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EX2306

Seascape Alaska 5: Gulf of Alaska Remotely Operated Vehicle Exploration and Mapping

Past Expedition

Primary Goal

Map, explore, and characterize ecologically and economically important deepwater habitats in unexplored regions off Alaska

Dates
August 23 - September 14, 2023
Location
Arctic
Vessel
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer
Primary Technology
Multibeam sonar, remotely operated vehicles Deep Discoverer and Seirios

Expedition Summary

From August 23 – September 14, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners conducted the fifth in a series of Seascape Alaska expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Operations during this 23-day expedition included 19 successful remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives conducted in water depths ranging from 253 – 4,262 meters (830 – 13,983 feet), mapping of 28,287 square kilometers (10,922 square miles) of seafloor, and the collection of a wide variety of biological and geological samples. Altogether, data from the Seascape Alaska 5: Gulf of Alaska Remotely Operated Vehicle Exploration and Mapping expedition will contribute to our collective baseline understanding of the ocean, improving our ability to protect and manage marine ecosystems and furthering public awareness of the splendor, importance, and interconnectivity of the ocean to our everyday lives. View full expedition summary.

View summary video

During the Seascape Alaska 5 expedition, the team navigated challenges ranging from rough weather to poor visibility, and completed 19 deepwater remotely operated vehicles (ROV) dives in the Gulf of Alaska and coastal fjords.

Operational Summary
  • Days at sea: 23
  • Full ROV dives: 19, ranging in depth from 253 – 4,262 meters (830 – 13,983 feet)
  • Biological samples collected: 72 primary samples, 197 associates
  • Geological samples collected: 32 primary samples, 13 associates
  • Water samples collected for eDNA analysis: 70
  • Seafloor area mapped: nearly 28,287 square kilometers (10,922 square miles)
  • Science party participants: >50
  • Live video views: Approximately 222,000
Read full expedition summary
Map showing the location of the 19 dives successfully conducted during the Seascape Alaska 5 expedition, as well as preliminary bathymetry data collected during mapping operations.
Map showing the location of the 19 dives successfully conducted during the Seascape Alaska 5 expedition, as well as preliminary bathymetry data collected during mapping operations. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Seascape Alaska.
Download largest version (jpg, 302 KB).

Features

Expedition Summary
From August 23 - September 14, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners conducted the fifth in a series of Seascape Alaska expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Operations during this 23-day expedition included 19 successful remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives conducted in water depths ranging from 253 - 4,262 meters (830 - 13,983 feet), mapping of 28,287 square kilometers (10,922 square miles) of seafloor, and the collection of a wide variety of biological and geological samples.
January 22, 2024
This unidentified specimen, seen in situ on a rocky outcropping at a depth of about 3,300 meters (~2 miles), was seen on August 30, 2023, during Dive 07 of the Seascape Alaska 5: Gulf of Alaska Remotely Operated Vehicle Exploration and Mapping expedition.
Unidentified Golden Specimen Captures Public Imagination
Unidentified Golden Specimen Captures Public Imagination
September 7, 2023
Search for Prinsendam
During the Seascape Alaska 5: Gulf of Alaska Remotely Operated Vehicle Exploration and Mapping expedition, the team will search for, and if found, explore the wreck of Prinsendam, a 427-foot cruise liner that sank off Sitka, Alaska, in 1980 after the second greatest rescue operation in the history of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). The dive will provide scientists with important information to better understand how the shipwreck and surrounding marine environment have changed over time.
September 5, 2023
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Expedition Overview
The Seascape Alaska 5 expedition will commence on August 23, 2023, in Kodiak, Alaska, and conclude on September 16, 2023, in Seward, Alaska. The team will work to fill gaps in our understanding of the region by conducting focused mapping and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) operations. Operations will focus on exploring deep waters greater than 200 meters (656 feet) for mapping operations and 250 meters (820 feet) for ROV operations in U.S. waters, the high seas, and Canadian waters off Alaska.
August 17, 2023
An Introduction to the Geology of the Aleutian Islands
Ocean exploration is vital for mapping and characterizing geologic features and biologic communities in the ocean, some of which have not been previously described. However, the impacts of ocean exploration extend well beyond the ocean, with impacts reaching to rock layers in the high mountains and deep subsurface. By investigating modern tectonic margins and deep-ocean environments, we improve interpretations of ancient rock layers that record the geologic history of our planet.
July 25, 2023

Multimedia

Featured multimedia assets associated with this project.

View All Multimedia
Anemones
Blobfish
Biological Diversity
Sea Anemones
Track of Dive 07
Darkfin Sculpin
Cusk Eel
Bamboo Coral
Octopus
Glacial Flour
Sea Star
Rock Face
Track of Dive 06
Sea Star
Coral and Associates
Seward Marine Science Symposium Presentation
Basket Star
Scale Worm
Track of Dive 10
Mother Octopus
Coral, Fish, and Squid
Sponge
Track of Dive 04
Unexplored Seamounts
Eggs on Coral
Track of Dive 17
Snipe Eel
Track of Dive 03
Chimaera and Flatfish
Track of Dive 05
Snake Star
Octopus Brooding Eggs
Surveying Their Work
Along Came A Pycnogonid
Sea Pen
Mushroom Coral

Dive Summary Map

The map below shows the location of dives during the expedition. Click on a dive number to access the update from that day.

Education

Our Learn & Discover page provides the best of what the NOAA Ocean Exploration website has to offer to support educators in the classroom during this expedition. Each theme page includes expedition features, lessons, multimedia, career information, and associated past expeditions. Below are related top education themes for this expedition.

Hydrothermal Vents and Volcanoes
Underwater Robots
Deep-Sea Corals
Seafloor Mapping
Seamounts

Meet the Exploration Team

Learn more about the team members and their contributions to this project.

Meet the Full Team
Merlin Best
Science Co-Lead (Biology), Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Jamie Conrad
Science Co-Lead (Geology), U.S. Geological Survey
Sam Candio
Expedition Coordinator, NOAA Ocean Exploration
Fernando Aragon
Data Engineer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Emily Ashe
Communications Specialist, NOAA Research
Caitlin Bailey
Video Editor, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration

Expedition Data

NOAA Ocean Exploration’s 2023 Seascape Alaska expeditions will contribute to the National Strategy for Exploring, Mapping, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone, Seabed 2030, and multipartner Seascape Alaska campaign, which has been endorsed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO as part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030.

Data collected during all expeditions will be available in NOAA’s public data archives within 90-120 days of its completion and will be accessible via the NOAA Ocean Exploration Data Atlas.

Expedition Data

Resources & Contacts

Related Links
Media Contacts
  • Published August 17, 2023
  • Last updated January 22, 2024