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.

On a sunlit ship deck, two scientists in yellow hard hats and purple gloves carefully retrieve water samples from a remotely operated vehicle. The scientist on the left wears a dark sweatshirt and peach-colored pants, while the scientist on the right has a colorful floral tattoo sleeve and wears a grey t-shirt and teal pants. In the background, a crew member in a life vest works with ropes from the crane against a clear blue sky.
Event
From Seawater to Sequences: Exploring NOAA’s New Deep‑Sea Environmental DNA Dataset
On Thursday, May 28, 2026, at noon EDT, NOAA Omics and the NOAA Library are hosting a webinar about the release of NOAA Ocean Exploration’s first environmental DNA (eDNA) datasets.
May 5, 2026
Inside a brightly lit shipboard wet lab, three researchers wearing blue nitrile gloves work together to process water samples. In the foreground, a scientist in a black jacket carefully holds a large clear bag of water over a row of filtering cylinders. To her right, two other researchers—one in a blue hoodie and another in a black jacket and orange baseball cap—assist with the equipment at a stainless steel workstation.
General
From Data to Discovery: Unlocking Ocean Secrets With eDNA
NOAA Ocean Exploration, in partnership with the National Systematics Laboratory of NOAA Fisheries, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History's Ocean DNA Program, and NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), has released the first eDNA data from expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.
May 5, 2026
A person in blue gloves holds a shiny, brown specimen over a plastic container in a lab setting.
Discovery
Scientists Reveal Identity of Mysterious ‘Golden Orb’ Collected During NOAA Expedition
April 22, 2026
A bright orange branching coral with a fringe of extended polyps and in the shape of a fan is anchored to a hard substrate covered in marine life. In the background, a large white coral can be seen growing in the distance atop a rocky outcropping in dark waters.
Event
Watch Live: Expedition to Advance Deep-Sea Coral Restoration
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.
March 23, 2026
Publication
New Research Helps Show How Depth Affects Fish Distribution
How do the bodies and lifestyles of fishes change as you dive deeper into the ocean? That question is the subject of a new study analyzing footage from waters near Puerto Rico, which is helping scientists understand how fishes at different depths interact with their environment.
March 19, 2026
A translucent white octopus rests with its tentacles spread on a dark, rocky seafloor.
General
10 Years of the “Casper” Octopus
“Charismatic” isn’t usually the first word that comes to mind when you ask for someone’s thoughts on the deep ocean. “Fascinating,” sure. “Spooky?” Maybe. But in the darkness over 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) below the surface, charm is often the last thing people expect to find.
February 27, 2026
Two women using shaving cream and a splatter screen in a classroom setting.
Education
Ocean Exploration Education - Facilitator Training in Dauphin Island
From January 16-18, 2026, the NOAA Ocean Exploration Education Team gathered in Dauphin Island, Alabama, to host a high-energy, three-day facilitator training session.
February 25, 2026
Three students kneel at the edge of a pool to carefully place an underwater robot made of PVC pipe and electronics into the water.
EventOpportunity
NOAA Ocean Exploration to Host Blue Technology Education Workshop
Join NOAA Ocean Exploration in Cambridge, Maryland, on July 16, 2026, for an immersive full-day teacher workshop. Held during the NMEA Annual Conference, this inaugural event provides educators with the tools and curriculum to bring cutting-edge ocean engineering and exploration technology into classrooms nationwide.
January 30, 2026
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
In a new study, scientists examining a deep-sea jellyfish collected by a team aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer have changed what we know about the animal’s habitat and relatives.
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
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