2025 Annual Report


NOAA Ocean Exploration 2025: A Year in Review

 

In 2025, NOAA Ocean Exploration led and supported expeditions to enable scientific discovery; tested and supported the development of new and emerging technologies; shared our work with a variety of audiences; strengthened our network of partners; and more. The results of our scientific endeavors increase our knowledge and understanding of the ocean and contribute to national and international priorities — including the U.S. National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and Seabed 2030.

This report is a high-level summary of NOAA Ocean Exploration’s accomplishments in 2025.


A high-density coral community seen living on boulders.
In 2025, NOAA Ocean Exploration explored a number of high-biodiversity communities, including this dense coral community, which was seen on a boulder during an otherwise low-density dive on an unnamed seamount in Papahānaumokuākea. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download largest version (jpg, MB)

Deep-Ocean Exploration:

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and E/V Nautilus

NOAA Ocean Exploration leads expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and was a primary sponsor of expeditions on Ocean Exploration Trust’s (OET’s) Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus in 2025 through the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI). Expeditions on these ships:

    • Mapped unsurveyed seafloor.
    • Used telepresence to share never-before-seen deep-sea biology, geology, and maritime heritage resources with scientists, students, educators, and the public on shore, in real time.
    • Demonstrated emerging ocean exploration technologies.

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Exploration in International Waters

Exploration on both ships strengthened U.S. marine resource management partnerships with other countries. In particular:

  • On Okeanos Explorer, mapping operations over three expeditions continued exploration of Palauan deep waters, building on E/V Nautilus efforts in 2024.
  • On E/V Nautilus, mapping and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations collected critical data on deep-sea habitats of the Cook Islands — including areas with abundant polymetallic nodules — the Solomon Islands, and the Marshall Islands.

On the deep seafloor of the Cook Islands, this predatory anemone had established itself on a seafloor blanketed by small, spherical manganese nodules by wrapping around a sponge stalk anchored on a nodule.
On the deep seafloor of the Cook Islands, this predatory anemone had established itself on a seafloor blanketed by small, spherical manganese nodules by wrapping around a sponge stalk anchored on a nodule. Image courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust, DeepSea. Download largest version (jpg, MB)

These expeditions were co-developed with community input from government agencies, scientists, resource managers, and local stakeholders in the United States and abroad and executed in partnership with the Palau International Coral Reef Research Center and the Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority, the Solomon Islands government, and the Marshall Marine Resources Authority, in their respective waters.

Mapping Accomplishments

 

0
total square kilometers (131,222 square miles) mapped*
0
square kilometers (40,448 square miles) mapped in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone
0
square kilometers (37,482 square miles) mapped in Palau’s Exclusive Economic Zone
0
square kilometers (5,461 square miles) mapped in the Cook Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone
0
seamounts mapped

*Includes mapping conducted in the exclusive economic zones of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Also in 2025, NOAA Ocean Exploration passed the milestone of 3 million square kilometers mapped on Okeanos Explorer since the ship was commissioned in 2008.

 

A map showing the depth extent of an unnamed seamount that was fully mapped as part of Beyond the Blue: Palau Mapping 2 expedition.
Between July and October, NOAA Ocean Exploration collected high-resolution mapping data in the Palau Exclusive Economic Zone, mostly in the Palau National Marine Sanctuary, mapping 113 seamounts, including the unnamed seamount shown here. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download largest version (jpg, 370.1 KB)

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer

NOAA Ocean Exploration led six expeditions on Okeanos Explorer as part of the Beyond the Blue: Illuminating the Pacific campaign, spending 127 days conducting mapping and ROV operations in the central and western Pacific Ocean, with a focus on the waters around Hawai‘i and Palau. 

During ROV dives around Hawai‘i — including in some of the most remote areas of Papahānaumokuākea (video) — we explored seamounts, a fracture zone, a volcanic dome, the water column, and two shipwrecks. Here, we saw many unfamiliar animals, some that may have never been seen before. Among those we collected for further study were corals, jellyfish, ctenophores, crinoids, sea stars, brittle stars, sea cucumbers, sponges, a squat lobster, a bryozoan, a squid, a chiton, snails, sea slugs, and forams. We also saw animals that weren’t known to inhabit these waters and interesting animal behaviors.

Biological and Geological Highlights

A large solitary hydroid (Branchiocerianthus sp.)

Among the notable biological sightings in  Papahānaumokuākea was a large solitary hydroid (Branchiocerianthus sp.) seen on an unnamed seamount. With a diameter well over 1 meter (3.3 feet), it was the largest hydroid ever seen by the shipboard science team. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download largest version (jpg, 2.6 MB)

A sea urchin (order Holasteroida)

Marine life seen while exploring the Murray Fracture Zone in Papahānaumokuākea was noted as being low abundance, but high diversity. Among the variety of animals encountered was this rare sea urchin (order Holasteroida). Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download largest version (jpg, 1.4 MB)

Sea lilies (crinoids in the family Phrynocrinidae) were seen in high-density “fields” on an unnamed guyot. This animal was previously seen in the Pacific Ocean during expeditions on Okeanos Explorer in 2010 and 2017, off Indonesia and in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, respectively, yet remains undescribed. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download largest version (jpg, 1.2 MB)

Maritime Heritage Highlights

Exploration of USS Nevada and USS Yorktown (video) set records for the deepest maritime heritage exploration ever conducted during expeditions on Okeanos Explorer and by NOAA Ocean Exploration. The dive on Nevada at 4.7 kilometers (2.9 miles) in depth in March was broken in April when we conducted two dives on Yorktown, which rests at a depth of approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles).

A gun turret on the wreck of USS Nevada.

In partnership with SEARCH, the Air-Sea Heritage Foundation, the U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, and the University of Hawaiʻi, NOAA Ocean Exploration explored two World War II-related maritime heritage sites — LST-884 and USS Nevada — during the 2025 shakedown expedition for Okeanos Explorer. Shown here is a gun turret on the wreck of USS Nevada. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download largest version (jpg, 1.2 MB)

Remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer illuminating the wreck of USS Yorktown against a dark ocean background.

Building on previous exploration of USS Yorktown, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners returned to the site during the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition, exploring the ship’s previously unexplored hangar deck and making a number of unexpected discoveries. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download largest version (jpg, 677.4 KB)

Submerged 1940-41 Ford car with marine growth on the USS Yorktown deck, featuring anemones and a bluish underwater environment.

One of the unexpected discoveries made during exploration of USS Yorktown’s hangar deck was this automobile, likely a 1941 Ford Super Deluxe “Woody.” Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download largest version (jpg, 1.2 MB)

Exploration Vessel Nautilus

NOAA Ocean Exploration supported seven expeditions on E/V Nautilus through the OECI. Over 113 days at sea, these expeditions included mapping and remotely operated vehicle operations in the central, western, and southern Pacific.

Exploration focused on active submarine volcanoes in the Mariana Islands, seamounts and other high biodiversity areas in the Marshall Islands, deep seafloor around Howland and Baker Islands, abyssal plain habitats and minerals in the Cook Islands, and maritime heritage sites associated with the Battles of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.

Biological and Geological Highlights

Mesophotic Corals seen while exploring two shallow seamounts on the Western Mariana Ridge.

These mesophotic corals were seen while exploring two shallow seamounts on the Western Mariana Ridge. Observation of healthy reefs at depths between 50 and 100 meters (164 and 328 feet) expands the known range of coral reef habitats in the region. Image courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust. Download largest version (jpg, 2.0 MB)

A massive black smoker chimney at Hafa Adai hydrothermal vent field.

A massive black smoker chimney at Hafa Adai hydrothermal vent field appears to have toppled since it was last seen, when the vent field was discovered in 2016. A new chimney, seen here, was growing in its place. Image courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust. Download largest version (jpg, 1.5 MB)

A recently formed summit ridge seen in the midst of a massive bubble plume.

Mapping and remotely operated vehicle exploration of the Mariana Arc’s volcanically active Ahyi Seamount showed major seafloor changes since it was last surveyed — including this recently formed summit ridge seen in the midst of a massive bubble plume. Image courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust. Download largest version (jpg, 1.2 MB)

Maritime Heritage Highlights

The E/V Nautilus team found and surveyed 13 historically significant sites from the Battles of Guadalcanal in Iron Bottom Sound in the Solomon Islands — including two newly located sites.

USS New Orleans’ bow severed from the rest of the ship during the November 1942 Battle of Tassafaronga,

Severed from the rest of the ship during the November 1942 Battle of Tassafaronga, USS New Orleans’ bow was found in the Iron Bottom Sound and explored for the first time at a depth of approximately 675 meters (2,215 feet). Image courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust. Download largest version (jpg, 1.9 MB)

Sunken Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki (照月)

Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Teruzuki (照月), Rear Admiral Raizō Tanaka’s flagship, was sunk in December 1942 during World War II’s battles off Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. It was found and explored for the first time at a depth of more than 800 meters (2,625 feet). Image courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust. Download largest version (jpg, 2.0 MB)

Technological Highlights

Orpheus autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV)

Developed with support from NOAA and built to explore abyssal depths up to 6,000 meters (3.7 miles), the Orpheus autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) from Orpheus Ocean was field tested from E/V Nautilus on abyssal plain habitats in the Mariana region at depths up to 5,700 meters (approximately 3.5 miles). Image courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust. Download largest version (jpg, 550 KB)

DriX Uncrewed Surface Vehicle Deployed from E/V Nautilus

The E/V Nautilus team deployed the University of New Hampshire’s DriX uncrewed surface vehicle (operated from ship and shore) simultaneously with E/V Nautilus’ remotely operated vehicles to explore maritime heritage sites in Iron Bottom Sound. Image courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust. Download largest version (jpg, 760.3 KB)

DeepSea’s MxD SeaCam on ROV Little Hercules

While exploring the deep waters of the Cook Islands, ROV Little Hercules was used to test DeepSea’s MxD SeaCam, a specially designed deep-sea camera created by MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) and DeepSea Power & Light. Image courtesy of DeepSea. Download largest version (jpg, 786.7 KB)

Other technological highlights from E/V Nautilus include the replacement of ROV Hercules‘ right arm with a new model Kraft Predator manipulator, the integration of an autonomous environmental DNA (eDNA) sampler onto Hercules, the deployment of two autonomous benthic landers in the Cook Islands for environmental monitoring on the abyssal plain, and the deployment of six biogeochemical floats from the Global Ocean Biogeochemistry Array for large-scale oceanographic monitoring.

 

Learn more about the field season on E/V Nautilus in Exploring the Pacific Ocean: 2025 Field Season Summary, OET’s Top 10 WOW Moments of 2025, and Best of E/V Nautilus 2025: Expedition Highlights.

A variety of deep-sea corals (and other marine life) observed during the 2025 Aleutian Arc expedition.

During the Aleutian Arc: Integrated Exploration of Biodiversity at Priority Benthic Habitats expedition, a team of federal and academic scientists explored the deep waters of the Aleutian Arc off Alaska, gathering vital data about the region’s natural resources and seafloor hazards. Aboard Research Vessel Atlantis, the team mapped 18,103 square kilometers (6,990 square miles) of seafloor and used human occupied vehicle Alvin to examine seafloor environments, ground truth recently mapped features, and collect video and biological, geological, and water samples. This work was funded and supported by a number of National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council partners: NOAA and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (through the OECI), the Office of Naval Research (through the National Oceanographic Partnership Program), and the U.S. Geological Survey.

 

Image courtesy of Amanda Demopoulos, USGS; NOAA Ocean Exploration, ONR, NOPP, BOEM, NOAA IOCM, USGS, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Download largest version (jpg, 1.9 MB)

Ocean Exploration Grants

In 2025, NOAA Ocean Exploration grant awardees conducted work in the Pacific Ocean and Lake Michigan, testing new ways to explore deepwater shipwrecks in Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary; developing efficient acoustic techniques for finding and characterizing hydrothermal vents; enabling underwater vehicles to autonomously find, follow, and identify deep-sea animals; and testing new low-cost, open-source, underwater vehicle systems. On shore, teams automated detection and discovery of submerged maritime heritage sites and studied the biodiversity of deep water-column crustaceans off Southern California.

Three men wearing hard hats and orange life vests, one of which reads "NOAA GREAT LAKES," are securing a large, yellow "SABERTOOTH" autonomous underwater vehicle on a metal frame aboard a boat deck under bright sunlight.
2025
Exploring Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary at Scale
2025
Acoustic Mapping and Characterization of Seafloor Hydrothermal Discharge With Multibeam Echosounders on Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles
Underwater view of a translucent, chain-like marine organism with data overlays and a control room inset.
2025
Deployable Artificial Intelligence for Exploration and Discovery in the Deep Sea
Yellow hybrid ROV floating in deep blue ocean with a tethering cable.
20232025
Field Validation of Novel Low-Cost Underwater Robot for Deepwater Exploration and Characterization
Underwater shipwreck covered in algae with a scuba diver in the background.
2023
Software Tools to Enable Automated Detection of Submerged Archaeological Sites From Multibeam Sonar
A collection of different shrimp species against a black background, showing various sizes and colors including red, orange, and blue. Sections labeled a, b, and c highlight specific specimens.
2024
Exploration and Characterization of Deep-Pelagic Crustaceans in the Southern California Exclusive Economic Zone

Outreach and Education

NOAA Ocean Exploration’s outreach and education activities focused on providing educators with the information and tools they need to generate interest in the ocean among their students and providing members of the public with access to information about our work, ocean exploration, and the ocean in general.

Teachers at a professional development workshop try out our wet maps lesson.
Educator Professional Development Workshops

NOAA Ocean Exploration supported 27 educator professional development workshops, including our first topical workshop, Life Beyond Light: Chemosynthetic Communities of the Deep Ocean, engaging 605 educators from across the country. Here, teachers at a professional development workshop try out our wet maps lesson. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration. Download largest version (jpg, 1.8 MB)

JRAs on the aft deck of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer departing Koror, Palau.
Palauan Junior Regional Advisors

In support of local workforce development efforts, NOAA Ocean Exploration co-hosted five Palauan students and early-career professionals for nine weeks of training as part of the Beyond the Blue: Illuminating the Pacific campaign. Image courtesy of Ikelau Otto. Download largest version (jpg, 503.4 KB

Members of the Palauan community proudly show off the newly decorated M/B Yaquina Neversink.
M/B Yaquina Neversink

NOAA Ocean Exploration coordinated activities between NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and miniboat (M/B) Yaquina Neversink — built by high school students — in support of its cross-Pacific journey. During its stop in Palau, repairs were made to the miniboat and a new sail was decorated by Palauan students. Image courtesy of Oregon Coast STEM Hub. Download largest version (jpg, 2.6 MB)

A screenshot of the oceanexplorer.noaa.gov homepage header.
Website Refresh

NOAA Ocean Exploration refreshed and relaunched our website, our primary tool for reaching the public, including scientists, resource managers, and policy/decision-makers.

Social Media icons next to a jellyfish on a black background
Social media

NOAA Ocean Exploration used social media to generate excitement about ocean exploration with more than 700,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

A post highlighting the discoveries made during 2025’s exploration of USS Yorktown
Social Media Record

A post highlighting the discoveries made during 2025’s exploration of USS Yorktown broke a record on NOAA Ocean Exploration’s Facebook page with 950,000 views, 11,000 interactions, and a reach of 57,000.

Local government representatives, scientists, teachers, students, and U.S. embassy staff and their families on the deck of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer
Ship Tours in Palau

NOAA Ocean Exploration provided tours of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to approximately 120 visitors — including local government representatives, scientists, teachers, students, and U.S. embassy staff and their families — while in port in Palau. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download largest version (jpg, 1.9 MB)

MATE ROV Competition
2025 MATE ROV Competition

NOAA Ocean Exploration supported the MATE ROV Competition by sponsoring an Ocean Exploration Video Challenge (computer coding) and providing staff to judge entries, mentor students, and provide dive support. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration. Download largest version (jpg, 1.6 MB)

Outreach and education activities associated with E/V Nautilus included livestreams, web content, social media, a robust ship-to-shore interaction program (including a conversation with an astronaut from the International Space Station), and a port event hosted by the Cook Islands. 

Together, NOAA Ocean Exploration and OECI partners engaged many millions of people of all ages, from all around the world.