From March 10 - 28, 2021 (Key West, FL to San Juan, Puerto Rico), NOAA Ocean Exploration conducted mapping operations south of Puerto Rico in U.S. waters, aiding in closing bathymetric gaps within this region. EX-22-02 collected 18,850 square kilometers of bathymetry and associated water column data, 18,033 square kilometers of which were within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and Territorial Sea deeper than 200 m. 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 single CTD cast during the expedition validated deep deployment capabilities in preparation for planned CTD operations on EX-22-03. The exploratory mapping operations conducted during this cruise will provide initial characterization of the region, as well as data to support further exploration.

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 August 6 - September 2, 2022 (Horta, Faial, Azores to San Juan, Puerto Rico) NOAA Ocean Exploration completed the Voyage to the Ridge 3 expedition (EX-22-06), a combined mapping and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) expedition to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Azores Plateau, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and U.S. waters in the vicinity of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Operations during this 28-day expedition included the completion of 9 successful ROV exploration dives in the vicinity of the Azores, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge south of the Azores, and Puerto Rico. ROV dives were conducted in water depths ranging from 250 m to 6000 m for a total of 41 hours of bottom time. EX-22-06 also collected 56,769 square kilometers of seafloor bathymetry and associated water column data using an EM304 multibeam sonar. All data associated with this expedition have been archived and are publicly available through the NOAA Archives.

From April 4 - 28, 2022, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer sailed to support NOAA Ocean Exploration's Puerto Rico Mapping and Deep-Sea Camera expedition (EX-22-03). The ship departed from San Juan, Puerto Rico. The mission objectives were two-fold: seafloor mapping in U.S waters offshore of Puerto Rico and testing deep-sea camera systems developed by the Multidisciplinary Instrumentation in Support of Oceanography (MISO) Facility at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) for potential integration into future NOAA Ocean Exploration operations. The primary mapping area of the expedition was the Muertos Trough region and surrounding seamounts in U.S. Caribbean waters around Puerto Rico. In addition, a transit over the 8,000 m deep Puerto Rico Trench was used to test the limits of the new Kongsberg EM 304 MKII multibeam sonar that was installed in 2021. Upon completion of mapping in the priority areas, the expedition focused on testing the integrated deep-sea camera and conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) system to support a number of mission objectives through simultaneous imaging and sampling of the water column. The last portion of the expedition consisted of mapping the high seas and offshore waters of the U.S. East Coast while transiting to the final destination of Newport, Rhode Island.

From May 14 - June 7, 2022 (Newport, Rhode Island to St. John's, Newfoundland), NOAA Ocean Exploration conducted mapping operations on the Charlie Gibbs Fracture Zone, aiding in closing bathymetric gaps within this region. EX-22-04 collected 46,250 square kilometers of bathymetry and associated water column data. 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. Additionally, a calibration of the EK60/EK80 transducers was completed. The exploratory mapping operations conducted during this cruise will provide initial characterization of the region, as well as data to support further exploration.

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.

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.

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.

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 provided an opportunity to test several technologies that will allow the ocean exploration community to explore deeper, farther, and more comprehensively than previously possible. 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 Oprheus autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), 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. The Orpheus AUV project was the first Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute supported project to take place on a NOAA ship. 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. A detailed standard operating procedures document for eDNA collection was developed during the expedition. 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. EX-21-02 took full advantage of the additional reach afforded by a world that has shifted towards virtual interactions as the norm. By increasing accessibility through free, virtual, and public formats, the team was able to interact with far greater numbers than has been typical in the past.