E/V Nautilus: 2025 Field Season

Past Expedition

Primary Goal

Explore deep-ocean habitats and maritime heritage sites in the central, western, and southern Pacific Ocean to build ocean knowledge supporting international scientific and U.S. governmental priorities, sharing that knowledge with others, and contributing new discoveries and data to inform future resource management decisions

Dates
April-October 2025
Location
Pacific Ocean: Around the Mariana Islands, Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, Howland & Baker Islands, Cook Islands
Vessel
Exploration Vessel Nautilus
Primary Technology
Multibeam sonar, remotely operated vehicles Hercules, Atalanta, Little Hercules; Orpheus autonomous underwater vehicle; uncrewed surface vehicle DriX

Overview

Between April and October 2025, Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) and its partners will use Exploration Vessel (E/V) Nautilus to explore deep-ocean habitats and maritime heritage sites in the central, western, and southern Pacific Ocean. The 2025 E/V Nautilus field season is sponsored primarily by NOAA Ocean Exploration through the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI), with additional support from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.


Map of Exploration Vessel Nautilus 2025 field season.
Exploration Vessel Nautilus 2025 field season. Image courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust.
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This year’s telepresence-enabled program includes seafloor mapping, remotely operated vehicle operations, and the integration of a variety of exploration technologies from OECI-affiliated institutions (University of Rhode Island, University of New Hampshire, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) and other partners to help advance the pace and efficiency of ocean exploration. These expeditions will explore waters in and around Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, the Solomon Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Howland and Baker Islands, and the Cook Islands. Each of OET’s expeditions is being planned and implemented in close collaboration and consultation with local communities and stakeholders in the regions where the expeditions will take place.

Learn more about the individual expeditions and join in on the exploration in real time through livestreamed video from the deep ocean on Nautilus Live. Also, follow Ocean Exploration Trust on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, BlueSky, YouTube, and X/Twitter for behind-the-scenes updates.


NOAA Ocean Exploration and Ocean Exploration Trust have long partnered to explore the world’s ocean. NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer was developed alongside E/V Nautilus, and the two are operated in a similar manner, using telepresence to enable scientists, students, educators, and the public to follow operations and participate remotely from shore. Today, through its support for E/V Nautilus via the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, NOAA Ocean Exploration continues to work with Ocean Exploration Trust to advance marine technologies, reduce uncertainties in critical parts of our largely unexplored deep ocean, and contribute to the Beyond the Blue: Illuminating the Pacific campaign, the National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone, Seabed 2030, and the U.N. Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.


Remotely operated vehicle Hercules being brought back to the back deck of Exploration Vessel Nautilus after a dive.
Remotely operated vehicle Hercules being brought back to the back deck of Exploration Vessel Nautilus after a dive. Image courtesy of Ocean Exploration Trust.
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Resources & Contacts