Art and Science at Sea: Lessons from the One Ocean Expedition Across Baja California

We joined the United Nations One Ocean Expedition with a simple question: what changes when artists are not asked to interpret science after the fact, but become part of the research process itself? The expedition brought together scientists, artists, and communicators working across the Gulf of California and the Sonoran Desert, reflecting the bi-national and land–sea systems that connect communities in Mexico and the United States. Through Next Generation Sonoran Desert Researchers, artists joined a working scientific expedition alongside researchers, sharing space, time, and uncertainty in the field. This created conditions for artistic practice to evolve alongside scientific observation, shaping how questions were asked, how cross-border systems were understood, and how meaning was made in real time. Drawing from interviews, field experiences, and creative outputs developed during the expedition, we reflect on how integrated art–science collaboration can elevate research by deepening emotional connection, expanding whose voices are centered, and translating complex Earth system science in ways that remain rigorous while becoming more human. We consider how this bi-national, place-based model offers practical pathways for more inclusive and impactful environmental research, communication, and action.