WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.833 --> 00:00:03.533 Hello, my name is Brian Kennedy and I'm the expedition 2 00:00:03.533 --> 00:00:06.900 manager for the upcoming Okeanos Explorer Expedition to 3 00:00:06.900 --> 00:00:09.267 the New England Seamount Chain. From August through 4 00:00:09.267 --> 00:00:13.900 October 2014 NOAAís Office of Ocean Exploration and Research 5 00:00:13.900 --> 00:00:16.833 will be conducting a major mapping and remotely-operated 6 00:00:16.833 --> 00:00:19.600 vehicle expedition in the North Atlantic focused on the 7 00:00:19.600 --> 00:00:23.367 New England Seamount Chain and submarine canyons. Building 8 00:00:23.367 --> 00:00:27.867 off work done between 2011 and 2013, the purpose of the 9 00:00:27.867 --> 00:00:30.633 expedition is to provide critical baseline data to 10 00:00:30.633 --> 00:00:33.900 address science and management priorities in the region. The 11 00:00:33.900 --> 00:00:36.600 expedition will consist of three consecutive cruises off 12 00:00:36.600 --> 00:00:39.233 the northeast coast of the United States and will employ 13 00:00:39.233 --> 00:00:42.000 the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorerís core capabilities- 14 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:45.100 a mulitbeam sonar mapping system, a remotely operated 15 00:00:45.100 --> 00:00:48.400 vehicle or ROV, and telepresence technology to 16 00:00:48.400 --> 00:00:50.600 engage the scientific community and the public 17 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:54.300 during the expeditions. The North Atlantic Ocean borders 18 00:00:54.300 --> 00:00:57.133 some of the most densely populated areas of the United 19 00:00:57.133 --> 00:01:00.567 States and yet we know very little about it. The deep 20 00:01:00.567 --> 00:01:03.200 ocean off New England has numerous seamounts and 21 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:06.400 submarine canyons that have never before been explored. To 22 00:01:06.400 --> 00:01:09.033 give you an example of how little we know about the area, 23 00:01:09.033 --> 00:01:11.867 on a previous seafloor mapping cruise in this region we 24 00:01:11.867 --> 00:01:14.900 discovered a previously unknown seamount that is over 25 00:01:14.900 --> 00:01:20.300 500 meters or 1600 feet tall! Just image taking a 2 hour 26 00:01:20.300 --> 00:01:24.467 drive from Boston and seeing something no other person has 27 00:01:24.467 --> 00:01:27.300 ever seen. It is hard to believe that within a few 28 00:01:27.300 --> 00:01:30.233 hundred miles of Boston and New York there are whole 29 00:01:30.233 --> 00:01:33.367 undersea mountains yet to be discovered. And, given that we 30 00:01:33.367 --> 00:01:36.633 know so little about these areas we can only guess what 31 00:01:36.633 --> 00:01:40.767 organisms we might find living on or around these seamounts. 32 00:01:40.767 --> 00:01:43.800 The Okeanos Explorer will spend most of August creating 33 00:01:43.800 --> 00:01:47.167 maps of the seamount chain. Once the mapping cruise is 34 00:01:47.167 --> 00:01:51.067 complete we will load our ROV, Deep Discover and depart Rhode 35 00:01:51.067 --> 00:01:54.167 Island on September 4th. During out transit to 36 00:01:54.167 --> 00:01:57.533 Baltimore Maryland we hope to conduct four ROV dive along 37 00:01:57.533 --> 00:02:00.867 the continental slope exploring submarine canyons. 38 00:02:00.867 --> 00:02:03.133 After a week in Baltimore, we will head out to the New 39 00:02:03.133 --> 00:02:06.400 England Seamounts Chain. If the weather cooperates we may 40 00:02:06.400 --> 00:02:10.000 be able to do as many as 20 ROV before heading back to 41 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:14.000 Rhode Island in early October. During all 3 cruises we will 42 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:16.800 be live-streaming everything we do on the ship to the 43 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:18.933 internet so you can watch along from your home or 44 00:02:18.933 --> 00:02:22.767 classroom. All of us at the NOAA Office of Ocean 45 00:02:22.767 --> 00:02:25.633 Exploration and Research are looking forward to an exciting 46 00:02:25.633 --> 00:02:28.400 and productive expedition and encourage you follow the 47 00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:30.933 expedition through updates and the live video feed at our 48 00:02:30.933 --> 00:02:33.900 website,oceanexplorer.noaa.gov .