of Stirling, University College London, Harvard University and the University of Hawai’i at Hilo will set sail on a trimaran in August with two indigenous Marshallese sailing experts and a documentary filmmaker.  

Unexplored by science

Traditional spatial knowledge used to aid wayfinding has been largely unexplored by science. By deploying cutting-edge technologies including mobile eye-tracking and 360-degree motion capture, the experts in physics, neuroscience, philosophy, anthropology, oceanography and computer science aim to understand the human brain and navigation, as well as to document and preserve this unique skill. 

It is anticipated that one of the project's outcomes is increased understanding of neurological disease, particularly Alzheimer’s, which has disorientation as an early symptom.   

The expedition has deep cultural and societal significance, as well as advancing science, say researchers. The USA detonated nuclear weapons in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958, causing environmental damage, the displacement of hundreds of residents from their homes, and the loss of cultural traditions.  

The project’s participants hope the findings will help revitalise wave piloting for future generations and give back to the Marshallese community.    

Dr Pablo Fernandez Velasco, British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Stirling’s Centre for the Sciences of Place and Memory, said: “Navigation is a fundamental cognitive capacity. It is evolutionarily ancient, and it is key to survival. However, much of our knowledge about it in neuroscience and psychology comes from a narrow subset of the world population solving navigational challenges in a small set of experimental settings.  

“This expedition is a radical departure from the confines of the laboratory. By collaborating with Marshallese sailors, we hope to gain a much deeper understanding of how spatial knowledge unfolds in the real world.” 

Hugo Spiers, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London and project lead, said: “This voyage represents an incredible coming together of seven different scientific disciplines with indigenous experts to understand a remarkable achievement of humanity: wayfinding across the Pacific Ocean. Insights gained may be important for developing cross-cultural tests that help in the fight against Alzheimer's disease, which has disorientation as one of the earliest symptoms.”

Passing down skills

A central partner in the project is Waan Aelon in Majel (WAM), a Marshallese canoe-building school led by Alson Kelen, who is an apprentice of the last known South Pacific master navigator, or ri-meto. The project will help WAM to pass down traditional skills and equip Marshallese youth with the tools they need for a sustainable future.  

Maria Ahmad, Neuroscience Doctoral Researcher at University College London, is undertaking the voyage as part of her PhD research. She said: “For centuries people had traversed the sea without navigational tools but, sadly, nuclear testing after the Second World War devastated the Marshall Islands. This displaced entire communities, eroding traditions and disrupting the intergenerational transfer of indigenous knowledge. However, the Marshallese community of today has revived the ancient art of canoe building, which helps increase sustainability for communities and the natural world. 

“Applying scientific methods to understand indigenous knowledge could help develop culturally relevant tools to address disproportionately high rates of health concerns such as Alzheimer’s disease, and other social issues such as climate change.”  

The project has been supported by the Royal Institute of Navigation, University College London, and the Centre for the Sciences of Place and Memory at the University of Stirling (funded by the Leverhulme Trust), Glitchers, Nomadic School of Business, Neuroscience & Design, and Brunton. 

A crowdfunding bid for the project launched this week at:  https://experiment.com/projects/a-co-produced-research-voyage-exploring-indigenous-navigation-in-the-marshall-islands