Getting a picture of everyone involved in an Okeanos Explorer telepresence-enabled cruise is nearly impossible. More than 50 scientists and students participated in Leg 1 of the Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas Expedition from around the world! Many more crew, shore-side technicians, educators, outreach specialists, and others provide critical support to enable the expedition to happen. Here, the shipboard mission team poses for a picture on the bow of the ship before pulling into port in Saipan to bring Leg 1 of the expedition to a close.

Getting a picture of everyone involved in an Okeanos Explorer telepresence-enabled cruise is nearly impossible. More than 50 scientists and students from around the world participated in Leg 1 of the Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas Expedition! Many more crew, shore-side technicians, educators, outreach specialists, and others provided critical support to enable the expedition to happen. Here, the shipboard mission team poses for a picture on the bow of the ship before pulling into port in Saipan to bring Leg 1 of the expedition to a close. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas. Download larger version (jpg, 2.5 MB).

Expedition Leg 1 is Complete!
May 11, 2016

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer conducted mapping operations this morning to look for suspected downed World War II era B-29 planes offshore of Saipan before pulling into port at about 10:00 AM ChST (Chamorro Standard Time). Personnel spent the day wrapping up cruise data and products, preparing equipment for the upcoming mapping cruise, cleaning mission spaces, and preparing to host ship tours over the next few days. Leg 1 of the Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas expedition was a remarkable success and is officially over! Our next cruise will be a mapping-only cruise from May 21 to June 11, followed by another remotely operated vehicle cruise with daily dives and live video feeds from June 17 to July 10. Tune back in to continue exploring the Marianas with us!