Date: July 12, 2019
Location: Lat: 36.853236°, Lon: -76.298323°
The mission team onboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer for the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Windows to the Deep 2019. Download larger version (jpg, 4.2 MB).
With our 100th ocean exploration mission – Leg 2 of the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition – completed, this morning the ship arrived in Norfolk, Virginia, to prepare for the next expedition. Windows to the Deep 2019 was a very successful expedition, with 19 dives completed and over 120 scientists, students, and managers participating from shore through telepresence. We found extensive coral habitat, mapped large portions of the Blake Plateau, observed for the first time two new seep sites, and documented one of the most exciting predation events ever recorded on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer (according to our team onboard). This was also a very exciting expedition because for the first time on board, we had over 25 percent of women as part of the crew, officers, and mission personnel, many in high-level leadership positions, including our new Commanding Officer, Nicole Manning, who took command of the ship on June 16, 2019, prior to this expedition.
The sun sets over the VSAT or Very Small Aperture Terminal antenna that allows for real-time sharing of our exploration data and live video through telepresence. Image courtesy of Art Howard, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration, Windows to the Deep 2019. Download larger version (jpg, 5.8 MB).
The remotely operated vehicle, Deep Discoverer, being recovered after completing 19 dives during the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition. Image courtesy of Art Howard, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration, Windows to the Deep 2019. Download larger version (jpg, 4.9 MB).
Our next expedition will focus on testing and integrating several new technologies and will start July 18 and end in Narragansett, Rhode Island, on August 1. The ship will be back again with more exciting remotely operated vehicle dives at the end of August. For a full overview of 2019 activities, visit here.
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer arriving into Norfolk, Virginia, on July 12, 2019, after completing its 100th ocean exploration mission. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Windows to the Deep 2019. Download larger version (jpg, 3.2 MB).
Location of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer on July 12, 2019. Download larger version (jpg, 2.3 MB).
