2026 American Samoa ROV + Mapping Exploration

Overview

From August 20 to September 17, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners will conduct a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and mapping expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to explore deep waters in and around American Samoa. This expedition will include ROV dives to explore the seafloor and water column, overnight mapping operations, and continuous shore-side participation via telepresence technology.

Located approximately 3,500 kilometers (2,200 miles) southwest of Hawaiʻi, American Samoa is the only U.S. territory south of the equator. It is composed of seven land masses—five volcanic islands and two coral atolls—and includes more than 300,000 square kilometers (115,830 square miles) of ocean waters. Those waters support thriving marine ecosystems, including extensive shallow coral reefs, deepwater coral and sponge communities, and hydrothermal vent communities. They also hold vast marine resources, including fishery habitats and potentially marine critical minerals. Even with the economic, cultural, and intrinsic value of American Samoa’s ocean waters, much remains unknown about the deep-sea habitats and geology in this region.

Expedition Operations

During the 2026 American Samoa ROV + Mapping Exploration expedition, the team will work to close gaps in our understanding of the geology, biology, and water column of deep waters around American Samoa by conducting focused mapping and ROV operations.

Mapping operations will build off work conducted during the 2026 American Samoa Mapping: NV5 Contract Work as well as work done on Ocean Exploration Trust’s Exploration Vessel Nautilus in 2024 and by NOAA Ocean Exploration in 2017. During the expedition, we will focus on using the ship’s multibeam sonars to map areas with little or no high-quality sonar data, where information collected will enhance our understanding of this region. Mapping data will be used to plan ROV dives and will also inform future exploration efforts, be used to establish a baseline assessment of the ocean environment, increase understanding of marine life and habitats to inform management decisions, and increase public awareness of ocean issues.

Over the course of the expedition, we will conduct ROV dives at depths ranging from approximately 2,000 to 6,000 meters (1.2 to 3.7 miles). We expect to explore abyssal plain environments, with a focus on developing a baseline assessment of marine critical minerals, specifically polymetallic nodules, as well as seamount habitats, deep-sea coral and sponge communities, fish habitats, and the water column.Thanks to telepresence technology, anyone with an internet connection is invited to watch and listen as members of the science community actively engage and guide each dive.

All things permitting, dives will be streamed live daily, August 20 to September 15, from approximately 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. SST / 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. EDT. Dates and times are subject to change.

During the expedition, dives will take place both inside and outside the boundaries of National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa and Rose Atoll Marine National Monument. These areas are protected through laws and regulations that prohibit certain activities, such as deep-sea mining, anchoring that disturbs or damages natural features, and discharges from ships. The location and key objectives of each dive will be clearly identified throughout the expedition.

NOAA Ocean Exploration is committed to ensuring full and transparent access to expedition knowledge and findings for local communities, decision-makers, and the scientific community. Dive operations will be streamed live and regular updates provided on the oceanexplorer.noaa.gov website while the expedition is underway. After the expedition, collected data will be filed in the public domain, meaning it will be available to anyone through the NOAA data archives. This open, data-driven approach is designed to provide authoritative science for decision-makers at federal and local levels, with data gathered during both expeditions being made publicly available to support the responsible management of marine resources, including critical minerals, in the region.