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A translucent jellyfish swims above a textured ocean floor covered in dark, round formations, set against a dark background.

2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration

Dive 01: Shakedown 1

July 20, 2026

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The first dive of the 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration cruise took place off the north slope of Rarotonga, starting at a depth of approximately 1,500 meters (4,920 feet). The main objective of the dive was to shakedown and test remotely operated vehicle systems and indeed, numerous engineering objectives were achieved. The team was also able to collect five water samples for carbon isotopic analysis and the first-ever push core from remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer.

An underwater robotic arm holds a transparent collection tube labeled

During Dive 01 of the 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration cruise, the team tested the collection of a push core using remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer, a first! Push cores allow scientists to collect sediment samples from the seafloor for further analysis. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration. Download largest version (jpg, 418 KB).

A dark elongated fish with a white stripe swims across a sandy ocean floor.

While the focus of Dive 01 of the 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration cruise was on testing remotely operated vehicle systems, the team did catch a glimpse of this grideye fish on the seafloor. These fish have highly modified, platelike eyes thought to function primarily to detect bioluminescence from potential prey. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration. Download largest version (jpg, 734 KB).

A remotely operated vehicle is deployed over the ocean from a boat, with crew members on deck assisting. The scene features a deep blue sea and a clear sky with scattered clouds.

Remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer is deployed over the side of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer for the first dive of the 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration cruise. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration. Download largest version (jpg, 659 KB).