Operations will include the use of the ship's deep water mapping systems (Kongsberg EM302 multibeam sonar, EK60 split-beam fisheries sonars, Knudsen 3260 chirp sub-bottom profiler sonar, and Teledyne Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers), XBT and Underway CTD casts in support of multibeam sonar mapping operations, OER's 6000 m two-body ROV Deep Discoverer and Seirios, and the ship's high-bandwidth satellite connection for continuous real-time ship-to-shore communications.

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 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.

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

From October 16-November 3, 2022 (San Diego, California to Newport, Oregon), NOAA Ocean Exploration conducted mapping operations off the coast of California and Oregon in U.S. waters, aiding in closing bathymetric gaps within this region. Expedition EX-22-08 collected 32,416 square kilometers of bathymetry and associated water column data, 22,313 square kilometers of which were within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and Territorial Sea deeper than 200 m, while 10,104 square kilometers were collected in international waters. During mapping operations, NOAA Ocean Exploration simultaneously collected EM 304 multibeam sonar bathymetry observations and Simrad EK60/EK80 split-beam fisheries sonar observations of biologic material in the water column, as well as Knudsen 3260 sub-bottom profiler observations of sub-seafloor geologic structure and sediment. A detailed sub-bottom survey targeted previously-identified sponge reefs in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. The exploratory mapping operations conducted during this cruise will provide initial characterization of the region, as well as data to support further exploration.

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

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

This Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) shakedown expedition aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer began in Norfolk, Virginia on June 13, 2021 and concluded on June 28, 2021 in Newport, Rhode Island. This was the first time the ROVs Deep Discoverer and Seirios were mobilized and used for ROV dives since the extensive 2021 winter dry dock repair period. While underway, 24?hour operations focused on preparing remotely operated vehicle (ROV) systems for the remainder of 2021 expeditions. Extensive testing, calibration, and troubleshooting was completed for new ROV motors, motor controllers, cameras, lighting, hydraulic systems, and a navigational sonar during 11 ROV dives. The first five dives progressively got to deeper depths ranging from 670 m to 4370 m with the primary objective of new equipment integration and personnel training. The following five dives were conducted on Caryn Seamount, and the mid-Atlantic canyons Toms, Hudson (twice), and Uchupi. The last dive of the expedition was on a recently discovered sonar anomaly that turned out to be a World War II era submarine, the Humaita (ex-USS Muskallunge). Five biological and three geological samples were collected for later analyses from Caryn Seamount and the mid-Atlantic canyons. Mapping operations during the expedition included continued calibrating and troubleshooting of the ship's new EM304 multibeam sonar and transducer array. Additional mapping operations included improving multibeam bathymetry in previously mapped areas, sub-bottom sonar surveys conducted on the Currituck landslide feature off of North Carolina, EK60 water column sonar survey of the diurnal migration above Hudson Canyon, and searching for underwater cultural heritage sites by observing sonar depth and backscatter anomalies.

From July 9-30, 2022 (Norfolk, VA to Horta, Faial, Azores) NOAA Ocean Exploration completed the Voyage to the Ridge 2 expedition (EX-22-05), a combined mapping and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) expedition to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Azores Plateau. Operations during this 22-days at sea expedition included the completion of 10 successful ROV exploration dives in the vicinity the Azores and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge north of the Azores. ROV dives were conducted in water depths ranging from 420 m to 3350 m for a total of almost 53 hours of bottom time. EX-22-05 also collected 49,080 square kilometers of seafloor bathymetry and associated water column data using an EM304 multibeam sonar.