NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer: INDEX 2010: “Indonesia-USA Deep-Sea Exploration of the Sangihe Talaud Region”: Image and Video Gallery: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

Map summarizing work completed by both NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and Indonesian Research Vessel Baruna Jaya IV.

Following the joint expedition's closing ceremony, Chief Bosun Carl VerPlanck coralled participants for a final group photo.

Local Orphanage

Crew from NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and Indonesian Research Vessel Baruna Jaya IV pose with children and staff from a local orphanage.

Dive 14: Gelembung II

Scleractinian hard coral imaged by the Little Hercules ROV at 1382 meters depth. Based on published results, this coral may be 1,000 to 6,000 years old.

Dive 13: Barrel Sponges

Large barrel sponges and their associates were observed during the dive.

Dive 12: Sea Cucumber

A purple sea cucumber with a high “spike” protruding from its dorsal section.

Dive 11: Spires

0.5 to 1 meter tall active and inactive spires on the summit of the Kawio Barat submarine volcano.

Dive 10: Sea Star

A stunning 10-armed sea star. Image captured by the Little Hercules ROV at 271 meters depth on a site referred to as 'Zona Senja' on August 2.

Dive 9: Snail

An 8cm long gastropod snail crawling on a wood fall (log) at 1525 depth.

Mapping Day

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

Dive 8: Macrofauna

An example of macrofauna – a small cup coral about 2cm in height with its tentacles extended.

Dive 7: Hydrothermal Venting

The Little Hercules ROV shines its lights on active hydrothermal venting at Kawio Barat submarine volcano.

Dive 6: Bamboo Coral

Close-up view of a bamboo whip coral with its associate squat lobster.

Dive 5: Swimming Cuke

A spectacular image of a benthopelagic sea cucumber swimming in the near freezing waters of the abyss, approximately 3200 meters deep.

The Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Little Hercules investigates an animal hot-spot on the submarine volcano termed 'Site G' at approximately 2,120 meters depth.

Dive 4: Site G

The Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Little Hercules investigates an animal hot-spot on a submarine volcano.

Dive 3: Brittle Star

A close-up view of a brittle star intertwined with its host coral.

Dive 2: Sea Lily

A stunning purple Sea Lily filters the current for food.

Dive 1: Seamount K

An overview showing the extraordinary biodiversity found at seamount K, even at small scales.

Underway!

Commander Joe Pica and Lieutenant Nicky Verplanck discuss the ships position with TNI Official Major Adrianto.

End of Leg II

This map shows areas mapped as well as the locations of CTD casts and ROV dives during Leg II.

Dive 13: Iron Staining

Towards the end of our final dive of Leg II, we came across interesting geologic features around 800.

Dive 12: Galatheid Crab

The vehicle captured the underside of this galatheid crab clinging to a coral on July 12.

Dive 11: Sea Spider

Image of the sea spider seen during the dive on July 11.

Dive 10: Spoon Worm

Close-up of large purple spoon worm seen during the dive on July 10.

Dive 9: ROV Pilot

This image captures ROV Team member Tom Kok’s first stint in the ROV Pilot’s chair.

Dive 8: Purple Octopus

We imaged this purple octopus with large glassy eyes during dive #8.

Dive Cancelled

Silhouetted image of the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer bridge.

Dive 7: Carnivorous Sponge

This close-up could almost pass for a flower in your garden, but appears to be a sponge.

Dive 6: Crab & Coral

This close-up image of a crab on a deepwater coral is a frame grab from the ROV high definition video camera.

Multibeam Operations

Flags of the United States of America, Republic of Indonesia, NOAA Corps, and Okeanos Explorer Commissioning fly above the bridge.

Dive 5: Naung

Multibeam map of the Naung site using 20m grid cell size. Personnel used this map to plan the ROV dive.

Dive 4: Deepwater Coral

This close-up image of a deepwater coral is a frame grab from the ROV high definition video camera.

Dive 3: Squid

Image of the breathtaking squid captured on camera during ROV Dive 3: Squid.

Dive 2: Vents

Image of hydrothermal vents found during the second ROV dive on Kawio Barat. The yellow deposits are molten sulfur. Multiple species of hot-vent shrimp are also visible.

Dive 1: Dave Lovalvo

Dave Lovalvo keeps a close eye on the first ROV deployment of INDEX-SATAL 2010.

Sangihe-Talaud

During the early morning hours of June 28, the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer transited past several islands in the Sangihe-Talaud chain while conducting multibeam operations.

Water Samples

John Sherrin and Elaine Stuart collect water samples from the CTD/rosette on Kawio Barat.

ROV Secured

The ROV camera sled will remain secured to the deck for the next few days while mapping operations continue.

Ship's Position

Operations Officer Nicola VerPlanck discusses the ship's position with Major Muddan Zayadi and Commanding Officer Joe Pica on the bridge. Soon after Major Muddan confirmed that data collection could commence, INDEX-SATAL 2010 was underway.

Traditional Dancer

Chief Bosun Carl VerPlanck took this photo during the welcoming ceremony of one of the traditional dancers.

Yellow Coral

A rarely observed yellow scleractinean coral, with a distinct morphology from other hard corals observed.

Sea Urchin

A stunning example of a striped sea urchin living in the twilight zone.

Spiked Crab

Lothodid-type spiked crab with spiked holothurian and carnivorous anemone.

Scaleworm

A 5cm long scaleworm on the underside of a 2 foot long holothurian (sea cucumber) at 1526 meters.

Soft Coral

The soft coral, Anthomastus, was found on a variety of seamounts in the North Sulawesi sea.

Outstretched Claws

A crab with outstretched claws about 2 inches wide, shares a home with a spikey-armed brittlestar on a primnoid coral.

Crab

A crab with outstretched arms about 8 inches across, which are only observed living on soft coral.

Purple Anemone

A close-up view of a purple anemone.

Snail

About an 8cm long gastropod snail crawling on a wood fall (log) at 1525 depth.

Cup Coral

A small cup coral about 2cm in height with its tentacles extended.

Little Hercules

The Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Little Hercules descends through water column.

Pink Brittlestar

A rarely seen pink brittlestar on an octocoral (soft coral).

Translucent Crab

A translucent crab living amongst the branches of an octocoral. Image captured by the Little Hercules ROV at 1430 meters depth.

Squat Lobster

A squat lobster observed in increased abundance in the vicinity of deep coral communities.

Crab & Sponge

A galatheid crab dwelling inside a glass sponge, with fauna living on the outside of the sponge.

Pink Brittlestar

A tiny pink brittlestar with a central disk of about .5 inch.

A sea lily (crinoid) pointed in the direction of the current. The arms of a sea lily are designed to capture food particles drifting by in the current. Image captured by the Little Hercules ROV at 1876 meters depth on Kawio Barat submarine volcano on August 2, 2010.

Black Chrinoid

A sea lily (crinoid) pointed in the direction of the current. The arms of a sea lily are designed to capture food drifting by in the current.

Kawio Barat

Close-up imagery showing a type of goose-neck barnacle, shrimp and a scaleworm on Kawio Barat submarine volcano.

Sea Cucumber

A spectacular image of a benthopelagic sea cucumber swimming in the near freezing waters of the abyss.

Squat Lobster

A spiny squat lobster clings to the branches of a black coral.

Tripod Fish

A tripod fish positions itself facing into the current, perhaps waiting for its next meal.

Animal Hot-spot

The Camera Platform images the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Little Hercules as it investigates an animal hot-spot.

Deep-sea Urchin

A colorful deep-sea urchin with epysimbionts.

Golden Coral

A lone brittlestar wraps itself around the stalk of a golden coral.

Sea Lily

A purple Sea Lily filters the current for food.

Black Coral

A large black coral colony and its associate squat lobsters.

Coral

A detailed view of the pinnate polyps of a gorgonian coral.

Anemone

A close up view of a white venus fly trap anemone.

Bubblegum Coral

An overview of the extraordinary biodiversity found at seamount K, even at small scales.

Bubblegum Coral

Close-up view of a bubblegum coral being colonized by a parasitic zoanthid at 1588 meters depth.

Crab

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

Sea Urchin

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

Cnidaria

A close look at a rare representant of the phylum cnidaria.

Anemone

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

Shrimp

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

Sea Cucumber

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

Sea Toad

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

Holothurian

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

Invertebrate

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

Octopus

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

Stars and Coral

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

Sponge

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

Squid

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

Glass Sponge

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

Close-up

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

Basket Star

A giant basket star with an intricate network of bifurcating legs is imaged 555 meters deep by the Little Hercules ROV at a site referred to as 'Nuang Traverse' on July 3, 2010 during the INDEX SATAL 2010 Expedition.

Sea Lily

A close look at the red arms of a Sea Lily living 516 meters deep. Image captured by the Little Hercules ROV at a site referred to as 'Nuang Traverse' on July 3, 2010 during the INDEX SATAL 2010 Expedition.

Chimaera

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

July 1 Highlights

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

July 2 Highlights

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

July 3 Highlights

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

July 5 Highlights

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

July 6 Highlights

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

July 8 Highlights

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

July 9 Highlights

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

July 10 Highlights

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

July 11 Highlights

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

Google Earth Virtual Tour

NOAA and Google entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to increase access and reach of NOAA data through the expertise and innovative tools at Google.

In summer 2010, the United States and the Republic of Indonesia explored deep-sea Indonesian waters that had never been seen before. Together they discovered fascinating areas of the Coral Triangle, where the Indian and Pacific Oceans meet. In Secrets of the Deep Ocean you'll learn about how we explore the ocean, and see a massive undersea volcano and exciting, unusual and often weird-looking creatures that share our planet.

Secrets of the Deep Ocean

In Secrets of the Deep Ocean you'll learn about how we explore the ocean, and see a massive undersea volcano and exciting...

Hard Coral

Scleractinian hard coral. Based on published results, this coral may be 1,000 to 6,000 years old.

Sea Spider

Several deep-ocean sea spiders imaged on this expedition measured eight to 12 inches across.

Sea Cucumber

A purple sea cucumber with a high “spike” protruding from its dorsal section.

Kawio Barat Volcano

The camera platform images the Little Hercules ROV as it shines its lights on active vents.

Crabs Feasting

Video footage of galatheid crabs feasting opportunistically on a pelagic catch.

Red Jelly

Spectacular footage of a jellyfish initially encountered drifting with its tentacles extended, waiting to encounter prey.

Chimaera

The Little Hercules ROV and Camera Platform capture stunning imagery of a deep-sea Chimaera.

Brittle Stars

View spectacular video footage of brittle stars interwined in purple coral at approximately 1800 meters.

Control Room

The ROV control room aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer is mission central.

Little Hercules

Little Hercules examines a collection of hydrothermal vents on Kawio Barat.

Shrimp

This image captures a shrimp with long legs on a sponge.

Sea Star

A stunning 10-armed sea star.

ROV Operators

Dave Wright, Tom Kok, and Brian Bingham look up for a moment while operating the ROV.

ROV Team

ROV team members pose in front of Little Hercules.

Crabs Feasting

Galatheid crabs and a large shrimp feast opportunistically on a pelagic catch.

Sea Robin

A benthic fish called a sea robin.

Chimaera

A deep-sea chimaera.

XBT Cast

Meme Lobecker teaches Cecep Sujana how to conduct an XBT cast.

Mapping

Colleen Peters makes an entry in the mapping watch log book.

Night-time Mapping

Typical night time mapping watch in the control room.

Caris Display

Caris is the main tool used for processing multibeam bathymetry.

Multibeam Acquistion

Screen grab from the multibeam acquisition computer during a typical mapping watch.

Siau Island

Siau is an active volcano rising 1,827 meters above the ocean and dropping steeply into the sea.

New Seamount

A new finding of a 1,600-meter-high seamount just 80 kilometers to the west of Siau Island.

Bathymetry

Bathymetric image of the new seamount revealed during a hydrographic survey by the Baruna Jaya IV.

Bathymetric image of the new seamount discovered by <em>Baruna Jaya IV</em>, represented with multibeam data collected by NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer.

Bathymetry

Bathymetric image of the new seamount, represented with Okeanos Explorer multibeam data.

Santiago Herrera, one of Tim Shank's doctoral students with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution joint program, has been aboard NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em> during the INDEX-SATAL 2010 expedition.

Control Room

Santiago Herrera has been aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during the expedition.

Eleanor Bors, one of Tim Shank's doctoral students with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution joint program, has been based at the Seattle ECC during the INDEX-SATAL 2010 expedition.

Seattle ECC

Eleanor Bors has been based at the Seattle ECC during the INDEX-SATAL 2010 expedition.

The Shank Lab

Lead Scientist, Tim Shank, with students, interns, and volunteers.

Volunteer intern, Catriona Munro, and summer fellow, Elizabeth Sibert, take part in the INDEX-SATAL 2010 expedition.

The Shank Lab

Catriona Munro and Elizabeth Sibert take part in the INDEX-SATAL 2010 expedition.

A large digital clock in <em>Okeanos Explorer</em>’s control room always displays the current time in UTC.

Clocks

A large digital clock in the control room always displays the current time in UTC.

ENS O'Leary

As the Safety Officer, ENS O'Leary is responsible for all safety equipment onboard the ship.

CDR Pica

As the Commanding Officer of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, CDR Pica is responsible for everything.

LT Verplanck

As the Operations Officer, LT Verplanck is the liaison between mission personnel and the ship's crew.

ENS Bloss

ENS Bloss is in charge of the bridge and keeps charts and tracklines are up-to-date and accurate.

ENS Kennedy

ENS Kennedy is a watchstander-in-training and assists with safety and navigation duties.

ARMS Unit

An ARMS unit installed on the seafloor.

ARMS are long-term collecting devices developed to mimic the structural complexity of coral reef habitats and to attract colonizing invertebrates and algae.

ARMS Unit

ARMS are long-term collecting devices developed to mimic coral reef habitats.

ARMS Deployment Team

The ARMS deployment team.

The diving mission aboard <em>Baruna Jaya IV</em> during the INDEX-SATAL 2010 expedition is to install Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) in the Sangihe Talaud region.

ARMS Deployment Team

The diving mission aboard Baruna Jaya IV is to install ARMS in the Sangihe Talaud region.

Sangihe Island

On this trip, we installed six ARMS units along the coast of Sangihe Island.

The EM302 multibeam sonar is capable of achieving large swath widths, of up to five times the water depth, which allows the <em>Okeanos Explorer</em> to map entire landscapes at one time.

Multibeam Bathymetry

The EM302 multibeam sonar allows the Okeanos Explorer to map entire landscapes at one time.

Multibeam Bathymetry

The EM302 gives us a high-resolution “birds eye” view of large areas.

Multibeam Bathymetry

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

Logging

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

Deck Work

Jack Standfast primes rust spots on the bulwarks of the aft deck.

Doretha Mackey

Chief cook Doretha Mackey works long and grueling days in the loud, heated galley.

Engineers

Engineers Greg Feeney and Tim VanDyke fabricate parts for the ship’s infrastructure.

The Bridge

This is what the bridge looks like while the ship is navigating at night.

Dolphins

These dolphins were spotted on the transit from Bitung to the Celebes Sea.

ROV Recovery

Members of the Deck Department recover the camera platform.

The ROV Navigator, Pilot and Co-Pilot monitor the vehicle and camera controls as the camera platform and ROV are recovered at the end of a dive.

Control Room

Monitoring the vehicle and camera controls as the ROVs are recovered at the end of a dive.

Video Processing

The video post-production engineers process all of the video collected from an ROV dive.

During a visit to the Jakarta Exploration Command Center, U.S. Ambassador Cameron Hume speaks to U.S. and Indonesian representatives onboard NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em>.

Jakarta ECC

U.S. Ambassador Cameron Hume at the Jakarta Exploration Command Center.

Bathysaurus

An over 70-centimeter-long, scraggly toothed bathysaurus fish.

Farewell

Minister Fadel congratulates U.S. Ambassador Cameron Hume.

Video technology plays a big role in the exploration we are engaged with here on NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em>.

Control Room

Video technology plays a big role in the exploration on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

Seattle

People gathered at various Exploration Command Centers around the globe, such as this one in Seattle.

Images from the remotely operated vehicle (ROV), streamed live to the ship and shore-side Exploration Command Centers, are viewed by scientists with the expertise to identify seafloor life and habitats.

Seafloor Community

Images from the remotely operated vehicle are viewed by scientists on shore.

Bathymetry Data

Multibeam image of one of the volcanoes mapped during the INDEX-SATAL 2010 expedition.

<em>Okeanos Explorer</em> mapped an area larger than the State of Delaware during Leg 2 operations, imaging some never-before-seen seafloor structures.

Bathymetry Data

Okeanos Explorer mapped an area larger than the State of Delaware during Leg 2 operations.

Anemone and Hermit Crab

A sea anemone and hermit crab share a snail shell, providing a wonderful example of commensalism.

Barnacles Feeding

Barnacles feeding at Kawio Barat.

Little Hercules

The remotely operated vehicle Little Hercules hovers over the seafloor.

Bubblegum Coral

Bubblegum corals (red) lack any form of fused internal skeleton.

Bamboo Coral

Anemones and sea lilies associated with a bamboo coral.

Bamboo Coral

Bamboo corals are characterized dark internodes that resemble those found in bamboo plants.

Volcanic Features

The volcanic features Target K and Naung have very similar conical shapes and depths.

The seamount Target K (left) has greater abundances and diversity of organisms than seamount Naung (right).

Volcanic Features

Target K has greater abundances and diversity of organisms than seamount Naung.

Black Coral

Black corals are a separate group of corals outside the octocorals and hard corals.

Squat Lobster

Squat lobsters are a group of animals often found in association with corals.

Hydrocoral

Hydrocorals are not 'true' corals but are more closely related to hydroids.

Sea Fan

The association of this primnoid sea fan with the fleshy ophiuroids is common.

Telepresence

Telepresence uses satellite technology and Internet2 to transmit data and video to shore.

Satellite Antenna

All communications with the shore are made possible by the powerful satellite antenna.

Seattle ECC

Scientists at the Seattle ECC communicate with expedition participants.

RTS Unit

A close-up view of an RTS unit in Okeanos Explorer’s control room.

Eventlog

Participants are using a real-time text-based collaboration tool called the “Eventlog” to communicate.

Seattle ECC

Participants marvel at imagery sent from the Indonesian Sea to monitors at the Seattle ECC.

Control Room

The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer control room while ROV operations are underway.

Webb Pinner

Webb Pinner is the Remote Exploration Technical Operations Lead for the program.

Dave Wright

Dave Wright is a self-taught electrical engineer.

Tom Kok

Tom Kok comes to the program fresh out of Calvin College.

Brian Bingham

Brian Bingham received his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering.

Randy Prickett

Randy Prickett joined the team through an informal collaboration.

Joe Biscotti

Joe Biscotti is an award-winning broadcast engineer, cameraman, and editor.

Joel DeMello

Joel DeMello joined the team after graduating from the University of New Hampshire.

Doug Jongeward

Doug Jongeward is a highly skilled IT Specialist with 26 years of experience.

Tom Pierce

Tom Pierce is an award-winning cinematographer, editor, and broadcast engineer.

Karl McLetchie

Karl McLetchie is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Eric Prechtl

Eric Prechtl is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Roland Brian

Roland began his 25-year career in the U.S. Air Force.

Dave Lovalvo

Dave Lovalvo has been exploring the oceans for decades.

Baruna Jaya IV

The Baruna Jaya IV welcomes visitors aboard before she sails for North Sulawesi.

Discussion

A group discusses INDEX-SATAL 2010.

Sunset

The sunsets in the Celebes Sea have been remarkable.

Flags

When a vessel is underway, it is a requirement to fly certain flags.

Sparklers

Sparklers are reminiscent of typical 4th of July celebrations we are used to back home.

Deputy Chief of Mission Ted Osius (right) and David McKinnie (left), NOAA liaison to the U.S. Embassy-Jakarta, watch video from the <em>Okeanos Explorer</em> INDEX-SATAL 2010 expedition during the U.S. Embassy-Jakarta 4th of July Celebration.

Watching Video

Ted Osius and David McKinnie watch video from the expedition.

IT Team

Members of the U.S. Embassy Jakarta IT team pose in front of expedition displays.

Supporters

The 4th of July celebration brought together many friends and supporters.

This video shows just some of the stunning imagery captured by the high-definition cameras on the <em>Little Hercules</em> remotely operated vehicle (ROV) on June 30, 2010, during the vehicle's second dive down to Kawio Barat volcano.

June 30, 2010

Video from June 30, 2010, during the second dive down to Kawio Barat volcano.

Little Hercules

The Little Hercules ROV nears active hydrothermal vent sites.

Vent Community

A veritable field of sulphide chimneys and rocks covered with shrimp.

Vent Colony

Sulphide chimneys on Kawio Barat were completely covered with barnacles.

Barnacles

The barnacles are a type of goose-neck barnacle that grow on a stalk.

Little Hercules

The Little Hercules ROV descends down to the summit of the Kawio Barat submarine volcano.

Vent Plume

A vent plume on the summit of Kawio Barat submarine volcano.

Seattle

Scientists and spectators located at the Seattle Exploration Command Center.

Clams

The first animals we sighted were clams sparsely scattered over the sediment and white mats.

Diffuse vent fluids in the area promote the growth of bacteria, attracting dense populations of shrimp that graze on the food source.

Sulphur and Shrimp

Vent fluids in the area promote the growth of bacteria, attracting shrimp.

Sulphur Chimneys and Barnacles

Cameras on the ROV reveal a field of sulphur chimneys completely covered with barnacles.

Active Vent

Venting is still active through some of the chimneys.

Control Room

View of the control room on board Okeanos Explorer during ROV operations.

Barnacles

A dense assemblage of barnacles covered rocks and sulphur chimneys on Kawio Barat.

Seattle

Scientists and spectators at the Seattle Exploration Command Center watch live video from the seafloor.

Squat Lobster

A closer look at a chimney surface reveals blue-white fluffy bacteria on and a white squat lobster.

Scale Worm

The surface of the sulphide chimney as a large scale worm lurks to the left.

Crab

This crab likely belongs to a group known only from hot vents.

June 29, 2010

Footage captured on June 29, 2010, during the first ROV dive to the Kawio Barat volcano.

Seattle

Today marked the first day of full operations at the Seattle Exploration Command Center.

Little Hercules

The Little Hercules ROV descends through deep water down to Kawio Barat.

Slope

The slope explored during today’s dive on Kawio Barat was covered by dark volcaniclastic sediments.

Rocky Outcrop

Rocky outcrops standing above the sediment like you see here contain brightly colored areas.

Exposed Rock

Many of the rocks we see exposed on the western slope of Kawio Barat are highly vesicular.

Sediments

The surface of the sediments seen during the dive was often covered by bright white or orange coatings.

Clams

During the ROV dive, we ascended up a summit ridge where, in the last hour of the dive, we saw live clams sitting on top of sediments.

Animation showing EM302 multibeam data acquired via NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em> during the INDEX-SATAL 2010 expedition, overlain on satellite bathymetry.

Multibeam Animation

Animation showing EM302 multibeam data acquired via NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during the expedition.

Operating Area

Image showing a map of the INDEX-SATAL 2010 operating area with bathymetry data.

Bathymetric image of Kawio Barat volcano created with data acquired during INDEX 2010. The white dots on the map represent locations where CTD casts were conducted.

CTD Cast Locations

Bathymetric image of Kawio Barat volcano with white dots representing locations where CTD casts were conducted.

CTD Rosette

An instrument called a CTD rosette is lowered down to the top of these volcanoes to collect water column data.

CTD Data

Plot showing light scattering sensor and Oxygen Reduction Potential data versus time.

Kawio Barat

A perspective view of the Kawio Barat (West Kawio) seamount looking from the northwest.

Multibeam Data

An overview of the multibeam data collected during the 2008-2009 field season.

Multibeam Screen

There is a lot of information to keep track of when standing watch at the multibeam acquisition station.

Dedication Ceremony

Chairman Gellwynn Jusuf opens the Jakarta ECC dedication ceremony.

Co-principal investigators Steve Hammond (left) and Sugiarta Wirasantosa (right) chat with Okeanos Explorer team members via telepresence.

Telepresence Chat

Steve Hammond and Sugiarta Wirasantosa chat with Okeanos Explorer team members.

Signing

The signing of the Indonesia-U.S. Ocean Exploration Implementing Arrangement.

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

Warm Welcome

Local officials welcomed the ship and her crew to Bitung during a brief ceremony.

Ambassador Hume

Ambassador Hume traveled to welcome NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to Indonesia.

This summary video shows the arrival of NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em> for its first port call during its maiden voyage.

Arriving in Bitung, Indonesia

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer arrives for its first port call during its maiden voyage.

Okeanos Explorer

The ship’s gangway is lowered onto the dock in Bitung, Indonesia.

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

Welcoming Ceremony

Leadership await the beginning of the Welcoming Ceremony in the Port of Bitung.

Okeanos Explorer

The ship slowly approaches the pier in Bitung, Indonesia, on June 20, 2010.

Arrival

Crewmembers await the ship's arrival in Bitung, Indonesia.

Band

The combination bamboo and brass instrument band was just one of many surprises.

The Governor of North Sulawesi, Mayor of Bitung, Commanding Officer Joe Pica, and US Ambassador to Jakarta Cameron Hume enjoy a not-so-private discussion before the tour of the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer begins.

Band

A not-so-private discussion before the tour of the Okeanos Explorer begins.

Awaiting Arrival

Dancers and local hosts await the arrival of the Governor of North Sulawesi and Mayor of Bitung.

Dancers

Local dancers perform during the Welcoming Ceremony for the Okeanos Explorer.

Robin Sawyer

Medical Officer Robin Sawyer flashes a big smile before the Welcoming Ceremony begins.

Dancer

A traditional dancer walks along the dock during the Welcoming Ceremony.

Sunset

Crewmember Jerrod Hozendorf is silhouetted by the sunset while in port in Bitung, Indonesia.

Dancer

A traditional dancer poses in front of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

Expedition Image

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

Operating Area

Map of the operating area for INDEX-SATAL 2010.

Little Herc

The Little Hercules remotely operated vehicle is a dual-body system.

Baruna Jaya IV

During the expedition, U.S. and Indonesian scientists will work side-by-side on two ships.

During preliminary operations near Guam, Indonesian scientist Dr. Michael Purwoadi makes the first ‘call’ using telepresence from the NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer </em>to colleagues in the newly established Jakarta Exploration Command Center.

Exploration Command Center

Indonesian scientist Dr. Michael Purwoadi in the newly established Jakarta Exploration Command Center.

President Obama

In June 2009, President Barack Obama delivered a landmark speech at Cairo University.

INDEX-SATAL 2010 Co Principal Investigators Dr. Sugiarta and Dr. Steve Hammond shake hands after agreeing upon the planning area of operations for this summer's expedition.

Collaboration

INDEX-SATAL 2010 Co-Principal Investigators shake hands.

Head of the Indonesian Agency for Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT) Dr. Ir. Marzan A. Iskandar welcomes Dr. Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Administrator, to the Indonesian research vessel <em>Baruna Jaya IV.

Collaboration

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

Video footage of the <em>Little Hercules</em> ROV being launched from NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em>.

ROV Launch

Little Hercules being launched from the Okeanos Explorer.

Little Herc

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

The <em>Okeanos Explorer</em> crew launches the vehicle during test dives off Hawaii.

ROV Launch

The Okeanos Explorer crew launches the vehicle during test dives off Hawaii.

<em>Little Hercules</em> during one of his first dives in Indonesia.

Exploring

Little Hercules during one of his first dives in Indonesia.

Coral Triangle

Map showing the Coral Triangle region.

House Reef

A multitude of organisms living in a small section of House Reef in the Philippines.

Tubeworms

Riftia tubeworms, mussels, and scavenging crabs found on the East Pacific Rise.

Celebes Sea

Map of the Celebes Sea region showing breaks in species distribution.

Black Smoker

A black smoker chimney named ‘Boardwalk’ in the northeastern Pacific Ocean.

Black Smoker Sample

A graduate student dissects a black smoker chimney sample to isolate new hyperthermophilic microbes.

Growth of hyperthermophilic microbes that grow at 95°C (203°F) and convert hydrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas, and iron rust (brown material in left tube) into black magnetic iron (right tube).

Microbe Growth

Growth of hyperthermophilic microbes in the lab.

Data from the multibeam sonar on NOAA Ship <em>Okeanos Explorer</em> provided a 3D image of an underwater gas plume rising 4,600 feet from the seafloor off the California Coast in 2009.

Mendocino Ridge Plume

A 3D image of an underwater gas plume rising 4,600 feet from the seafloor off the California coast.

Survey Area

Map showing the area to be explored during the INDEX 2010 expedition.

Black Smoker

Black smoker vent in the High-Rise Field, Endeavour segment, Juan de Fuca Ridge.

Sampling Gas Bubbles

Sampling gas bubbles at an active volcanic vent on NW Rota-1 submarine volcano.

Bubble Plume

Bubble plume image captured with multibeam sonar on Kilo Moana, March 2010.

INDEX-SATAL 2010:
Indonesia-USA Deep-Sea Exploration of the Sangihe Talaud Region

Image and Video Gallery

Daily Updates

Mission Logs

Image and Video Gallery

For Educators

Background Information

Media Resources

INDEX-SATAL 2010:Indonesia-USA Deep-Sea Exploration of the Sangihe Talaud Region

Image and Video Gallery

Daily Updates

Mission Logs

Image and Video Gallery

For Educators

Background Information

Media Resources

Related Links

INDEX-SATAL 2010:
Indonesia-USA Deep-Sea Exploration of the Sangihe Talaud Region