2026 Pacific Islands Mapping

Logan Kline is an operations support analyst with NOAA Ocean Exploration. She supports the Expeditions and Exploration division and also serves as the executive secretary of the Interagency Working Group on Ocean Exploration and Characterization. Logan holds a Master of Science in ecology and environmental science from the University of Maine and a Bachelor of Science in environmental science and policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. For her graduate work, Logan investigated the efficacy of an artificial intelligence algorithm designed to detect and identify seabirds in plane-based imagery of Maine’s coastal islands. She has been involved with NOAA in multiple capacities, including as an Ernest F. Hollings scholar interning at the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center and as a Sea Grant Knauss Fellow in NOAA Ocean Exploration. Logan is very interested in the intersection of emerging technologies and wildlife monitoring; she has experience in remote sensing, geographic information systems, computer vision, uncrewed aerial vehicles, and passive acoustics.

Lynne loved the ocean as a child and worked her way through university to a career with the sea. She’s had a wide variety of job experiences ranging from chemical and physical analysis of soil, plant, and water samples in the lab, to wrenching on bicycles and classic Volkswagens. She’s served as a survey or marine technician for most of her ocean-going career, frequently for the University of Rhode Island. She enjoys working in the field, being outside, meeting people, learning something new every day, spending time around the ocean, and assisting scientists in obtaining quality data and getting that data to shore. The wonder of the vital ocean environment has kept her sailing on oceanographic ships. Lynne initially worked on NOAA ships in the early to mid-90s. Her career has taken her around the world to many ports and areas of the ocean, and she is excited to be working on this unique NOAA ship exploring the Pacific’s depths once again. When not at sea, she might be found helping stray cats or removing plastic debris from a beach.

Francesca is a support technician at QPS, working with a global network of users to troubleshoot software and survey-specific issues across the company’s hydrographic acquisition, processing, analysis, and navigation products. In this role, she primarily delivers day-to-day technical support from her home office in Indiana, while also leading training courses, providing onsite vessel assistance, and helping clientele develop their workflows. Francesca holds a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston where she researched microplastic ingestion in sharks and estuarine fish alongside her studies in seabed mapping. While her personal hydrographic field experience has been primarily focused on deepwater multibeam mapping, she supports customers across a wide range of specialized operations, including sidescan sonar, sub-bottom, and LiDAR data acquisition, offshore wind farm installations, seismic research, pipeline and cable surveys, dredging, and subsea navigation. Francesca loves being out at sea in any form, whether sailing, surfing, kiteboarding, or scuba diving.

Ventsi Gotov is a data/telepresence engineer at the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Inner Space Center, supporting network and computer systems for oceanographic research operations. With over 10 years of network engineering experience spanning internet service providers and enterprise environments, he has recently expanded into IP video engineering, working with SMPTE 2110 systems. Ventsi earned his bachelor’s degree in information systems from Bryant University and his master’s degree in computer science from URI, where he specialized in algorithms and data science. Originally from Bulgaria, Ventsi has called Rhode Island home for 20 years and lives there with his family. His career has also taken him to New Zealand, where he lived and worked for several years.

Margaret Hanley holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from the College of Charleston and is an alumna of the BEnthic Acoustic Mapping and Survey (BEAMS) program. She is pursuing a master’s degree in marine science with a concentration in hydrography at the University of South Florida and the Center for Ocean Mapping and Innovative Technologies. Her thesis research uses multibeam data and video imagery to characterize glacial seafloor morphology and habitats along the Sabrina Coast in East Antarctica. Her introduction to ocean exploration came as an explorer-in-training (EIT) aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. She later served on the ship as a mapping watch lead, assisting with mapping operations and training other EITs. Her additional professional experience includes time with NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey External Source Data team; charting work with Woolpert in Nome, Alaska; and remote survey operations with Saildrone. Margaret is based in St. Petersburg, Florida, where she can often be found on the water or out with her dog.

Nicole Miller joined NOAA Ocean Exploration in January 2023 as the NOAA Omics Coordinator. In this role, she leads and coordinates complex, agencywide omics initiatives, driving strategic alignment, cross-program integration, and optimization of omics and eDNA data assets to maximize scientific and operational impact. She plays a key role in strategically planning and implementing omics and eDNA technologies within NOAA Ocean Exploration, ensuring alignment with mission priorities, advancing innovation, and supporting informed decision-making through data-driven approaches. During EX2604, Nicole will assist in tactical eDNA sample planning and processing. She will also develop a standard operating procedure for eDNA sampling aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, with the goal of increasing efficiency in data and metadata management. She holds a Master of Science in ecology and a Bachelor of Science in microbiology, both from the University of Florida.

Jessica (Jess) Nation is a multibeam bathymetry data manager with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado Boulder, working in support of NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Jess has been working with CIRES and NCEI since 2020, when she graduated from CU Boulder with her bachelor’s degree in geology. As a data manager, Jess works to archive bathymetric data from around the globe and make it publicly available through NCEI’s Bathymetric Data Viewer and the International Hydrographic Organization Data Centre for Digital Bathymetry. Jess works closely with scientists and survey technicians across the NOAA fleet stewarding marine sonar datasets, and has previously supported mapping operations onboard NOAA Ship Fairweather. Jess is based out of Denver, Colorado, and enjoys many of the alpine hobbies the state has to offer.  

Shari Rohret is a 2026 John A. Knauss Fellow with NOAA Ocean Exploration. In this role, she will support interagency efforts to advance ocean exploration and characterization while contributing to expedition planning and operations. She received her doctorate in marine geobiology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology–Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (MIT–WHOI) Joint Program. Her doctoral research focused broadly on the benthic ecology, biodiversity, and geochemical characterization of submerged cave systems in the Yucatan Peninsula and hydrocarbon seeps in the Gulf of America (formerly Gulf of Mexico). Using metabarcoding, microscopy methods, and geochemical analysis, she investigated benthic communities, with a particular focus on benthic foraminifera, in these extreme environments. Her research interests include marine biodiversity, benthic ecology, and the use of molecular tools to better understand life in understudied marine ecosystems.

Miles Saunders holds a master’s degree in geospatial intelligence from Penn State and brings more than 15 years of progressive experience leading hydrographic survey operations, geospatial analysis, and subsea data acquisition across government, academic, and private-sector environments. Most recently, Miles served as chief of hydrographic survey for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah District, where he trained survey technicians in hydrographic principles, data processing, and the interpretation of fluid mud in echograms. Earlier in his career, Miles managed the Fisher Deep-sea Lab at Penn State, and mentored students conducting deep-sea research focused on coral ecosystems impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. When he is not offshore, Miles enjoys spending time with his daughter and exploring the lowcountry around Savannah, Georgia.

Kevia Walker-Humphries is an administrative specialist within NOAA Ocean Exploration’s Administration and Finance division. Prior to this role, she served as a senior executive support specialist for the NOAA Office of Response and Restoration. Born and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Kevia is a devoted mother of two who is passionate about helping others. She developed strong professional skills, values, and a commitment to operating with excellence while earning her undergraduate degree from Hampton University. She also holds a master’s of social work from Howard University, where she focused on direct clinical practice. During the current expedition, she will be assisting with eDNA collection and general science support. 

Danielle Warren is a member of the NOAA Ocean Exploration Technical Operations Team. She has a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences/marine science and over eight years of sailing experience as a NOAA senior survey technician across NOAA’s fleet of oceanographic and fisheries research vessels. Her main areas of expertise include CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) operations, scientific data collection and management, and seafloor mapping. In her time with NOAA, she sailed seven ships and supported upwards of 30 scientific research missions while also spearheading training initiatives, shipboard metadata updates, and work transition programs to provide better work/life balance and training opportunities to current and future survey technicians. When not at work, Danielle can be found curled up with a good book or one of her craft projects.

Michelle Whitman is a web developer supporting NOAA Ocean Exploration through the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR). She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Before joining NOAA Ocean Exploration, she worked for many years as a multimedia instructional developer supporting the U.S. Army 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne). Michelle enjoys creating interactive digital content and visual experiences that connect audiences to deep-sea exploration and science. Her work includes website development, graphics, outreach materials, and multimedia support for expeditions and educational initiatives. She is excited to gain hands-on experience aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to learn more about the work she helps share through NOAA Ocean Exploration’s website.