Scientist monitors a 3D seafloor map and technical data on multiple screens in a darkened shipboard control room.
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Mapping
Exploration begins with mapping, but the integrity of our maps depends on a system shakedown to verify that our sensors are collecting high-quality data that accurately depict the seafloor. In this image, a mapper works with mapping data in the control room on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer during the 2025 Beyond the Blue: Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition.
Credit

NOAA Ocean Exploration, Beyond the Blue 2025