The Mission Team of the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer expedition, Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin. We journeyed from American Samoa through the Cook Islands, Jarvis Island, Palmyra Atoll, Kingman Reef, and the High Seas all the way to Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Mission Team of the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer expedition, Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin. We journeyed from American Samoa through the Cook Islands, Jarvis Island, Palmyra Atoll, Kingman Reef, and the High Seas all the way to Honolulu, Hawaii. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin. Download larger version (jpg, 5.0 MB).

Arrival in Honolulu
May 19, 2017

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer pulled into port on Ford Island in Honolulu, Hawaii, today. We finished our remaining tasks and got packed. After 23 days, we are sad to leave this amazing and successful mission. We made some of the first deepwater scientific observations on several seamounts, acquired a foundation of mapping data that provides better insight into the Central Pacific Basin, saw richly biodiverse high-density coral communities, imaged hundreds of different deepwater and midwater species, witnessed unusual animal behaviors, tried new (for us!) methods of engaging with the public, and collected samples that will teach us even more about this area.

The ship will transfer to dry dock in just a few days. This hardworking crew has been going nonstop since January. They will be getting some well-deserved shore leave soon. Our next expedition begins on July 6. We look forward to sharing our work with you this summer!