One Ocean Expedition 2025-2026 

A 12-month global voyage with the Norwegian tall ship Statsraad Lehmkuhl - a floating ambassador for the UN Ocean Decade. Combining sail training, ocean science, education and diplomacy to inspire action for a sustainable ocean. 

2025 - 2026

One Ocean Expedition

Statsraad Lehmkuhl departed Dublin, Ireland on April 12 and is now at sea en route to Bergen, Norway, arriving April 18. Aboard are participants from the Bergen Shipowners' Association. 

Over the course of a year, the expedition has visited ports across three continents. Several legs have been open to the public - no sailing experience needed. Join us in welcoming Statsraad Lehmkuhl home to Bergen on April 18 at 11:00.

Message in a bottle

At sea en route to Bergen

Follow our journey

If we are to protect the ocean, we must first understand how it works - and how it is affected by changes in the environment and climate. That’s why Statsraad Lehmkuhl is doing research as she sails the seas.

More on ocean research

A 112 year old, state-of-the-art research vessel

There is an old saying among sailors - a captain has either already run aground, or will someday. On 16 July 1926, it was Gabriel Kielland's turn, on board Statsraad Lehmkuhl.

When Statsraad Lehmkuhl ran aground

“Statsraad Lehmkuhl” is painted in gold letters on the ship’s white hull. This is the story of Kristofer Lehmkuhl – the man it honours.

Statsraad Lehmkuhl, the man

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Following the success of the One Ocean Expedition 2021–2023, Statsraad Lehmkuhl is once again setting sail on a 12-month circumnavigation to promote ocean sustainability. The voyage will include 27 ports of call across three continents, combining ocean science, education and international cooperation to raise awareness about the crucial role of the ocean for a sustainable future.

Sailing route

On The One Ocean Expedition, Statsraad Lehmkuhl is filled with students, researchers and voyage crew who all work together to sail the big ship and gather experience and knowledge about the ocean.

Life on board

Tromsø, Norway

Bergen, Norway - Lerwick, UK

Reykjavik, Iceland

Nice, France 

Ponta Delgada, the Azores (Portugal)

Nuuk, Greenland

St. John's, Canada

Bermuda

Los Angeles, USA

Bermuda - Panama Canal 

Vancouver, Canada

Seattle, USA

San Francisco, USA

San Diego, USA

Ensenada, Mexico

La Paz, Mexico

Herradura, Costa Rica

Cartagena, Colombia

Herradura, Costa Rica - Panama Canal

Norfolk, USA

Cádiz, Spain

Brest, France 

Dublin, Ireland

Bergen, Norway

The transformation of Statsraad Lehmkuhl into a research platform began before the first One Ocean Expedition - the circumnavigation that lasted from 2021 to 2023. Equipment was installed that enabled the ship to collect data on temperature, oxygen levels, and ocean acidity, the amount of microplastics in the water, and the distribution of fish, marine mammals, and other organisms.

But not every wish on the scientists’ list could be fulfilled.

– We held back a little, explains Geir Pedersen.

A researcher at the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, Pedersen leads the scientific committee of the expedition and has been responsible for planning and coordinating the research work carried on board.

– The ship received a great deal of useful scientific equipment, but going all the way would have required major investment and significant modifications to the vessel.

The first expedition demonstrated that doing research from a sailing ship worked very well. Based on that experience, the scientific committee proposed a more ambitious approach this time.

– We recommended making the necessary investments to install all the sensors we wanted, says Pedersen. Taking it one level further would bring the ship up to the standard of modern research vessels.

Some equipment was replaced, new instruments installed, and operational and analytical routines improved.

The most important additions were a full-scale CTD and sensors that automatically measure the direction and speed of ocean currents.

CTD stands for Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth.

– The instrument measures salinity, temperature, and pressure - the most essential parameters in the ocean. These tell us about climate change, about environmental conditions for marine life, and how these change along the route we sail. No matter what you study, you need these measurements, Pedersen explains.

Every third day, the ship would heave to while the CTD was lowered into the ocean. On its descent, it continuously recorded salinity, temperature, pressure, oxygen levels, and other parameters.

Surrounding the sensors is a ring fitted with long sampling bottles, giving the instrument its nickname: “the rosette.”

– These bottles can be opened at different depths, remotely controlled from the surface, allowing us to collect water samples. That provides information about nutrients and DNA and more, revealing which organisms live there, says Pedersen.

A smaller CTD was used during the previous expedition.

– A compact version we handled with a simple lobster trap hauler. The one we have now is enormous, and suspended from a 1,500-meter cable - allowing us to sample much deeper than before. That required installing a large winch on deck, though we’ve managed to integrate it quite neatly, he adds with a smile.

Another major upgrade is what Pedersen calls current-profiling sensors.

– These are acoustic instruments that send out beams of sound in multiple directions, and record the echoes from particles in the water. By measuring the Doppler shift, we can determine current speed and direction.

The Doppler effect is familiar from everyday life: as a siren approaches, the sound rises in pitch, then drops as it moves away.

– This effect allows us to measure current direction and strength from the ship down to several hundred meters, says Pedersen. The sensors operate continuously and represent a significant leap forward - making the ship far more attractive for research.

The vessel is equipped with two such sensors: a high-frequency system reaching about 100 meters, and a low-frequency system reaching several hundred meters, though with lower resolution.

To house the current-profiling sensors, a structure known as “the fish” was installed in the keel - a streamlined blister beneath the bow.

The “fish” also contains echo sounders. These instruments use sound waves to detect marine life - from fish to microscopic plankton - revealing their abundance and vertical movements through the day.

– We now have three echo sounders operating at different frequencies, helping us distinguish between organisms. This is a dramatic improvement over before, when we had only one, mounted in an existing hull opening, Pedersen explains.

During the first expedition, hydrophones - underwater microphones - were towed behind the ship to detect whales and human-generated noise.

– It didn’t work very well, Pedersen admits.

The ship’s high stern caused strain on the cable, which broke after only a few legs.

Now, three hydrophones are permanently installed in the “fish.” Positioned to listen in different directions, they allow researchers to determine whether one or several whales are singing.

– I’ve rarely seen this type of setup on research vessels - maybe two or three examples. It’s truly cutting edge, and we are still learning how to use it effectively.

During the first expedition, students were responsible for operating equipment, collecting samples, and conducting analyses - working in a cramped, hot, and noisy lab below deck.

– They did an excellent job, but it took time to learn routines and work efficiently. With even more advanced instruments on board now, we decided to employ two permanent research coordinators, Pedersen explains.

Today, Lucie Cassarino and Natasha Fabregas share these responsibilities. They work in a still compact, but bright and pleasant laboratory.

– Both are French and experienced ocean researchers. They communicate with scientists and students, and also help explain our work to voyage crews and visitors in port.

> Sailing, and doing science - irresistible!

Some earlier tasks were discontinued, such as scheduled whale observations and systematic fishing with rod and line - often used to estimate fish abundance through “catch per unit effort.”

– Many enjoyed the fishing - it was a great activity - but the scientific value was limited, Pedersen explains.

Whale observations also proved difficult to standardize scientifically, though sightings are still recorded.

As the second expedition nears its end, the scientific team is left not only with large datasets, but also valuable experience.

What should be improved for the planned 2028 One Ocean Expedition?

– We need to get better at automating data processing, so that the ship can transmit the information we collect continuously to shore, while at the same time allowing students and researchers on board to use the data, especially from the more complex sensors. Not everyone can spend a year learning how to process complex datasets. That’s something we need to work on, Pedersen says.

Research vessels operate across all oceans, so in that sense, Statsraad Lehmkuhl is not unique. What sets this expedition apart are two key factors: students and experienced researchers sail together, and the ship collects continuous data along long transects across vast ocean areas.

These long lines are especially important for scientists studying the mesopelagic zone.

Stretching from 200 to 1,000 meters below the surface, this layer receives only faint sunlight - insufficient for photosynthesis. Many organisms migrate upward at night to feed, protected by the darkness, and returning to the depths by day.

These species are vital both ecologically and as a potential food resource. There may be as much as 10 billion tonnes of mesopelagic fish - around 95% of all fish in the ocean.

– Understanding this layer is one of the major scientific challenges today, says Pedersen. It exists worldwide - but how does it vary between regions and across latitudes?

The ship’s echo sounders can detect these small organisms, tracking their numbers and movements.

– After this expedition, we now have even more long transects of observations, including new crossings of the Atlantic and in entirely new regions.

A large amount of data was collected automatically and continuously. Below, you can see maps showing where the research coordinators collected some of the manual samples and carried out specific analyses.

Researchers are not only interested in long transects. During the leg between Tromsø and Reykjavik, scientists from the European Space Agency, OceanDataLab, and the Nansen Center studied a massive ocean vortex - 60 kilometers wide and one kilometer deep. These vortices play an important role in regulating the climate and influencing marine ecosystems.

The Lofoten Vortex was first identified in satellite images in the 1970s, and has now, for the first time, been mapped in detail in 3D using the ship’s instruments.

This work was carried out jointly by students and researchers.

– Personally, I think this is the most important achievement: giving this extraordinary ship to students and researchers, allowing them to collect world-class data while learning to sail, Pedersen concludes.

– Students collaborate with experienced scientists, build close connections with peers, and form networks that last a lifetime. From this, new researchers emerge, along with master’s theses and scientific publications. Something deeply personal, and one of the greatest outcomes of the expedition.

Click here for the list of scientific One Ocean Expedition publications

Looking for data from the One Ocean Expedition? You’ll find it here:

- Institute of Marine Research / Norwegian Marine Data Centre

The sailing ship Grossherzog Friedrich August was built in 1914 as a training vessel for the German merchant fleet. After the First World War she was taken over by the British as a war prize. In 1921 the ship was brought to Norway and put into service training Norwegian cadets two years later.

Many of her voyages were along the Norwegian coast. The weather can be unpredictable, but the sounds, islands, skerries and shoals have long been well known and carefully marked. Cairns served as navigation marks, and Norway’s first lighthouse, Lindesnes Lighthouse, was first lit in 1655.

The Norwegian Mapping Authority was established in 1773, and systematic surveying of the coast began in 1785. Reefs and shoals were charted on nautical charts, making ships less dependent on carrying a pilot on board than before.

On 16 July 1926, Statsraad Lehmkuhl was proceeding under power toward Fredrikstad in the outer Oslofjord. Near Asmaløy in the Hvaler archipelago there was a heavy jolt - the ship had struck Vidgrunnen shoal and run hard aground.

The shoal was well known, clearly marked on the chart and even indicated with a navigation pole. Statsraad Lehmkuhl was firmly stuck, but fortunately the hull remained intact. Only a minor leak developed in the provisions store.

To prevent a sailing ship from heeling too much when wind fills the sails and presses on the rig, ballast is carried low in the hull. In this case, 400 tons of cobblestones, the same kind used to pave city streets, were stowed in the ship’s bottom.

According to the official maritime inquiry, one hundred tons of this stone ballast were thrown overboard, and the freshwater tanks were pumped out. This lightened the vessel enough for a tug to refloat her at high tide. She was then towed to Fredrikstad and placed in dry dock at Fredrikstad Mechanical Workshop.

The incident was reported in the newspaper Fredrikstad Blad, which noted that only two weeks later the ship had been repaired and was on her way to Horten under full sail.

The grounding could have been a serious blemish on Captain Gabriel Kielland’s record, but the maritime inquiry concluded that neither he nor his crew were to blame.

The newspaper Bergens Aftenblad quoted the inquiry:

– The chart used for navigation shows the pole marked on the west side of Vidgrunnen, and it is clear that the pole in reality stands on the southeast side.

Chief Engineer Siri Reimers at the Norwegian Mapping Authority helped us examined the archives and confirmed that this was correct. The chart was corrected by hand on 24 July, immediately after the accident, and in the next edition the navigation pole was marked in its proper position.

The inquiry makes no mention of the cobblestones removed from Statsraad Lehmkuhl being loaded onto another vessel. They were therefore most likely dumped straight into the sea.

Fredrikstad Stenhuggeri was a major supplier of cobblestones in the 1920s, so the ballast on board Statsraad Lehmkuhl later became a mixture of original German Kopfstein and granite from Fredrikstad.

Between 1921 and 1924 new cobblestones were laid at Bryggen in Bergen, supplied from Fredrikstad - a small detail that, a century ago, tied Statsraad Lehmkuhl even more closely to the city.

One reassuring observation - if you sail the same course toward Fredrikstad as Statsraad Lehmkuhl did, you will see that Vidgrunnen is now marked with a light as well as a navigation pole.

Kristofer Lehmkuhl was born in Bergen in 1855, at a time when Norway was moving from a fishing and farming society into a modern industrial and maritime nation.

Bergen has a well protected harbour, only a few days’ sailing from major ports further south in Europe. In the mid-13th century the city became part of the German trading alliance known as the Hanseatic League. Stockfish from Northern Norway was shipped here, reloaded, and sent onward into Europe. The short distance to the continent can still be heard in the local dialect: Bergen Norwegian shares intonation, grammar, and many words with German and Dutch.

In the 1850s, Bergen had about 23,000 inhabitants. The city lay partly on a peninsula, with mountains surrounding it to the east and west, farmland to the south, and the sea to the north. A medieval fortress dominated the entrance to the harbour, and church towers rose above rooftops of mostly wooden houses. Unlike today, the hillsides were bare, kept open by grazing animals. But what really gave Bergen its special character were the large wooden warehouses, many built on stilts out into the water.

Today, Bergen has nearly 300,000 inhabitants and has grown far beyond its original boundaries. The city has expanded around the mountains and across former farmland and pastures. Several major fires, the last in 1916, destroyed much of the old wooden city. Sadly, most of the Bergen that existed in the 1850s is now gone.

A well-known exception is Bryggen, the row of long wooden buildings that served as offices and warehouses for the Hanseatic merchants. Bryggen is a protected site and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kristofer Lehmkuhl was named after his grandfather, Christopher Diedrich Lehmkuhl. Christopher came to Bergen from Bavaria around 1800 to trade in stockfish and herring. Kristofer’s father, Joachim, joined the family business, and later Kristofer did the same.

Many well-known Bergen families, such as Mowinckel, Krohn, and Mohn, also arrived from Germany during the 1800s. They brought spirit, new ideas, and capital - and they built strong business networks, often strengthened through marriage. Merchants, bankers, and shipowners became closely connected.

The Lehmkuhl family were no exception. In 1886, Kristofer Lehmkuhl married Magdalena Michelsen. She was the sister of shipowner and later prime minister Christian Michelsen, and the daughter of Jakob Michelsen, head of the Bergen Stock Exchange. Through family and business, Lehmkuhl quickly gained strong connections in Bergen’s commercial life.

Lehmkuhl became deeply involved in the Society for the Promotion of Norwegian Fisheries, at the time the most important association for Norway’s fishing industry. As its leader, he helped organise Norway’s participation in the World Exhibitions in Barcelona and Paris in 1888 and –89, and in Chicago in 1893.

These experiences inspired him to take the initiative for a major national exhibition in Bergen.

The exhibition was first planned in the city centre. The building known as Permanenten was constructed to house permanent exhibitions. Because of limited space, the main exhibition was moved to the public park Nygårdsparken. 

The National Exhibition opened on 16 May 1898, attended by Crown Prince Oscar and Bergen’s mayor, Christian Michelsen. The exhibition was a huge success. A large exhibition hall was built, along with a restaurant, pavilions, and other temporary buildings.

Electricity was a central theme of the exhibition, still something new in Bergen at the time. All the buildings were lit with electric light, and electric street lamps were installed outdoors. 

Several conferences were held in connection with the exhibition, including an international fisheries conference organised by Lehmkuhl. 

After the exhibition closed, all the buildings were demolished and the area again became a public park. New national exhibitions were later held in 1910 and 1928, this time in the city park near Permanenten.

Towards the end of the 1800s, Lehmkuhl entered politics. He represented the Conservative Party in Bergen’s city council, and served on the city’s executive committee, the body that runs the city’s day-to-day affairs. For a time he was deputy mayor while his brother-in-law Christian Michelsen was mayor.

In 1899, the city council debated where Bergen’s new hospital should be built. Doctors on the planning committee recommended three smaller hospitals in the city centre. Lehmkuhl disagreed. He believed the city would grow southwards and proposed building one large hospital on the fields of the farm Haukeland, where there would be room to expand. His proposal was accepted, and Haukeland Hospital opened in 1912.

In 1902, his father-in-law Jakob Michelsen died. As head of the Bergen Stock Exchange, he had been at the centre of Norwegian and international business life. Kristofer Lehmkuhl took over the position and served as stock exchange commissioner until 1912.

In 1903, Lehmkuhl was elected to the Norwegian Parliament. He became known for speaking clearly and directly. His brother-in-law Christian Michelsen led the negotiations that dissolved the union with Sweden in 1905, became prime minister - and appointed Lehmkuhl as Minister of Labour.

Lehmkuhl left the government in 1907 and did not seek re-election. The story goes that he did not enjoy life in Kristiania, as Oslo was then named, and wanted to return to his beloved Bergen.

Back home, the most important chapter of his later life began. In 1908, at the age of 53, he joined the board of the shipping company Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab (BDS). In 1912, he became managing director.

When Lehmkuhl joined BDS, the company transported passengers, mail, and cargo between Western Norway and Hamburg, Great Britain, and the Baltic Sea. Together with the shipping company Nordenfjeldske Dampskipsselskap in Trondheim, BDS operated the Hurtigruten route, which still runs along the Norwegian coast between Bergen and Kirkenes.

Lehmkuhl had big ambitions. He ordered new ships, strengthened cooperation with Nordenfjeldske, and established the Norwegian South America Line. New routes to Iceland and the Faroe Islands were also opened.

He cared deeply about how the company presented itself. BDS had a small office at Bradbenken by the harbour, while its main office was on Torgallmenningen in the city centre. Lehmkuhl felt this was too modest. In 1913, he had a large office building constructed at Bradbenken, designed to be the most impressive building seen by ships entering the harbour.

Sadly, the building was destroyed in 1944 when a German cargo ship exploded in the harbour during the Nazi occupation of Norway.

Lehmkuhl played a key role in establishing the Norwegian America Line in 1910. After Norway gained independence on June 7 1905, building national institutions was important. The shipping line became the first major combined governmental and private project, partly financed also by the large Norwegian immigrant population in the United States. Lehmkuhl wanted Bergen to become a main link between Norway and the United States, with BDS acting as the company’s Norwegian agent.

, sailed on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic in 1913. The journey started in Kristiania, with stops in Kristiansand, Stavanger, and Bergen. From Bergen, the ship sailed to New York on 7 June, a date of great symbolic importance. On board were King Haakon, the entire government, members of parliament, and journalists.

 began regular service between Bergen and New York. This was a great honour for both the city and Lehmkuhl. BDS handled all mail, passengers, and cargo.

The following year the world changed dramatically.

The First World War broke out in 1914 and had a major impact on shipping in Europe. Before the war, BDS and Nordenfjeldske operated three to four weekly sailings between Bergen and Newcastle. Nordenfjeldske wanted to reduce services because of the danger from mines, but Lehmkuhl wanted the opposite – daily sailings.

Before the war, traffic between Russia, France, and Great Britain passed through Germany. The war cut Europe in two. With Germany and France at war, the fastest route between Britain and Russia now went through Scandinavia. Lehmkuhl wanted to move ships into the Bergen–Newcastle route to carry passengers and, especially, mail. He needed financial guarantees from the Norwegian government, and he obtained them.

Britain also became involved. Plans were made for a route from Petrograd through Stockholm and Gothenburg to the UK. Negotiations were scheduled in Petrograd in November 1914. Lehmkuhl learned of them through the Norwegian consul and travelled to Petrograd himself. He argued that Bergen was a better hub than Gothenburg. Despite Swedish opposition, he succeeded.

Bergen became the centre of a new international transport network.

The traffic created serious practical problems. Mailbags flooded the city, piling up along the quays and overwhelming the postal terminal. It was clear that Bergen lacked capacity. Still, Lehmkuhl wanted to carry on. He believed this traffic would continue after the war, as Russians would avoid travelling through Germany and prefer Scandinavian routes.

His vision ended with the Russian Revolution in 1917. When the Soviet Union was established, most transit traffic through Bergen stopped.

After the First World War, several German ships were handed over to the Allies as war reparations and later sold. In 1921, BDS bought one of them from the British – 

The British had also taken control of the three-masted barque 

. The ship had been launched just before the war and was built as a training ship for the German merchant fleet.

Several Norwegian cities already had training ships, Bergen too, the corvette 

 had room for only 65 students, and Lehmkuhl wanted a larger ship, bought 

, and brought it from Newcastle to Bergen in 1921.

The ship remained moored in Bergen for two years. But in 1923, Lehmkuhl succeeded in persuading the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, where he was a board member, to take over the vessel.

It set out on a trial voyage as a training ship with 200 cadets on board, and was subsequently donated to the Bergen Training Ship Institution as a replacement for the then 66-year-old 

The Bergen Shipowners’ Association wanted to name the new training ship after Lehmkuhl. Kristiania’s training ship, 

, was much smaller. Lehmkuhl was proud that Bergen would have a larger and more impressive vessel and accepted the honour.

 has been an important symbol of Bergen’s maritime identity. The ship has a permanent berth at Bradbenken, where BDS once had its headquarters.

After the First World War, passenger traffic changed. The United States introduced strict immigration laws in 1921 and 1924, reducing the need for large emigrant ships. Shipping companies had to find new uses for their vessels.

Cruising became increasingly popular during the 1920s. Many emigrant ships were converted into cruise ships, with new travel classes such as “cabin class” and “tourist class”.

 for cruising, and in 1927 built the luxurious 

, designed specifically for cruise travel. Strong marketing efforts made the ship an icon of Norwegian cruising.

Even so, Lehmkuhl continued the England service between Newcastle, Norway, and Sweden. He wanted passengers from Eastern Norway as well. For a time, trains ran directly from Kristiania to ships moored at the quay Skoltegrunnskaien through a new tunnel behind Bryggen.

 was launched for this route. On its delivery voyage from the shipyard in Helsingør, the ship first visited Oslo, where the king, Lehmkuhl, and other distinguished guests came on board.

In the late 1800s, Bergen’s business community wanted a school that taught commerce and economics. Two committees were formed, and Lehmkuhl served on both. Despite difficult economic conditions, he secured the funding needed. Bergen Commercial School opened in 1904.

Lehmkuhl continued his efforts and became a leading force behind establishing a university-level business school in Bergen. He chaired the association working to create the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) and raised large sums of money for the project.

Lehmkuhl had close ties to the royal family. When his brother-in-law Christian Michelsen died in 1925, Lehmkuhl proposed that Michelsen’s large villa, Gamlehaugen, become the royal residence in Bergen. Perhaps a “thank you for your help”? The king was among those who supported the decision in 1917 to locate NHH in Bergen.

It was not until 1936 that NHH finally became a reality. The economic crisis of the 1930s delayed the project. When the school opened, it was housed in a converted villa at Nygårdshøyden, close to Lehmkuhl’s own home.

Lehmkuhl understood early that aviation was the future. Together with the shipping company Fred. Olsen & Co., BDS established the airline Det Norske Luftfartselskap. The shipping companies provided sufficient funding, and the airline began domestic flights in 1935 on the route Oslo - Moss - Arendal -Kristiansand - Stavanger - Haugesund - Bergen.

In 1946, Det Norske Luftfartselskap merged with the Danish and Swedish national airlines to form SAS.

By the late 1930s, Lehmkuhl was an elderly man, but he continued working at Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab until retiring in 1936 at the age of 80. He remained active in Bergen’s financial and business life throughout the decade.

Kristofer Lehmkuhl died in 1949 at the age of 94.

Many of the families that Kristofer Lehmkuhl was part of, and friends with, are still well-known names in Bergen and Norway. The Lehmkuhl name, however, is now mostly associated with the sailing ship 

. The war must take much of the blame for that.

Kristofer Lehmkuhl had two sons, Joakim and Herman Kristoffer.

Herman, born in 1887, became a journalist and later editor of the newspaper Verdens Gang. In 1924 he moved to London as a correspondent for the newspapers Tidens Tegn and Aftenposten. 

During the war he worked at the information office of the Norwegian government-in-exile there. Herman did not move back to Norway when the war was over. He served as press counsellor at the Norwegian embassy and remained in London until his death in 1968.