Event

From Seawater to Sequences: Exploring NOAA’s New Deep‑Sea Environmental DNA Dataset

May 5, 2026

When: Thursday, May 28, 2026, at noon EDT

What: In April 2026, NOAA Ocean Exploration, in partnership with the National Systematics Laboratory of NOAA Fisheries, the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s Ocean DNA Program, the Northern Gulf Institute, and NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), publicly released the first environmental data (eDNA) data from expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.

It’s difficult to gather comprehensive data about biological diversity in the deep ocean using conventional exploration tools, like nets and remotely operated vehicles. To help fill data gaps in a more cost-effective way, eDNA is now being used along with these tools. The resulting data yield a wealth of information about the organisms that inhabit the hard to reach underwater world, and can provide critical insights for scientists, resource managers, and policymakers.

As part of the NOAA Omics Seminar Series, NOAA Omics and the NOAA Library are hosting a webinar about the release of NOAA Ocean Exploration’s eDNA data collected between 2021 and 2023 in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Speakers will provide an overview of where and how eDNA samples were collected and processed and the bioinformatic analysis undertaken for quality control and taxonomic assignment. They will also share where the eDNA data is available and how it can be used to advance scientific discovery.

Who:

Luke Thompson, Research Professor, Northern Gulf Institute/AOML
Nicole Miller, NOAA Omics Coordinator, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research/NOAA Ocean Exploration

Accessibility: Captions are available during the live presentation on Vimeo and will be added to the recording on the NOAA Library YouTube channel. If sign language interpreting services are necessary, email the NOAA Library at least five days before the event.

Recordings: Recordings will be shared 24 hours after the event on the NOAA Library’s YouTube channel.

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.

NOAA Ocean Exploration incorporated environmental DNA (eDNA) into regular operations on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in 2021 after identifying it as a high-priority exploration variable. This added capability greatly expanded the scope of each expedition’s data haul. Here, members of the science team retrieve water samples containing eDNA that were collected using remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue. Download largest version (jpg 1 MB).

NOAA Omics coordinates agency-wide efforts to maximize the value, usability, and impact of omics data. Together, these efforts help preserve U.S. leadership in biotechnology, biological resilience, and national biosecurity.

The NOAA Omics Seminar Series offers monthly webinars to increase transparency, encourage collaborations, and highlight groundbreaking omics research currently underway inside and outside of NOAA.