2026 Pacific Islands Mapping
Expedition Plan
Overview
From June 16 to July 10, NOAA Ocean Exploration will conduct mapping operations aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, focusing on priority regions in the deepwaters of Hawaiʻi, Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll, Jarvis Island, and the Cook Islands. In addition to mapping, the mission team will carry out extensive environmental DNA (eDNA) operations, as well as data collection in support of both weather and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) forecasting.
After completing the 2026 ROV Shakedown off the coast of Hawaiʻi, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer will depart from Honolulu on June 16, en route to Rarotonga, Cook Islands. During the 25-day expedition, mapping operations will take place with a focus on deepwaters greater than 200 meters (656 feet) in the Hawaiʻi, Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll, Jarvis Island, and Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).
Additional routine work, including the deployment of expendable bathythermographs (XBTs) used to collect ocean temperature data, and conductivity, temperature, depth profiler (CTD) casts to measure chemical and physical properties of the water column, will also take place. CTD data are used to acquire sound velocity profiles of the water column, which are important for accurate bathymetry measurements. The CTD rosette will also be used to collect abyssal water samples for environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis in the Jarvis Island EEZ. During the expedition, mission personnel will work to refine a standard operating procedure for eDNA sampling aboard the ship, with the goal of improving data and metadata management for the future. If weather conditions allow, sun photometer readings will be taken opportunistically in support of NASA’s AErosol RObotic NETwork (AERONET), a long-term, NASA-led research project assessing marine aerosols. Standard operating procedures for the task will also be refined during the expedition.
This map shows the planned area of operations for the 2026 Pacific Islands Mapping expedition.
How do we map?
On modern ships of exploration, a multibeam sonar system uses multiple transducers, called an array, mounted to the ship’s hull. This system produces a fan-shaped swath of sound pulses. In simplest terms, depth is measured by the time it takes for the sound to leave the transducers, hit the seafloor, and return to the system as an echo.
In addition to mapping operations and routine data collection, the 2026 Pacific Islands Mapping expedition will also support a project of opportunity in the area around Jarvis Island proposed by colleagues working on El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and weather forecasting at NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) and NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC). Shipbased data will be collected and shared in near real-time with support from the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations. These data include surface meteorological variables such as wind, rainfall, temperature, and humidity, as well as CTD, XBT, and acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) data within the upper 300 meters (984 feet) of the water column. Deepwaters between 3,000–5,000 meters (9,843–16,404 feet) will also be targeted with CTD casts. While in the region, focused mapping operations and eDNA collection based on previous calls for community input will also occur in poorly explored areas of the Jarvis Island EEZ. Water sample collection for eDNA analysis will be focused on abyssal depths of around 5,000 meters (16,404 feet).
This expedition is part of a multiyear effort with partners across NOAA and other federal agencies to improve understanding of the diversity and distribution of deepwater habitats throughout the remote Pacific.
Expedition Coordinator Thomas Morrow and Explorer-in-Training Kathrin Bayer work to collect sun photometer measurements during the 2022 Caribbean Mapping expedition. These readings are regularly collected during expeditions aboard Okeanos in support of ongoing NASA-led research. Image courtesy of Caitlin Bailey, GFOE, 2022 Caribbean Mapping. Download largest version (jpg, 5 MB).
The conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) rosette, pictured here as the ship departed Puerto Rico in 2022, will be used to collect water samples for environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis, as well as to support El Niño–Southern Oscillation and weather forecasting. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2022 Puerto Rico Mapping and Deep-Sea Camera Demonstration. Download largest version (jpg, 6 MB).