Expeditions & Projects

Navigate NOAA Ocean Exploration-supported missions

Principal investigator Jennifer McKinnon diving on a Japanese “Emily” seaplane in the waters off Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands. The site is significant to the history of the World War II Battle for Saipan and has two monuments to those lost.

NOAA Ocean Exploration supports research expeditions to explore previously unvisited areas of the ocean. We provide partnership coordination, funding, staff, tools, and expertise needed to develop mission plans that deliver rigorous, systematic observations and documentation of biological, chemical, physical, geological, and archaeological aspects of the ocean.

Follow expeditions supported by our office, including those on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, while they are underway or trace the activities and discoveries of past expeditions. For each expedition covered on the website, you’ll find information ranging from expedition plans and feature stories to educational materials and expedition daily updates, videos, and images. Use the links below to navigate NOAA Ocean Exploration-supported missions.

Web content for expeditions and projects led or supported by NOAA Ocean Exploration prior to 2019 has been archived. Expeditions and Projects 2001-2018 provides a list of these expeditions and projects with direct links to their content on the archive site.

The image depicts a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) illuminating a section of the ocean floor. The ROV’s bright lights cast a blue glow on the textured seabed, highlighting its rough surface. The surrounding water is a deep blue, fading into darker shades as it extends away from the light source, creating a sense of depth.

2026 American Samoa ROV + Mapping Exploration (EX2606)

From August 20 to September 17, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners will conduct an expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to explore deep waters in and around American Samoa.

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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 (EX2605)

From July 19 to August 13, NOAA Ocean Exploration, the Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority, and partners will conduct mapping and remotely operated vehicle operations on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to increase our understanding of the seafloor and water column in the deep waters of the Cook Islands and to better characterize the resources and ecosystems they hold.

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Sunset off the bow of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer

2026 Pacific Islands Mapping (EX2604)

From June 16 to July 9, 2026, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners will conduct mapping operations on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in the deepwaters of Hawaiʻi, Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll, Jarvis Island, and the Cook Islands.

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Remotely operated vehicle engineers working on a large white ROV with ship crew in the background on a ship deck at sunset.

2026 ROV Shakedown (EX2603)

From May 16 to June 5, 2026, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners conducted a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) shakedown expedition off Hawai‘i on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. This shakedown stress tested every component of the ROV system and their associated systems — mechanical, electrical, and software — to ensure they were performing properly and ready for the 2026 field season.

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Map showing the 2026 Exploration Vessel Nautilus expeditions, including the exploration regions of the Hawaiian Islands, Wake Island, and the Mariana Islands.

E/V Nautilus 2026 Field Season

Between June and October 2026, Ocean Exploration Trust and their partners will use Exploration Vessel Nautilus to explore deep-ocean habitats in the central and western Pacific Ocean, seeking out new discoveries while pushing the boundaries of technological innovation, education, and outreach.

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NOAA Ocean Exploration field season map with pins indicating where each expedition/project will take place

NOAA Ocean Exploration in the Field: 2026

NOAA Ocean Exploration works with partners to explore previously unknown areas of our ocean, making discoveries of scientific, economic, and cultural value and supporting innovations in exploration tools and capabilities. In 2026, projects will take place in the Pacific Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Lake Michigan.

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NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer docked at a concrete pier under a blue, cloudy sky.

2026 Mapping Shakedown (EX2602)

From April 29 to May 6, 2026, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners will shakedown the mapping systems on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to ensure they are ready for the 2026 field season.

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Seatrec infiniTE float with directional acoustic sensor on a boat deck, supported by foam blocks.

Autonomous, Directional Acoustic Profiling Float for Soundscape Characterization

February 23-March 10, a team of researchers and engineers operating off Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i will conduct the final tests on their new tool for characterizing soundscapes — the first ever autonomous, near-real-time, directional acoustic profiling float powered by marine renewable energy (ocean thermal energy conversion, OTEC).

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A cylindrical orange and yellow AUV on a boat deck with ocean waves and an overcast sky in the background.

Deployable Artificial Intelligence for Exploration and Discovery in the Deep Sea

For the past two years, engineers and scientists have been developing a way for artificial intelligence-driven underwater vehicles to autonomously find, follow, and identify deep-sea animals in real time, with limited human oversight. Their Deployable AI (artificial intelligence) will help scientists, policymakers, and the public better and more rapidly understand the life that inhabits our ocean.

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