Photo & Video Log

Secrets of the Deep Ocean
Learn about how we explore the ocean, and see some of the exciting, unusual creatures that share our planet.

Products
A Google Earth guided fly-through of some of the key locations explored during INDEX 2010.

Updates - 8/6
Video footage of a scleractinian hard coral, which may be 1,000 to 6,000 years old.

Updates - 8/5
Video footage of a deep-ocean sea spider measuring eight to 12 inches across.

Updates - 8/4
Video footage of a purple sea cucumber with a high 'spike' protruding from its dorsal section.

Updates - 8/3
Video footage of active vents at Kawio Barat submarine volcano.

Updates - 8/2
Video footage of galatheid crabs feasting opportunistically on a pelagic catch.

Updates - 8/1
Video footage of a jellyfish initially encountered drifting with its tentacles extended, waiting to encounter prey.

August 6
View a slideshow of highlight images captured by the Little Hercules ROV on Leg III of the expedition, August 2010.

Updates - 7/28
Video footage of a deep-sea chimaera captured by the Little Hercules ROV and Camera Platform.

Updates - 7/27
Video footage of a benthopelagic sea cucumber swimming in the near freezing waters of the abyss, about 3200 meters deep.

Highlights
View some of the spectacular underwater footage captured by the Little Hercules ROV on July 11.

July 11
View a slideshow of the unique deep-sea coral communities found near the Naung Seamount and 'Target K'.

Highlights
View some of the stunning imagery collected by the Little Hercules ROV during its dives from July 2010.

Highlights
View some of the spectacular underwater footage captured by the Little Hercules ROV on July 10.

Highlights
View some of the spectacular underwater footage captured by the Little Hercules ROV on July 9.

Highlights
View some of the spectacular underwater footage captured by the Little Hercules ROV on July 8.

Highlights
View some of the spectacular underwater footage captured by the Little Hercules ROV on July 6.

Highlights
View some of the spectacular underwater footage captured by the Little Hercules ROV on July 5.

Highlights
View some of the spectacular underwater footage captured by the Little Hercules ROV on July 3.

Highlights
View some of the spectacular underwater footage captured by the Little Hercules ROV on July 2.

Highlights
View some of the spectacular underwater footage captured by the Little Hercules ROV on July 1.

August 3 Log
View a slideshow of images of Lead Scientist Dr. Tim Shank along with students, interns and volunteers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

August 2 Log
Learn more about the NOAA Corps Officers working aboard Okeanos Explorer in this slideshow of images.

July 7 Log
View a slideshow of images and biographies of the ROV Operations Team onboard the Okeanos Explorer.

June 30 Log
View a video of the Little Hercules ROV during the vehicle's second dive down to Kawio Barat volcano.

June 30 Log
View a slideshow of images of the 'Celebrities of the Celebes Sea' from the June 30 dive on the Kawio Barat volcano.

June 30 Video
Stalked barnacles feeding at Kawio Barat.

June 29 Log
Footage captured on June 29th during the first ROV dive of INDEX 2010 down to Kawio Barat volcano.

June 29 Log
View a fly-through animation showing EM302 multibeam data acquired by Okeanos Explorer during the INDEX 2010 expedition.

June 23 Log
View a video of the arrival of the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer for its first port call in Bitung, Indonesia, during its maiden voyage.

June 23 Log
View a slideshow of images from the Okeanos Explorer Welcoming Ceremony in Bitung, Indonesia on June 23, 2010.

August 6 Log
Little Hercules examines a collection of hydrothermal vents on Kawio Barat. (HR)

August 6 Log
Left-to-Right: Dave Wright, Tom Kok, and Brian Bingham look up for a moment while operating the ROV. (HR)

August 6 Log
ROV team members Karl McLetchie, Tom Kok, and Joel De Mello (left-to-right) pose in front of Little Hercules. (HR)

August 5 Log
Physical Scientist Meme Lobecker teaches Indonesian scientist Cecep Sujana how to conduct an XBT cast. (HR)

August 5 Log
Senior Survey Technician Colleen Peters makes an entry in the mapping watch log book. (HR)

August 5 Log
Caris is the main tool used for processing multibeam bathymetry. (HR)

August 5 Log
Typical night time mapping watch in the control room. (HR)

August 5 Log
This is a screen grab from the multibeam acquisition computer during a typical mapping watch. (HR)

August 4 Log
Siau is an active volcano rising 1827 meters above the ocean, and dropping steeply into the sea. (HR)

August 4 Log
A new finding of 1600m high sea mount just 80km to the west of Siau Island. (HR)

August 4 Log
Bathymetric image of the new seamount. (HR)

August 4 Log
Bathymetric image of the new seamount discovered by Baruna Jaya IV. (HR)

August 3 Log
Keeping track of time differences between the ship and all shoreside participants is critical to mission success. (HR)

August 3 Log
A large digital clock in Okeanos Explorer’s control room always displays the current time in UTC. (HR)

August 1 Log
An ARMS unit installed on the seafloor.

August 1 Log
ARMS are long-term collecting devices developed to mimic the structural complexity of coral reef habitats.

August 1 Log
The ARMS deployment team.

August 1 Log
The diving mission aboard Baruna Jaya IV is to install Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) in the Sangihe – Talaud region.

August 1 Log
On this trip we installed 6 ARMS units along the coast of Sangihe Island.

July 31 Log
The EM302 multibeam sonar is capable of achieving large swath widths of up to 5 times the water depth.

July 31 Log
The EM302 gives us a high resolution 'birds eye' view of large areas.

July 31 Log
An isolated ridge rimmed by a deeper channel is shown in this bathymetric image.

July 29 Log
ENS Benjamin Bloss writes in one of the many logs that the bridge officers must update during their watches.

July 29 Log
Once adjusting your eyes, this is what the bridge looks like while the ship is navigating at night.

July 29 Log
Chief Cook Doretha Mackey works very long and grueling days in the loud, heated galley.

July 29 Log
General Vessel Assistant Jack Standfast primes rust spots on the bulwarks of the aft deck.

July 29 Log
3rd Assistant Engineers Greg Feeney (back) and Tim VanDyke (front) fabricate parts for the ship’s infrastructure.

July 27 Log
Marine mammals are observed far and few between when in the deep ocean.

July 27 Log
Members of the Deck department recover the camera platform while the ROV is trailing behind the ship.

July 27 Log
The ROV Navigator, Pilot and Co-Pilot monitor the vehicle and camera controls as the camera platform and ROV are recovered.

July 27 Log
The video post-production engineers process all of the video collected from an ROV dive and prepare them for archive and distribution.

July 26 Log
ameron Hume speaks to US and Indonesian representatives onboard the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. (HR)

July 26 Log
Those in the Jakarta ECC whipped out cameras when the vehicle imaged this over 70 cm scraggly-toothed bathysaurus fish. (HR)

July 26 Log
Minister Fadel congratulates US Ambassador Cameron Hume on a successful expedition and tenure in Indonesia. (HR)

July 24 Log
Video technology plays a big role in the exploration we are engaged with here on the Okeanos Explorer.

July 24 Log
People gathered at various ECC sites around the globe, like Seattle which you see here, use video images to participate in this experience in real time.

July 22 Log
Okeanos Explorer mapped an area larger than the state of Delaware during leg 2 operations, imaging some never-before-seen seafloor structures. (HR)

July 22 Log
Imagery from the ROV streamed live to the ship and shore-side ECCs are viewed by scientists with the expertise to identify some of the seafloor life and habitats in the imagery. (HR)

July 12 Log
The ROV Little Hercules hovers over the seafloor, shedding light on previously unseen terrain. (HR)

July 12 Log
In this case, an anemone appears to have settled on the snail shell that this hermit crab calls home. (HR)

July 12 Log
These barnacles are stalked, which most likely benefits the barnacle by getting it up off the seafloor and into the water column. (HR)

July 11 Log
Target K (above) and Naung (above right) have very similar conical shapes and depths at summits around 450-500m. (HR)

July 11 Log
Target K (above left) and Naung (above) have very similar conical shapes and depths at summits around 450-500m. (HR)

July 11 Log
The seamount Target K (above) has greater abundances and diversity of organisms than seamount Naung (above right). (HR)

July 11 Log
The seamount Target K (above left) has greater abundances and diversity of organisms than seamount Naung (above). (HR)

July 9 Log
Telepresence technology uses satellite technology and Internet2 to transmit data and video in real-time.

July 9 Log
All communications with the shore are made possible by the Okeanos Explorer’s powerful satellite antenna. (HR)

July 9 Log
Voice communication between Okeanos Explorer and shore-side ECC’s uses an IP-enabled intercom system. (HR)

July 9 Log
A close-up view of an RTS unit in Okeanos Explorer’s control room. (HR)

July 9 Log
INDEX 2010 participants are using a real-time text-based collaboration tool called the “Eventlog” to communicate.

July 9 Log
A spectacular photo of the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Control Room while ROV operations are underway. (HR)

July 7 Log
A spectacular photo of the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Control Room while ROV operations are underway. (HR)

July 5 Log
The Baruna Jaya IV welcomes visitors aboard before she sails for North Sulawesi. (HR)

July 5 Log
Indonesian and American scientists and policy-makers discuss INDEX SATAL 2010. (HR)

July 4 Log
Sparklers are reminiscent of typical 4th of July celebrations we are used to back home. (HR)

July 4 Log
The sunsets in the Celebes Sea have been remarkable. (HR)

July 4 Log
When a vessel is underway, it is a requirement to fly certain flags. (HR)

July 2 Log
Deputy Chief of Mission, Ted Osius (right) and David McKinnie (left), NOAA liaison to the US Embassy-Jakarta . (HR)

July 2 Log
Members of the US Embassy Jakarta IT team (left to right: Pak Awang, Ibu Melly, and Pak Yudi). (HR)

July 2 Log
The 4th of July celebration brought together many friends and supporters who made the expedition possible. (HR)

June 30 Log
The Little Hercules ROV nears active hydrothermal vent sites on the summit of Kawio Barat submarine volcano. (HR)

June 30 Log
The Little Hercules ROV shines its lights on a veritable field of sulphide chimneys and rocks covered with shrimp. (HR)

June 30 Log
Sulphide chimneys on Kawio Barat were completely covered with barnacles. (HR)

June 30 Log
A type of goose-neck barnacle that grows on a stalk. (HR)

June 29 Log
Little Hercules descends through deep-water down to Kawio Barat to search for hydrothermal vents and associated ecosystems. (HR)

June 29 Log
Today marked the first day of full operations during INDEX 2010 at the Seattle ECC. (HR)

June 29 Log
The slope explored during today’s dive on Kawio Barat was covered by dark volcaniclastic sediments. (HR)

June 29 Log
Rocky outcrops standing above the sediment like you see here contain brightly colored areas, altered from past hydrothermal activity. (HR)

June 29 Log
Many of the rocks we see exposed on the western slope of Kawio Barat are highly vesicular. (HR)

June 29 Log
The surface of the sediments is often covered by bright white or orange coatingss. (HR)

June 29 Log
During the ROV dive we ascend up a summit ridge where, in the last hour of the dive, we see live clams sitting on top of sediments. (HR)

June 26 Log
This is a perspective view of the Kawio Barat (West Kawio) seamount looking from the northwest. The underwater volcano rises around 3800 meters from the seafloor. (HR)

June 26 Log
An overview of the multibeam data collected during the 2008-2009 Field Season off of the West Coast of the United States as well as in the vicinity of the Hawaiian Islands. (HR)

June 26 Log
Each piece of information provides unique and valuable details about the seafloor, which are used in the exploration decision making process. (HR)

June 25 Log
BRKP Chairman Gellwynn Jusuf opens the Jakarta ECC dedication ceremony. (HR)

June 25 Log
Co-Principal Investigators Steve Hammond (left) and Sugiarta Wirasantosa (right) chat with Okeanos Explorer members via telepresence. (HR)

June 24 Log
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke witnesses the signing of the Indonesia-U.S. Ocean Exploration Implementing Arrangement. (HR)

June 24 Log
Local officials enthusiastically welcomed the ship and her crew to Bitung during a brief ceremony on June 23.

June 24 Log
Ambassador Hume traveled from Jakarta to Bitung in order to welcome the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and her crew to Indonesia.

June 23 Log
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer’s gangway is lowered onto the dock in Bitung, Indonesia.

June 23 Log
Commanding Officer Joe Pica, the Governor of North Sulawesi, US Ambassador to Indonesia Cameron Hume, and the Mayor of Bitung await the beginning of the Welcoming Ceremony in the Port of Bitung.

June 23 Log
One of the traditional dancers in the Welcoming Ceremony poses in front of the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

Updates - 8/8
Map summarizing work completed by both NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and Indonesian Research Vessel Baruna Jaya IV during the INDEX SATAL 2010 Expedition. (HR)

Updates - 8/8
Following the joint expedition's closing ceremony, Chief Bosun Carl VerPlanck coralled participants for a final group photo. (HR)

Updates - 8/7
Crew from NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and Indonesian Research Vessel Baruna Jaya IV pose with children and staff from a local orphanage. (HR)

Updates - 8/6
Scleractinian hard coral imaged by the Little Hercules ROV at 1382 meters depth. (HR)

Updates - 8/5
Large barrel sponges and their associates were observed during the dive. (HR)

Updates - 8/4
A purple sea cucumber with a high “spike” protruding from its dorsal section. (HR)

Updates - 8/3
0.5 to 1 meter tall active and inactive spires on the summit of the Kawio Barat submarine volcano. (HR)

Updates - 8/2
A stunning 10-armed sea star captured by the Little Hercules ROV at 271 meters depth. (HR)

Updates - 8/1
An 8cm long gastropod snail crawling on a wood fall (log) at 1525 depth. (HR)

Updates - 7/31
Bathymetric map showing the high-resolution multibeam data acquired by Okeanos Explorer so far during the INDEX 2010 Expedition.

Updates - 7/30
An example of macrofauna – a small cup coral about 2cm in height with its tentacles extended. (HR)

Updates - 7/29
The Little Hercules ROV shines its lights on active hydrothermal venting at Kawio Barat submarine volcano. (HR)

Updates - 7/28
Close-up view of a bamboo whip coral with its associate squat lobster. (HR)

Updates - 7/27
A spectacular image of a benthopelagic sea cucumber swimming in the near freezing waters of the abyss, approximately 3200 meters deep. (HR)

Updates - 7/26
The ROV Little Hercules investigates an animal hot-spot on the submarine volcano termed "Site G" at approximately 2,120 meters depth. (HR)

Updates - 7/25
A close-up view of a brittle star intertwined with its host coral. (HR)

Updates - 7/24
A stunning purple Sea Lily filters the current for food. (HR)

Updates - 7/23
An overview showing the extraordinary biodiversity found at seamount K, even at small scales. (HR)

Updates - 7/14
This map shows areas mapped as well as the locations of CTD casts and ROV dives during Leg II. (HR)

Updates - 7/13
Towards the end of our final dive of Leg II, we came across interesting geologic features around 800. (HR)

Updates - 7/12
The vehicle captured the underside of this galatheid crab clinging to a coral on July 12. (HR)

Updates - 7/11
Image of the sea spider seen during the dive on July 11. (HR)

Updates - 7/10
Close-up of large purple spoon worm seen during the dive on July 10. (HR)

Updates - 7/9
This image captures ROV Team member Tom Kok’s first stint in the ROV Pilot’s chair. (HR)

Updates - 7/8
We imaged this purple octopus with large glassy eyes during dive #8. (HR)

Updates - 7/7
Silhouetted image of the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer bridge. (HR)

Updates - 7/6
This close-up could almost pass for a flower in your garden, but is actually a deep-sea animal captured by the ROV camera 1000m below sea level. (HR)

Updates - 7/5
This close-up image of a crab on a deepwater coral is a frame grab from the ROV high definition video camera. (HR)

Updates - 7/4
Flags of the United States of America, Republic of Indonesia, NOAA Corps, and Okeanos Explorer Commissioning fly above the bridge. (HR)

Updates - 7/3
Multibeam map of the Naung site using 20m grid cell size. Personnel used this map to plan the ROV dive. (HR)

Updates - 7/2
This close-up image of a deepwater coral is a frame grab from the ROV high definition video camera. (HR)

Updates - 7/1
Image of the breathtaking squid captured on camera during ROV Dive 3. (HR)

Updates - 6/30
Image of hydrothermal vents found during the second ROV dive on Kawio Barat. (HR)

Updates - 6/29
Dave Lovalvo keeps a close eye on the first ROV deployment of INDEX-SATAL 2010. (HR)

Updates - 6/28
During the morning hours of June 28, Okeanos Explorer transited past several islands in the Sangihe-Talaud chain while conducting multibeam operations. (HR)

Updates - 6/27
John Sherrin and Elaine Stuart collect water samples from the CTD/rosette on Kawio Barat. (HR)

Updates - 6/25
The ROV camera sled will remained secured to the deck for the next few days while mapping operations continue. (HR)

Updates - 6/24
Operations Officer Nicola VerPlanck discusses the ship's position with Major Muddan Zayadi and Commanding Officer Joe Pica on the bridge. (HR)

Updates - 6/23
Chief Bosun Carl VerPlanck took this photo during the welcoming ceremony of one of the traditional dancers. (HR)

Plumes
Map showing the area to be explored during the INDEX 2010 Expedition.

Plumes
Sampling gas bubbles at an active volcanic vent on NW Rota-1 submarine volcano, Mariana Arc, March 2010.

Plumes
Black smoker vent in the High-Rise field, Endeavour segment, Juan de Fuca ridge.

Plumes
Bubble plume image captured with multibeam sonar on Kilo Moana, March 2010. The red base is the summit of NW Rota-1 volcano on the Mariana arc.

Microbes
A black smoker chimney named ‘Boardwalk’ emitting 644°F (340°C) hydrothermal fluids in the northeastern Pacific Ocean at a depth of 7,260 feet (2,200 m). (HR)

Microbes
Helene Ver Eecke dissects a black smoker chimney collected from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent to isolate new hyperthermophilic microbes. (HR)

Microbes
Growth of hyperthermophilic microbes that grow at 203°F and convert hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, and iron rust into black magnetic iron. (HR)

Biogeography
Riftia tubeworms, mussels, and scavenging crabs found at a hydrothermal vent site at East Wall on the East Pacific Rise.

Biogeography
Map of the Celebes Sea region where biogeographic patterns observed on land led to lines drawn to explain breaks in species distribution. (HR)

Biodiversity
Map showing the coral triangle region – the most diverse and biologically complex marine ecosystem on the planet. (HR)

Biodiversity
The Coral Triangle region is known for its biodiversity, as evidenced by the multitude of organisms living in this small section of House Reef in the Philippines.

Little Hercules ROV
IFE Little Hercules ROV at the University of New Hampshire during tank testing. (HR)

Little Hercules ROV
Little Hercules during one of his first dives in Indonesia. A number of organizations and people were critical to bringing him back. (HR)

Little Hercules ROV
Okeanos Explorer crew launch the vehicle during test dives off Hawaii. (HR)

Partnership
In June 2009, President Barack Obama delivered a landmark speech at Cairo University on furthering America’s relationship with Muslim communities around the world. (HR)

Partnership
Dr. Sugiarta and Dr. Steve Hammond shake hands after agreeing upon the planning area of operations for this summer's expedition. (HR)

Partnership
Dr. Ir. Marzan A. Iskandar welcomes Dr. Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Administrator, to the Indonesian research vessel Baruna Jaya IV.

Mission Plan
Join us for the INDEX 2010: “Indonesia-USA Deep-Sea Exploration of the Sangihe Talaud Region”. (HR)

Mission Plan
Map of the operating area for INDEX-SATAL 2010.

Mission Plan
This 'before and after' image provides a glimpse of Okeanos Explorer’s EM302 mapping system capabilities in deep water. (HR)

Mission Plan
The Little Hercules remotely-operated vehicle (ROV) is a dual-body system capable of operating to depths of 4000m. (HR)

Mission Plan
U.S. and Indonesian scientists will work side-by-side on two ships, the Okeanos Explorer and the Indonesian research vessel Baruna Jaya IV. (HR)

Mission Plan
Dr. Michael Purwoadi makes the first ‘call’ using telepresence from the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to colleagues in the newly established Jakarta ECC. (HR)