Dr. Claudia Hackbarth is a career Earth Scientist with the passion to create customized geological, natural history, and environmental presentations to bring the itinerary alive. She draws upon a broad expertise across the sciences to weave engaging storylines that are fully accessible to general audiences. Since retirement from corporate life, Claudia has joined the cruise industry to share stories and exciting visuals about the natural world such as Ocean Currents and Climate; Glaciers; Volcanoes; Aurora Borealis and Australis; Human Evolution; Natural Resources of the region (minerals, gems, and energy); Hot Springs, Geysers, and Geothermal Energy; and the deep history of an area, for example the formation of the Mediterranean Sea or the disappearance of Doggerland in the North Sea.

Claudia holds a Bachelors degree from the University of Virginia with a double major in Chemistry -and- Environmental Sciences (Geology, Oceanography, Climatology, and Ecology). After field training in Great Britain she went on to Harvard University, earning an M.A. and Ph.D. in Geological Sciences with a specialty in economic geology. This involved extensive work in the deep underground silver mines of Idaho USA and the Peruvian Andes.

Claudia's international career in the energy industry maintained a special focus on technology, innovation, and new energy frontiers. Fieldwork highlights include the offshore Gulf of Mexico, the U.S., Canada, Jordan, Morocco, and China. She currently sits on university advisory boards and is the President of her associated professional society. Speaking experience for small to very large audiences includes both U.S. and International audiences. She is most recently lecturing as a Specialist geoscientist on an expedition line and Enrichment Lecturer on ocean ships.

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Examples of presentations customized to High Northern Latitudes (Iceland/ Norway incl. Svalbard/ Greenland):

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1. The Creation of Iceland – Over the last 33 million years, volcanic eruptions built Iceland from the sea to create a rugged and beautiful land. But why here specifically? Is it similar or different from other volcanic island groups, for example Hawaii? Learn about the origins, geologic history, dramatic rock features, and the benefits and hazards of living in an active volcanic setting.

2. Hot Rocks: Volcanoes, Geysers, and Geothermal Energy – Learn about the heat beneath your feet and the exciting ways it comes to the surface naturally. Then explore how geothermal energy can be harvested - will it soon be coming to your home region?

3. Magnificent Glaciers - Sculptors of the Land – Explore the why's and how's of these flowing rivers of ice and be prepared to spot glacial landscape features on our shore excursions, including steep cirques, smooth hanging valleys, and deep fjords. Hear about the climate pressures on today's glaciers and consider their futures based on recent observations.

4. Space Weather: Stunning Aurora, Satellite Peril – Learn how the interaction between solar activity and the Earth's protective atmosphere and magnetic field lead to the beautiful Aurora Borealis we can see in this region. After understanding aurora variations in time and space, consider how the same triggering solar events can be hazardous for satellites and modern electronic systems. Finally, discover what scientists and engineers are working on to keep us safe.

5. Ocean Currents, Gyres, and Climate - Global ocean circulation is like a "conveyor belt" transporting heat energy around the planet, distributing rich nutrients supporting fisheries, and interacting with the atmosphere to impact weather. We will overview the drivers of these oceanic movements and how they influence the areas we visit. Might ocean currents change in the future and impact our climate?

6. Geological Wonders of Svalbard - Explore Earth, life, and climate history as recorded in rocks spanning the early origins of life through relatively recent times. Build context for Svalbard's human occupation and rich mining history, and learn about the fossils that can be found in this modern-day Arctic desert.

7. Norway Through Time - The beautiful and rugged landscape of Norway has been shaped by a range of processes from ancient through modern times. Take a walk through the millennia as sediments are deposited, mountains are formed, igneous rocks are emplaced, and glacial features are sculpted to produce the magnificent scenery of today. Consider the mineral resources that have contributed to Norway's human development, emigration patterns, and economic standing in the world.

8. Energy Riches of Norway - Norway is blessed with abundant energy resources including both renewable and fossil types that make a major contribution to its wealth and high standard of living. Overview the natural distribution of hydroelectric, geothermal, hydrocarbon, tidal, wave, and wind energy resources of Norway, then look ahead at some innovative technologies on the horizon to help move the world to a lower carbon future.

9. Greenland: What's Beneath the Ice? - The bedrock of Greenland, although about 80% hidden, has a very wide variety of interesting features including some of the oldest rocks on earth, fossils including dinosaurs and early mammals, and rich mineral deposits of gold, iron, and rare earth elements. Take a walk through Earth history as we explore these features and more, then consider potential impacts of developing resources in a fragile Polar climate zone.

10. The Tale of Whales - Trace the evolution of whales from earlier land mammals that moved back to the sea, to modern whale groups including those living along the coast of Norway. Learn why they were hunted so extensively and how populations are faring today.

11. Extreme Life - From Deep Earth to Outer Space Meet the odd creatures found in the harshest of environments. Might there be life on other planets?

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Examples of presentations customized to the British Isles/ North Atlantic:

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1. Islands of the North Atlantic: A Spectrum - Discover that despite their close proximity on the globe, the Faroes, Shetlands, Orkneys, Hebrides, and more have a surprising variety of natural histories and features. Learn about how and why they differ, and how those differences can be observed in landscapes, habitation, and economic development today.

2. Natural Beauty, Natural Resources of the British Isles - Explore the many landscapes and learn the reasons behind the variation, from mountains to rolling fields, black basalts to white cliffs, and lakes from tiny tarns to Loch Ness. Along the way overview some of the British Isles' mineral wealth which was has been valued since early human occupation, making it the birthplace of innovations that changed the world.

3. Energy Riches of the British Isles - Learn about how its significant natural endowment of coal and hydrocarbons supported the U.K's development as a modern industrial powerhouse. Then consider the changing energy landscape including the U.K.'s current and future potential for hydroelectric, geothermal, tidal, wave, and wind energy supporting a lower carbon future.

4. British Isles: Great Geology, Great Minds - Follow the stories of the early scientific pioneers who created the basis for modern earth sciences from their field work all around the British countryside. View photos of the sites where keen observations and deductive thinking helped them to overturn historical dogma and create a new framework in which "the present is the key to the past".

5. Doggerland: Atlantis of the North? – Explore the lost land that connected Great Britain to continental Europe, once the site of flourishing Mesolithic culture. The area was exposed by the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the last Ice Age, but disappeared again beneath the waves after about 5,000 years. Hear the latest on reconstructing the area from artifacts and new subsea mapping.

6. Ocean Currents, Gyres, and Climate - Global ocean circulation is like a "conveyor belt" transporting heat energy around the planet, distributing rich nutrients supporting fisheries, and interacting with the atmosphere to impact weather. We will overview the drivers of these oceanic movements and how they influence the areas we visit. Might ocean currents change in the future and impact our climate?

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Examples of presentations customized to the Mediterranean and North Africa:

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1. Mediterranean: The Sea that Came and Went and Came Again - Learn the fascinating story of how the Mediterranean Sea formed and then mysteriously dried up. After laying down thick layers of salt, the Mediterranean refilled when the Atlantic Ocean rushed back in through the Strait of Gibraltar. Explore the locations where ancient peoples through today have been mining Mediterranean salt and consider if the sea might dry up again in the future.

2. The Earthly Treasures of Iberia – Journey through time and space as we survey earth resources that have been mined here since the first humans arrived. Follow along as we progress from ochre for Paleolithic cave paintings, to the Roman conquest for coveted silver deposits, to minerals important now for the coming Energy Transition.

3. Gemstones of Europe - From precious diamonds to fun stones such as amber and agate, a wide variety of desirable gems and minerals are mined across the European continent. Follow the story of gems from their crystal formation and the reasons of their colors, to their special properties and where nature has placed them for us to mine today.

4. The Bushy Tree of Human Evolution – Recent discoveries have fundamentally altered our understanding of human origins. Learn about ancient human species living in this region over the last millennia including evidence from fossil-rich sites in Western Europe, all the way to the genes we carry within us today!

5. Hot Rocks: Volcanoes, Geysers, and Geothermal Energy – Learn about the heat beneath your feet and the exciting ways it comes to the surface naturally. Then explore how geothermal energy can be harvested - will it soon be coming to your home region?

6. Middle Eastern Black Gold - Discover where petroleum comes from, why it is found so abundantly in the Middle East and other places, and then consider the future of energy in the 21st century and beyond.

7. The REAL Story of Atlantis - Plato's account of a now-submerged world has sparked imaginations for centuries. What are some of the candidate sites, and which one actually did have a thriving population before sinking into the sea?

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Examples of presentations customized to South America and High Southern Latitudes:

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1. Patagonian Geology, Landscapes, and Climate - Explore a region that spans 40 degrees of latitude and runs from sea level to peaks over 22,000' in elevation, then discover the geological forces that shaped the land we see today. Then consider how human settlement has adapted to the different environments and harvested the resources, concluding with recent efforts to "re-wild" formerly overgrazed grasslands.

2. The Earthly Treasures of Patagonia: Precious Materials Through the Ages - From the earliest inhabitants to the Spanish conquistadores to today, discover how resources from this region have powered human development. Then look ahead at Patagonia's likely role in the coming Energy Transition.

3. Hot Rocks: Volcanoes, Geysers, and Geothermal Energy – The Andes Mountains are part of a string of volcanoes that extend from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego . Learn the how's, where's, and why's of hot rocks, then explore the different ways that geothermal energy can be harvested. Will geothermal energy someday become an option for your home region?

4. Magnificent Glaciers - Sculptors of the Land – Explore the why's and how's of these flowing rivers of ice and be prepared to spot glacial landscape features on our itinerary, including steep cirques, smooth hanging valleys, and deep fjords. Hear about the climate pressures on today's glaciers and consider their futures based on recent observations.

5. Ocean Currents, Gyres, and Climate - Global ocean circulation is like a "conveyor belt" transporting heat energy around the planet, while some currents and gyres serve to partially isolate specific ocean regions and/or to bring rich nutrients supporting fisheries. Overview the drivers of these oceanic movements, their influences on southern South America, and finally consider how climate and ocean currents may be evolving in the future.

6. A Tale of Whales - Trace the evolution of whales from earlier land mammals that moved back to the sea, to the main modern whale groups in the world today. Then consider how valuable products made from their bodies caused them to be hunted to near-extinction by cultures around the world. Finally, learn about their recovery and how populations are faring today.

7. Islands from the Sea: Birth, Death, and Reincarnation - Trace the lifecycle of a volcanic island from its fiery origin, to sinking beneath the waves, and finally to its rebirth as a coral atoll.

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Examples of presentations customized to the U.S. Great Lakes, Canadian Maritimes, and New England:

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1a. Great Lakes Time Machine: Past, Present, & Future – The five Great Lakes were formed by vast ice sheets that covered the area multiple times over the last 3 million years to create a freshwater system like no other. Learn about their origin, a bit about the earliest inhabitants of the region, the current state, and a possible future outlook for these enormous inland seas.

1b. North American Time Machine: Past, Present, & Future – Vast ice sheets covered the northern parts of the continent multiple times over the last 3 million years, sculpting the waterways and geography we see today. Travel through history from the Ice Ages, to the earliest habitation of the region, through the first Europeans, to the current state. Then consider a possible future outlook for the continent.

2. Glaciers as Architects of the Land – Did you know that the ancient ice sheets covering the northern half of North America have shaped not only the scenery, but also steered the development of our modern society? Learn to recognize glacial features you might encounter, and discover the natural resources and land use patterns today that were gifts of the Ice Age.

3. Great Lakes Riches: Minerals, Ores, Fossils, and Gems – The mid-continent region of North America is rich in interesting, valuable, and sometimes unique geological materials. Take a walk through Earth history to learn how and why they are found here as well as their economic importance. We will also admire their beauty, including those chosen as official state or provincial symbols.

4. Resource Riches of the Eastern U.S. – Trace the waves of development of natural resources including fur, timber, whales, iron ore, coal, copper, and energy minerals to the business development and personal wealth that powered the "Gilded Age". Then look ahead to what might be next to power and resource the future.

5. Space Weather: Stunning Aurora, Satellite Peril – Learn how the interaction between solar activity and the Earth's protective atmosphere and magnetic field lead to the beautiful Aurora Borealis we can see in this region. After understanding aurora variations in time and space, consider how the same triggering solar events can be hazardous for satellites and modern electronic systems. Finally, discover what scientists and engineers are working on to keep us safe.

6. Ocean Currents, Gyres, and Climate - Global ocean circulation is like a "conveyor belt" transporting heat energy around the planet, distributing rich nutrients supporting fisheries, and interacting with the atmosphere to impact weather. We will overview the drivers of these oceanic movements and how they influence the areas we visit. Might ocean currents change in the future and impact our climate?

7. Natural Resources of the Great Lakes Region: Animal, Vegetable, Mineral – The first non-native residents of the Upper Midwest were in search of fur pelts, followed by loggers, miners, and farmers. Follow the fascinating origin stories of these foundational industries and their roles in building the economic engines of the region.

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Examples of presentations customized for the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico:

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1. Islands from the Sea: Birth, Death, and Reincarnation - Trace the lifecycles of volcanic islands from fiery origin, to sinking beneath the waves, and sometimes to rebirth as coral islands or atolls. Which Caribbean islands have followed this path?

2. The Story of the Chicxulub Crater, Yucatan Peninsula - Learn all about asteroid impacts on earth, including the famous strike that may have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Where do asteroids come from, and what other impacts have especially interesting stories?

3. Ocean Currents, Gyres, and Climate - Global ocean circulation is like a "conveyor belt" transporting heat energy around the planet, and the Gulf of Mexico plays a pivotal role. Overview the drivers of these oceanic movements, their influences on both sea creatures and human societies, and finally consider how climate and ocean currents may be evolving in the future.

4. Hot Rocks: Volcanoes, Geysers, and Geothermal Energy – Central American volcanoes are part of a string running from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. Learn the how's, where's, and why's of hot rocks, then explore the different ways that geothermal energy can be harvested. Will geothermal energy someday become an option for your home region?

5. A Tale of Whales - Trace the evolution of whales from earlier land mammals that moved back to the sea, to the modern whale groups in the Gulf and Caribbean today. Consider how valuable products made from their bodies caused them to be hunted to near-extinction by cultures around the world, and then learn how populations are faring today.

6. The Isthmus of Panama: From 3 Million Years Ago To Today - Discover how Central America rose from the sea to connect North and South America, allowing animal species to mix after millions of years of separation. Learn how to spot the volcanic origin of the isthmus in the scenery of the canal, and consider the impacts of connecting two oceans that had previously been separated.

7. The Bushy Tree of Human Evolution: Stones, Bones, and DNA – Learn about recent discoveries that have fundamentally altered our understanding of human origins. Discover the previously unknown connection between Polynesia and northernmost South America, and the newest information pushing the peopling of the Americas back by as much as 10,000 years.

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Examples of presentations customized from the west coast of North America to Polynesia, Oceania, and South Asia:

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1. North American Time Machine: Past, Present, & Future – Vast ice sheets covered the northern parts of the continent multiple times over the last 3 million years, sculpting the waterways and geography we see today. Travel through history from the Ice Ages, to the earliest habitation of the North American west, through the first Europeans, to the current state. Then consider a possible future outlook for the continent.

2. Gold! Oil! The Story of West Coast Riches - Precious metals, petroleum, and other earth materials lured early explorers and settlers, triggering the famous "gold rushes" and wildcatting of western lore. Explore the natural history and human stories of the past, and learn about the new "gold rush" of the 21st century: minerals crucial for alternative energy technologies.

3. The Creation of Hawaii – Volcanic eruptions built Hawaii, French Polynesia, Tonga, and other island chains from the sea to create rugged and beautiful lands. But why there specifically? Are they similar or different from other volcanic islands, for example Iceland? Learn about the origins, geologic history, dramatic rock features, and the benefits and hazards of living in an active volcanic setting.

4. Hot Rocks: Volcanoes, Geysers, and Geothermal Energy – Located in the "Ring of Fire", some western Pacific countries are world leaders in harnessing the heat beneath their feet. Learn the how's, where's, and why's of hot rocks, then explore the different ways that geothermal energy can be harvested. Will geothermal energy someday become an option for your home region?

5. Ocean Currents, Gyres, and Climate - Ocean currents enabled early peoples to cross open waters and populate Polynesia. Global ocean circulation is like a "conveyor belt" transporting heat energy around the planet, distributing rich nutrients supporting fisheries, and interacting with the atmosphere to impact weather. We will overview the drivers of these oceanic movements and how they influence different regions of the globe. Might ocean currents change in the future and impact our climate?

6. Magnificent Glaciers - Sculptors of the Land – Explore the why's and how's of New Zealand's flowing rivers of ice and be prepared to spot glacial landscape features on our shore excursions, including steep cirques, smooth hanging valleys, and deep fjords. Hear about the climate pressures on today's glaciers and consider their futures based on recent observations.

7. The Bushy Tree of Human Evolution – Recent discoveries have fundamentally altered our understanding of human origins. Learn about ancient humans living in Oceania based on DNA, fossils, and art discovered in the region.

8. Gemstones of India and Sri Lanka - Rubies from India are abundant and Sri Lanka remains one of the single most important world sources for fine gemstones. Follow the story of gems from their crystal formation and the reasons of their colors, to their special properties and where nature has placed them for us to mine today.

Recent cruise ship roles include Specialist (science team) crewmember on Viking Expeditions in the U.S. Great Lakes and Chilean fjords, and as an Enrichment Speaker on Viking Oceans in the Canadian Maritimes, U.S. East Coast, western Mediterranean, Great Britain, Iceland, Greenland, Hawaii, and French Polynesia.

I take pride in delivering lively, accessible presentations about the natural world and the interplay between the natural world and human development. Talks are customized with examples that relate to the scenery and ports of the cruise itinerary. Many talks conclude with some kind of dilemma or food for thought, to make them more memorable and conversation-worthy afterwards.

I have STCW maritime certification through May 2027 and hold a current Norwegian Seaman's medical certificate.

The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.