Singlebeam raw files (.bot, .idx, .raw)

Operations will include the use of the ship's deep water mapping systems (Kongsberg EM302 multibeam sonar, EK60 split-beam fisheries sonars, ADCPs, and Knudsen 3260 chirp sub-bottom profiler sonar), and the ship's high-bandwidth satellite connection for real-time ship to shore communications.

From August 15- September 2, 2021, NOAA Ocean Exploration conducted mapping operations on the Blake Plateau within U.S. waters, aiding in closing the gaps within this region. This cruise consisted of a strategic transit from Newport, Rhode Island to the primary working grounds off of the U.S Southeast, aimed at collecting data over previously mapped and potentially new seeps along the edge of the continental shelf. EX-21-05 collected 13,054 square kilometers of bathymetry and associated water column data, 12,989 square kilometers of which were within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and Territorial Sea deeper than 200 m. The cruise concluded in Port Canaveral, FL on September 2, 2021. The exploratory mapping operations conducted during this cruise will provide initial characterization of the region, as well as data to support further exploration with remotely operated vehicles planned for EX-21-07.

From September 5 - September 28, 2021, NOAA Ocean Exploration conducted mapping operations on the Blake Plateau within U.S. waters, aiding in closing the gaps within this region. The second of two cruises focused on mapping this region, EX-21-06 collected 25,800 square kilometers of bathymetry and associated water column data, 25,790 square kilometers of which were within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and Territorial Sea deeper than 200 m. The exploratory mapping operations conducted during this cruise will provide initial characterization of the region, as well as data to support further exploration with remotely operated vehicles planned for EX-21-07.

Singlebeam raw files (.bot, .idx, .raw)

The Windows to the Deep 2021: Southeast U.S. ROV and Mapping expedition (EX-21-07) was a combined mapping and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) expedition to the Blake Plateau and Florida Straits that took place between October 26 and November 15, 2021. Operations during this 21-days at sea expedition included a combination of ROV dives in support of NOAA Ocean Exploration and its partner priorities. The primary focus of this expedition was the Blake Plateau, including its escarpment, off the coast of the Southeast U.S., but three dives were also conducted in the western and central Florida Straits due to weather conditions. Overall, 14 dives were completed, including two explorations of the water column, several dives to mound and ridgelike structures likely to be bioherms, two deeper dives to explore the steep Blake Escarpment, and one dive to document a lone sinkhole in the southeast region of the Blake Plateau. ROV dives were conducted from 300 m to 3650 meters water depth for a total of 47 hours of bottom time, and 15,800 square km were mapped using EM 304 multibeam sonar.

Between April 14 and May 10, 2021 EX-21-01 performed the sea acceptance testing of the newly installed Kongsberg EM 304 MKII transmit array, conducted mission readiness of the mapping systems through annual testing and calibration, and mapped unexplored areas of the Blake Plateau. In addition to the EM 304 multibeam sonar objectives, EK60/80 split-beam echosounder objectives included acceptance of the newly installed EK80 38 kHz transducer and calibration of each frequency (18, 38, 70, 120, 200 kHz). Other mission readiness objectives included ensuring functionality of all ancillary equipment, including sound speed profiling equipment, updating and refining procedural documents, and defining new procedures for supporting shore-based processing using the Cloud. EX-21-01 collected 22,187 square kilometers of bathymetry and associated water column data, with 18,773 square kilometers being within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and Territorial Sea deeper than 200 m.

Singlebeam raw files

From February 23 - March 3, 2022 (Pascagoula, MS to Key West, FL), NOAA Ocean Exploration conducted a shakedown of the remotely operated vehicle (ROV), video, telepresence, and sampling operations as well as mapping and positioning systems aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. The ROV engineers tested and calibrated ROVs Deep Discoverer and Seirios' ROV motor controllers, auto position software, lighting system, hydraulic system, ME-20 low-light camera, high-definition ancillary ROV cameras, sector-scanning sonar, as well as tested remote-piloting capabilities of ROV Deep Discoverer. Shakedown and readiness operations for the EM 304 multibeam sonar included a GNSS Azimuth Measurement Subsystem (GAMS) calibration, Patch Test, speed-noise test, coverage extinction data collection, and integration and testing of the newly installed SeaPath 380-R3. In total, the expedition team conducted 7 ROV dives ranging from 480 to 3,420 m depth and collected 4,930 square kilometers of acoustic data during transits and calibrations. The expedition explored the West Florida Shelf and the Straits of Florida offshore the U.S. southeastern coast. The expedition confirmed the location of a shipwreck target, thought to be a 19th century whaler. Corals and sponges were observed 4 out of the 7 surveyed dive sites, with 3 of the 7 containing high diversities of benthic species. A total of 12 samples were collected: 3 geological, 3 biological, and 6 commensal (not including blank samples).

From May 14-27, 2021, NOAA Ocean Exploration led the 2021 Technology Demonstration on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer from Cape Canaveral, Florida, to Norfolk, Virginia. The expedition brought together NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA JPL), the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the Inner Space Center/University of Rhode Island (ISC/URO) to advance new ocean technologies and sampling techniques. The expedition had three overall objectives; field testing and engineering readiness of WHOI/NASA JPL Orpheus autonomous underwater vehicles, piloting environmental DNA (eDNA) collection for NOAA Ocean Exploration and mapping priority deepwater areas offshore the U.S. Southeast, largely focused on the Blake Plateau. During 14 days at sea, 8 AUV deployments were completed between 12 and 866 meters in depth. Over 724 GB of downlooking AUV 4K video were collected. The AUVs surveyed 30 linear kilometers of seafloor and logged over 16 hours of bottom time. The AUVs spent a total of 32 hours 59 minutes in the water, which included autonomous water column exploration. Twelve CTD rosette casts were completed, most simultaneous with AUV operations. Using the Niskin bottles on the CTD rosette, 120 water samples were collected for post-cruise eDNA analysis. Exploration mapping operations included acoustic data collection using the EM 304 MKII multibeam echosounder, Simrad EK60/80 split-beam echosounders, Knudsen sub-bottom profiler and Acoustic Doppler Profilers. 8,703 square kilometers of largely unmapped seafloor were mapped using the EM 304 with 8,519 square kilometers being within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and Territorial Sea deeper than 200 m. All operations and data collected were in U.S. waters.