NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer at sea. Image courtesy of Art Howard/NOAA Ocean Exploration. Download larger version (jpg, 11.5 MB).
From October 26 to November 15, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners will conduct a telepresence-enabled ocean exploration expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. The Windows to the Deep 2021: Southeast ROV and Mapping expedition will collect critical information about unexplored and poorly understood deepwater areas of the Blake Plateau region of the North Atlantic Ocean. This foundational information will encourage further exploration and research and inform resource management decisions and activities in the region.
During Windows to the Deep 2021, at-sea and shore-based science teams will work together to explore and map the seafloor and the water column. Our 24-hour operations will include ROV dives during the day and mapping operations at night. We will use the state-of-the-art deepwater mapping systems on Okeanos Explorer, our dual-bodied ROV system that can dive to depths of 6,000 meters (3.7 miles), and a high-bandwidth satellite connection for real-time ship-to-shore communications.
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer is the only federal vessel dedicated to exploring our largely unknown ocean for the purpose of discovery and the advancement of knowledge about the deep ocean.
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NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer is operated by the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and civilians as part of the fleet managed by NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations. Mission equipment is operated by NOAA Ocean Exploration.
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Since the first ocean exploration data was collected from NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in 2009, NOAA Ocean Exploration has led expeditions on the ship around the globe.
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Follow expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer while underway or retrace past expeditions. For each expedition, you'll find information ranging from mission plans and background essays to educational materials, expedition updates, and imagery.
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