News

News and information updates from NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners.

Ocean exploration is a dynamic and exciting field. New discoveries and explorations, advances in technology, and important findings in deep-ocean science happen all of the time. Below, you’ll find stories highlighting news and information from NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners, including recent accomplishments and announcements as well as information about upcoming events and activities.

Remotely operated vehicle Hercules examining a hydrothermal vent undersea.
Event
NOAA-Supported Expedition on E/V Nautilus to Explore Deep Waters of the Cook Islands
September 29, 2025
Map displaying high-resolution seafloor mapping data around Main Hawaiian Islands
Discovery
NOAA and Partners Map the Seafloor in Southernmost Hawaiian Exclusive Economic Zone
September 24, 2025
A jellyfish in the genus Botrynema
DiscoveryPublication
Jellyfish Found by Team Aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Shatters Range Assumptions
September 22, 2025
Map of the Pacific Ocean showing proposed operational areas around Hawaii, Jarvis Island, Cook Islands, and American Samoa.
Opportunity
Call for Input: NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer 2026 Proposed Pacific Island Operating Areas
September 17, 2025
Person standing in front of a large hand sculpture with birds, near a brick building and an American flag.
Education
Meet 2025 NOAA Ocean Exploration Hollings Scholar, Alex Ensign
September 11, 2025
Image of corals with marine life in the branches.
Event
Watch Live: NOAA and Partners Lead Expedition to Advance Deep-Sea Habitat Restoration in the Gulf
The upcoming expedition is part of a multi-year collaborative effort to restore deep-sea habitats in the Gulf of Mexico that were injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history.
September 8, 2025
Close-up of a textured beige surface with scattered blue specks.
Discovery
New Autonomous Vehicle Helps Advance Understanding of the Deep Ocean and its Critical Minerals
July 7, 2025
An underwater robot explores above a shipwreck
DiscoveryEvent
Expedition on E/V Nautilus to Explore Lost Shipwrecks of Iron Bottom Sound
July 2, 2025
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer 2025 Hawai‘i Expeditions
Opportunity
Call for Input: NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer 2025 Hawai‘i Expeditions
As part of our community-driven exploration model, NOAA Ocean Exploration invites you to submit exploration recommendations for operations on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.
February 10, 2025
Side-by-side images of a young sailor in a vintage uniform and an elderly man in a suit with medals, saluting.
Discovery
Brazil’s Oldest Submariner Revisits the Sunken Vessel He Served on 67 Years Prior
On September 10-11, the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center and NOAA Ocean Exploration will host Pilina Kai Lipo: Connecting to the Deep Ocean, an ocean-themed event at the center designed to engage the local community with the deep ocean by highlighting efforts to further our understanding of the waters of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
December 23, 2024
A beach strewn with plastic debris and driftwood, with the ocean and a distant landmass visible.
DiscoveryEducationPublication
University of Maryland Students Present Capstone Project Reviewing Marine Debris Policies
Throughout the 2024 fall semester, students in Joanna Goger’s senior capstone research class at the University of Maryland, College Park, worked with Sarah Groves and Logan Kline to review marine plastic policies in four distinct geographical regions and analyze the effectiveness of policies within those regions.
December 19, 2024
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EventOpportunity
NOAA Ocean Exploration Hosting AGU24 Town Hall Sessions
During AGU24, NOAA Ocean Exploration will lead two town hall sessions. All are encouraged to stop by and join the conversation.
December 4, 2024
Person wearing a headset working at a control panel with multiple screens displaying graphs and charts.
EducationOpportunity
2025 Explorer-in-Training Program Application Now Open
NOAA Ocean Exploration is excited to announce that the application for the 2025 Explorer-in-Training program is now open! As part of its mission to train the next generation of ocean explorers, scientists, engineers, and communicators, NOAA Ocean Exploration hosts student interns through the Explorer-in-Training program.
December 2, 2024
Researchers exploring deep waters of the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean found many pieces of marine debris between 2015 and 2022.
DiscoveryPublication
Expeditions Identify Widespread Debris in Deep Tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea
Evidence of marine debris pollution in the deep sea has continued to mount as expeditions explore more regions of the ocean. New imagery collected during expeditions led by NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners adds to these findings by revealing widespread plastic, metal, and glass debris in deep waters of the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean sea.
November 14, 2024
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