Exploring the ocean for national benefit

NOAA Ocean Exploration is the only federal program dedicated to exploring the unknown ocean, unlocking its potential through scientific discovery, technological advancements, partnerships, data delivery, and education.

Learn About Science & Exploration

Learn About Ocean Exploration

Dive into ocean exploration by exploring materials such as stories, ocean facts, and images and videos, organized by topic for learners of all ages and levels.

Ocean Science for Everyone
For Educators
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Highlights

Expeditions & Projects
A view of the blue ocean from the fantail of a ship.

Getting Comfortable at Sea

If you’ve enjoyed any classic books or movies that involve sailing on the open ocean, you might have some preconceived notions of what a voyage lasting many weeks would feel like. Maybe you picture sailors in cramped, dank quarters for days on end, dining on salted meats and biscuits hard enough to chip a tooth. An exaggeration? Perhaps. As I live and work aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, though, I’ve been struck by how far comfort aboard a working ship has come.
On the bridge of a ship, two NOAA Corps officers in white uniforms look out the front window through which land is visible in the distance, while another two officers stand behind a row of screens and instrumentation.
Expeditions & Projects
2026 Pacific Islands Mapping Expedition Summary
October calendar featuring a batfish on a sandy seafloor. The NOAA Ocean Exploration logo is in the lower left corner.
Wallpaper Calendar
October Desktop Wallpaper Calendar

News Updates

Education
NOAA Ocean Exploration and Partners Host Deep-Sea Educator Workshop in American Samoa
Education
NOAA Ocean Exploration Hosts Inaugural Blue Technology Education Workshop
General
New Pathways to Discovery: NOAA Ocean Exploration Publishes Data on Global Databases
Publication
Researchers Identify Dense Coral and Sponge Communities in Deep Alaskan Waters
Opportunity
Call for Input: NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer 2027 Proposed Pacific Island Operating Areas
Education
Professional Development Workshop Brings Deep-Sea Science to Palau’s Middle and High School Classrooms

In the Field: 2026

NOAA Ocean Exploration works with partners to explore previously unknown areas of our ocean, making discoveries of scientific, economic, and cultural value and supporting innovations in exploration tools and capabilities. In 2026, we will lead and support expeditions and fieldwork in the Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Lake Michigan.

Read About These Expeditions and Projects
Featured 2025 Statistics
339,864 Square Kilometers of Seafloor Mapped
120+ Days at Sea on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer
3.2 Million Website Views
600+ Educators Trained
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in port in Honolulu, Hawai‘i,

Status: NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer — 2026 American Samoa Mapping + Transit (EX2607)

Beginning on September 24, NOAA Ocean Exploration will spend several days mapping unexplored deepwater regions near American Samoa. The ship team will then transit northeast to Honolulu, bringing NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer into position for her next mission.

Personnel in a dimly lit control room monitor several screens displaying underwater video feeds and oceanographic data.

Featured Favorite

The control room is where a lot of the communications take place during an expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Here, scientists in the back row communicate with folks on shore, and the engineers in the front row communicate with the remotely operated vehicles during the Deep Connections 2019 expedition.

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