From May 13-June 6, join Okeanos Explorer on a cruise to test a new remotely operated vehicle capable of diving to depths of 6,000 meters. With this new vehicle, the program joins an elite group that can explore all but the deepest of the world’s ocean trenches. Follow the excitement LIVE!
Welcome home! On April 3, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and her team returned to port after completing their mission despite consistently challenging weather conditions. A summary of the cruise will be posted shortly. Congrats to the expedition team!Image courtesy of Caitlin Mandel, UNOLS.
Between March 18 and April 5, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer will conduct mapping operations within the Western North Atlantic Ocean as part of the annual ship shakedown.
While on an expedition to map in the North Atlantic Ocean, scientists on the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer discovered gaseous seafloor seeps believed to be methane.

2013 ROV Shakedown and Field Trials in the U.S. Northeast Canyons

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2013 ROV Shakedown and Field Trials in the U.S. Atlantic Canyons: Follow along as the Okeanos Explorer team "shakes down" a new remotely operated vehicle (ROV) capable of diving to depths of 6,000 meters. Watch LIVE as the team runs the ship’s sonars and ROV systems through a strategic series of engineering tests.

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Okeanos Atlas

Access data collected during past Okeanos Explorer expeditions via the Okeanos Atlas.

Okeanos Explorer Signature Expeditions

Gulf of Mexico 2012: Follow exploratory investigations on the diversity and distribution of deep-sea habitats and marine life in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Mid-Cayman Rise 2011: Travel to the deepest part of the Caribbean Sea to explore the geology, marine life, and hydrothermal systems of the Mid-Cayman Rise.

Galápagos Rift 2011: Embark on a unique expedition to one of the most fascinating areas of the world’s oceans, to explore the water column and benthic environments in the Galápagos region.

INDEX 2010: “Indonesia-USA Deep-Sea Exploration of the Sangihe Talaud Region”: Discover the undersea ecosystems with the Indonesian ‘Coral Triangle Region,’ the global heart of shallow-water marine biodiversity.

Be sure to learn about all of Okeanos Explorer’s expeditions.

Okeanos Explorer
Education Materials

Bring the excitement of late-breaking ocean discoveries to your classroom through lesson plans, curricula, Expedition Education Modules, the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Materials Collection, and more.

Voyages Of Discovery

The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer is a ship of discovery. Scientists and technicians on board work with shore-based exploration teams to use remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and other sensors and systems to conduct preliminary investigations, developing enough data to provide an energized science community with justification for future investigations.

Unlike many other ocean expeditions supported by NOAA, scientists remaining on shore and participating in Okeanos Explorer expeditions often outnumber scientists on the ship. Via telepresence, live images from the seafloor and other science data travel over satellite and high-speed Internet pathways to scientists standing watches in any of five Exploration Command Centers ashore as well as anyone with an Internet connection.

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