NOAA Ocean Exploration

On Wednesday (April 24), three NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration offices joined forces to support the ocean exploration mission! The small boat team from the NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, who normally operates off NOAA Ship Oscar Elton Sette, picked up a few NOAA Ocean Exploration mission members and supplies for transport to NOAA Ship #Okeanos Explorer, to join the expedition currently underway. The small boat team then worked with NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations to conduct training exercises and get practice in approaching NOAA vessels from small boats. Go Team #NOAA! #ocean #exploration #ship #teamwork #operations #Hawaii

Happy National DNA Day! This holiday was created to celebrate the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA...but it's also a good day to learn about eDNA  –  or environmental DNA! eDNA is the genetic material shed by organisms into their environment. By collecting and analyzing this genetic material that is left behind, species can be identified within an environment without scientists ever having to see individual animals. The implications for understanding the deep ocean environment are huge and scientists continue to explore the use of eDNA for expanding our understanding of the underwater realm. Learn more about eDNA here: https://lnkd.in/enwKRfQ7. See what's happening with NOAA 'Omics (of which eDNA is a component): https://lnkd.in/e4qb3AFY. #ocean #exploration #DNADay #eDNA #science #technology #omics

It won't be long until we resume operations on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in deep waters around Hawai'i. To get us ready, here's another #PacificRewind, looking back at a swimming blind lobster seen while exploring south of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Named after the Greek poet Homer, this species, Homeryon asper, is one of several in the family Polychelidae, found throughout the world ocean basins. While we don't encounter many of these crustaceans during our exploration, when we do, they are typically resting on the seafloor, so it was an unusual treat to get to observe this one swimming. Look at it go...#BeyondtheBlue! #ocean #exploration #marinelife #Pacific #lobster #observation #video

Happy #EarthDay! As we take this day to appreciate and honor the world that sustains us, consider the vast ocean that makes up the majority of Earth’s surface. Despite the countless ways we interact with and depend on it, the ocean is still largely unknown — especially the deep. That’s why it’s so important to collect baseline data which can be used for many purposes, including to create or extend protected areas. As NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer makes its way to Hawai'i, get a glimpse of past work in the area — and hopes for the future — in this video: https://lnkd.in/e54ZVeRe #ocean #explore #Okeanos #NOAA #Pacific #science #Hawaii #video

Interested in learning more about maritime heritage and marine archaeology? Join NOAA Ocean Exploration, the University of Rhode Island Inner Space Center, and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation this May to take an online "deep dive" with experts in the field to learn more about the wonders of and the tools used for exploring maritime heritage sites including shipwrecks, paleo-landscapes, and the biological communities that thrive in such places. The program will include a live Q&A session with experts and a brief guided tour of free, online education materials. While the program is geared towards educators, anyone looking to learn more is welcome to tune in. Sessions will be offered: - Tuesday, May 14, 5:30 pm PT / 4:30 pm AKT / 2:30 pm HT (6:30 pm MT / 7:30 pm CT / 8:30 pm ET) - Thursday, May 16, 5:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm CT / 3:30 pm MT (2:30 pm PT / 1:30 pm AKT / 11:30 am HT) Advance registration is required. For more information, visit: https://lnkd.in/etBDez3M. #ocean #exploration #maritimeheritage #education #STEM #webinar

On Saturday, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer left the California coast to begin transiting to Hawai'i, where mapping operations will take place for the remainder of 2024. Fun #NOAAFleetWeek fact: Okeanos Explorer is one of several research and survey ships operated, managed, and maintained by NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations. The platform is one of our most important tools in exploring the deep ocean. [Image of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer passing under the Golden Gate Bridge as the ship leaves San Francisco. Image courtesy of Caitlin Bailey, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration.] #ocean #exploration #Okeanos #NOAA #ship

NOAA Ocean Exploration is currently hiring a management analyst to support the office director and deputy director on policy, administrative, and operational issues. The management analyst will also serve as the executive secretariat for a multiyear, multipartner cooperative research campaign to address high-priority ocean exploration gaps in the Pacific Islands region and will be responsible for supporting both internal and external coordination with campaign partners. This is a federal position stationed in Silver Spring, Maryland. The application period closes on April 26, 2024. https://lnkd.in/eWMQwv_E #ocean #exploration #hiring #job #federaljob #science #policy #coordination

Happening now: Scientists with Florida Atlantic Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute are using a remotely operated vehicle from University of North Carolina Wilmington to search for sponges, corals, and microorganisms in deepwater areas around Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Island that could play a role in the treatment and prevention of existing and emerging illnesses and diseases. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/e-jNN8zs [Images: 1: The team on Research Vessel F.G. Walton Smith prepares for the first remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dive of the expedition in Puerto Rico led by researchers from Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. During the expedition, ROV Mohawk will dive to depths of 100 to 500 meters (328 to 1,640 feet) to collect sponge and coral specimens as well as video and photos. 2: Researchers from Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in the control room on Research Vessel F.G. Walton Smith survey video transmitted from remotely operated vehicle Mohawk at a depth of 500 meters (1,640 feet) to select sponge and coral specimens to collect and sample.] #ocean #exploration #science #technology #medicine

NOAA Ocean Exploration and the Ocean Discovery League have signed a formal agreement to work together to accelerate deep-ocean exploration through the development of low-cost tools and technologies that give greater, more equitable access to broader public and scientific communities to explore the deep ocean: https://lnkd.in/dSrh567k [Image: Ocean Discovery Director of Engineering Jessica Sandoval, Ph.D., (left) and Ocean Discovery League President and founder Katy Croff Bell, Ph.D., (right) work on attaching a low-cost camera system and light modules to a prototype weighted lander configuration made of PVC pipe during deployment and recovery trials in the waters off Rhode Island. Accessible deployment and recovery systems are critical to the development of low-cost deep seas systems. (Image credit: Susan Poulton/Ocean Discovery League)] #ocean #exploration #NOAA #partnership #technology #science #equity

Seeing stars?! If you’ve ever spotted a sea star or sea urchin on one of our livestreamed dives from #NOAA Ship #Okeanos Explorer, there’s a good chance you’ve also heard from an exuberant Chris Mah. Like many of our science participants, Chris uses the telepresence platform for research as well as to share his fascination with deep-sea life with the broader public, frequently chiming in to answer questions, explain key characteristics, and share observations about behaviors and associations with other organisms. A taxonomist at the Smithsonian Institution, Museum of Natural History, Chris continues his work long after an expedition comes to an end. Recently, he published a scientific article based on years of data collected via Okeanos Explorer. The paper describes two sea stars that were previously unknown to science — including one named after NOAA Ocean Exploration’s Kelley Suhre! Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/d_Jkv9mK #ocean #exploration #marinelife #discovery #seastar #science