Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

Mission Summary

From April 27 – May 19, 2017, NOAA and partners conducted a telepresence-enabled expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to collect critical baseline information about unknown and poorly known deepwater areas as it transited across the northern portion of the Cook Islands, with focused work in the vicinity of both the Jarvis Island and Kingman/Palmyra units of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, prior to returning to Honolulu.

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Mission Summary

The Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin expedition was a 23-day telepresence-enabled expedition to collect critical baseline information about unknown and poorly known deepwater areas of the Jarvis Island Unit and the Kingman Reef and Palmyra Atoll Unit of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM); around Marae Moana (Cook Islands Marine Park); and the high seas.

Why are so many deep-sea corals so colorful in the completely dark environment of the deep ocean?

Color in Deep-sea Octocorals

Even with modern technology, however, we are still at the mercy of nature – as ocean explorers have been for thousands of years.

Ocean Exploration and the Winds, Waves, and Stars

While the majority of Okeanos Explorer dives focus on surveying the seafloor, if we slow down and take a closer look, we find that there is abundant life throughout the full water column.

Why Do We Explore the Water Column?

Octopus Friday

During the first dive of the expedition, while exploring in the Aunuʻu Unit of National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa, the team encountered this colorful little octopus.

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An Easy Meal

During Dive 09 on West Palmyra Seamount, scientists observed this unusual behavior of a sea star evidently eating a crinoid.

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A Toothy Grin

The team got up close with this smalltooth sand tiger shark while exploring Kingman Cone at a depth of ~1,025 meters (~3,360 feet).

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Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin

Mission Summary

Recent Updates