Naming every expedition participant in a telepresence-enabled mission is next to impossible! Many from dozens of institutions across the country have provided input into the expedition plan and are expected to participate. However, we've assembled information about the members of the team who are regularly contributing throughout the expedition, either from the ship or on shore.
And of course, none of this exploration would be possible without the work of the dedicated NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps and civilians who operate NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer as part of NOAA's fleet managed by NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation.
Geology Science Co-lead, Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey (on shore)
Jason Chaytor is a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center. Jason graduated from Queensland University of Technology (Brisbane, Australia) in 2000 with a first-class honours degree in geology, completed his Ph.D. in geological oceanography at Oregon State University in 2006, and was a postdoctoral scholar at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution between 2006 and 2009. Jason conducts research on issues related to marine geohazards including submarine landslides, tsunamis, earthquakes, and plate tectonics, and shallow- and deep-water sedimentary processes on Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific margins of the United States and in the northeast Caribbean. He is the current principal scientist for the USGS Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center Sediments Laboratory.
Geology Science Co-lead, Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey (on shore)
Kira Mizell is a research oceanographer for the Global Ocean Mineral Resources program at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center. She started working at the USGS on marine minerals research in 2011 and received her Ph.D. in 2019 from the University of California, Santa Cruz, while continuing her work at the USGS. She has attended and participated from shore in research expeditions in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. She studies minerals that form in the deep ocean, focusing on ferromanganese crusts, manganese nodules, and phosphorites. These deep-ocean minerals scavenge elements from seawater or sediment pore water during their slow precipitation. Their chemical composition reveals information about ocean chemistry from the past, and some elements accumulate to concentrations high enough to cause these mineral types to be considered as a potential mineral resource. She also investigates the relationship of different metal enrichments to the co-located biological communities, utilizing a multidisciplinary approach to holistically examine marine mineral and concomitant ecosystem resources. On this expedition, she is interested in the distribution of deep-sea minerals in this region of the North Atlantic Ocean and how the oceanographic conditions, like high sedimentation and strong currents, affect their morphology, especially compared with marine minerals from the Pacific Ocean. She hopes discoveries on this expedition will improve knowledge of where marine mineral occurrences of interest for scientific study or potential mineral resources may be found and what biological communities are associated with them.
Biology Science Lead, Associate Professor, University of Maine
Rhian Waller is an associate professor of marine sciences at the University of Maine. She received her bachelor’s degree at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, and her Ph.D. at the National Oceanographic Centre, Southampton, also in the United Kingdom. She first came to the United States for a postdoc at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 2004, and has been in the United States ever since. Her research is mainly focused on the reproductive ecology of deep-sea organisms, primarily cold-water corals, and how this important process is affected by environmental change (natural and human caused). A large part of her research program looks at where cold-water corals live around the globe (biogeography), so that her research group can start to hypothesize larval transport linkages and what is possible given a species’ reproductive potential.
Expedition Coordinator, NOAA Office Exploration
Kasey Cantwell is the operations chief for the Expeditions and Exploration Division of NOAA Ocean Exploration. Kasey has a master’s degree in marine affairs and policy and marine geology and geophysics and a bachelor’s degree in marine science and biology, both from the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Kasey joined NOAA Ocean Exploration in 2012 and is responsible for overseeing the office’s operational portfolio, including telepresence-enabled expeditions conducted aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. In her previous role as an expedition coordinator for remotely operated vehicle expeditions, she coordinated over a dozen expeditions and projects, including multidisciplinary expeditions to the Atlantic submarine canyons, the Mariana region, Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, Glacier Bay National Park, and offshore the southeastern United States. Beyond deep-sea exploration, Kasey’s background includes imagery-based mapping of coral reefs throughout the Caribbean, long-term ecosystem monitoring, and evaluating resource management strategies to improve efficiency and data quality.
Expedition Coordinator in Training, NOAA Ocean Exploration
A Florida native, Kim’s interests in marine life started at a young age with regular trips to the reefs in the Florida Keys. Kim studied biological sciences at the University of Miami where she became a research assistant with the Marine Geosciences Department at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (RSMAS). Kim continued her education at RSMAS, earning a doctorate in marine geology and geophysics, focusing on cold-water coral systems within the carbonate province of the Straits of Florida. Her research included habitat mapping and terrain classification with acoustic maps, carbonate sedimentology, stable isotope geochemistry, and geochronometry. After sailing as a geology science lead during NOAA Ocean Exploration’s 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration expedition, Kim joined the office as an expedition coordinator in 2020. During her spare time, Kim enjoys traveling, hiking, scuba diving, and baking.
Mapping Lead, NOAA Ocean Exploration
Shannon Hoy is a Mapping Lead with NOAA Ocean Exploration. She has always had a love of the ocean and pursued a degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston, where she was first introduced to seafloor mapping in 2009. During her undergraduate career, she participated with four seafloor mapping expeditions, allowing her to increase her seafloor mapping knowledge and skills, make valuable connections, and travel to exotic places such as Indonesia and Antarctica. Two of these expeditions were actually aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in 2010! After completing her undergraduate degree, Shannon spent the next few years gaining as much multidisciplinary ocean experience as possible. She worked for the U.S. Geological Survey’s Submarine Geohazards Group in Woods Hole, as well as the University of Bristol’s Paleoceanography group in the United Kingdom. She continued to map throughout these years, and began specializing in habitat mapping using high-resolution techniques (such as remotely operated vehicle mounted multibeam), seamlessly combining her three disciplines: marine biology, geology, and seafloor mapping. In 2015, Shannon began pursuing her Master’s degree in Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, with the aim to increase her theoretical acoustic and geodetic background. Towards the end of her graduate degree, she jumped at the opportunity to join the NOAA Ocean Exploration team as a Mapping Lead, as being an Explorer-in-Training with the office nearly a decade earlier had greatly shaped her career and allowed her to pursue her passion for ocean exploration.
Electronic Systems Engineer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Roland Brian brings 29 years of experience and a keen eye for precision high-definition video to the program as a video/satellite and telepresence engineer. Roland began his career in the U.S. Air Force where he worked as a satellite communications engineering technician with visions of working on the U.S. Space Station. He traded in that quest for one of deep-ocean exploration and sharing beautiful imagery with the world. He has worked with NOAA Ocean Exploration since 2009 and has been engaged in every telepresence-enabled remotely operated vehicle (ROV) expedition. He has also provided services for other projects using NOAA Ocean Exploration’s mobile telepresence system, including the 2012 Ring of Fire Expedition. His duties aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer include operation and maintenance of the ship's telepresence and video systems, including on ROVs Deep Discoverer and Seirios. Again, Roland’s experience embodies the breadth and depth of knowledge NOAA Ocean Exploration encourages. When not fine-tuning the video and telepresence systems or training and mentoring new team members, he's actively involved in the editing process of our ever-expanding ocean exploration video library. While not at sea, Roland enjoys life with his wife and family in sunny Sarasota, Florida.
Software and Mechanical Engineer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Joshua Carlson attended the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, where he received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He went on to receive his master’s degree in marine science and technology from the University of Massachusetts where he researched marine turbulence using an autonomous underwater vehicle. In his current role at the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration, Joshua provides software and mechanical engineering support for the design of 6,000-meter (3.7-mile)-rated deep-sea robotics. Joshua is also an accomplished remotely operated vehicle (ROV) pilot with over 300 dives. During at-sea ROV operations, he provides data management and technical support for the ROV systems. His broad range of skills in both engineering and software development makes him an invaluable member of our team. When not traveling, Joshua resides in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Oceanographer, NCEI/Center for Coasts, Oceans and Geophysics/Information Services Division (on shore)
Megan Cromwell is an Oceanographer with NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). She serves as the NCEI team lead for NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer end-to-end data management activities. Megan has been with NOAA Ocean Exploration’s Data Management Team at NCEI since her start as a student intern in 2016. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Oceanography with a certification in Geographical Information Systems from the University of Southern Mississippi and is currently working towards a Master’s degree in Environmental Geoscience. Megan has been a competitive sailor since her childhood, which initiated her love for the ocean.
Web Coordinator, NOAA Ocean Exploration (on shore)
Emily Crum is a member of the NOAA Ocean Exploration communications team. She holds a Master of Science in geological sciences, a Master of Technical and Scientific Communication, and undergraduate degrees in environmental geology and art studio. After several years of working in science policy and media relations for the American Geophysical Union, Emily joined NOAA in 2005. She served as the chief of the External Affairs Branch of NOAA's National Ocean Service, guiding the Line Office's communications strategy and overseeing web, social media, outreach events, and internal communications before joining NOAA Ocean Exploration in 2012. Emily currently serves as the managing editor for the office website, manages the office’s social media presence, handles media relations, and supports strategic communication efforts. She resides in lovely Folly Beach, South Carolina, just outside of Charleston, where she enjoys long walks on the beach with her dog, Onni.
Network Systems Engineer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Mark holds a B.S. in information technology and a Masters in Computer Information Systems from Tarleton State University, where he focused on network security solutions. Mark has over 28 years experience in designing, testing, and supporting numerous variations of voice/data wired/wireless telecommunications networking solutions and security solutions, services, and products. During his career at MCI/Verizon, he held several engineering, research and development, and management positions and was with the company a combined total of over 23 years. During this time, he worked on key network projects and initiatives, including federal security solutions, access solutions, security services, virtualization, and many other large network solutions. In addition, he received four patents for networking and security solutions. Mark is married to his wife of 32 years, Laura, and has three kids and five grandkids. Some of Mark's hobbies and interests include car, truck, and boat repair/restoration; hiking, biking; running; camping; hunting; fishing; boating; amateur radio; storm chasing; home automation/security systems; fitness instructing; and scuba diving.
Mapping Watch Lead, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
Daniel Freitas is from Rochester, New York. He worked for NOAA as a general vessel assistant for over three years in the augment pool while attending Coastal Carolina University where he studied marine biology and applied mathematics. Over the last eight years, he has worked in the deck, engineering, and survey departments aboard many NOAA vessels before taking a permanent position aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer for 1.5 years. For the last three years, he has worked as an independent contractor via the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research on Okeanos Explorer, supporting the NOAA Ocean Exploration mapping team. His time aboard consists of acting as a mapping watch lead, helping train and direct explorers-in-training, and working with the senior survey technician and other crew members to ensure the ship’s missions are completed.
Engagement Specialist, NOAA Ocean Exploration (on shore)
Originally from California, Rachel earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California at Berkeley and a master's degree in environmental management from the Yale School of the Environment. At Yale, she focused on conservation and science communication, serving as associate editor of an environmental arts magazine and programming director of the free, publicly accessible Environmental Film Festival at Yale (EFFY). Prior to coming to NOAA Ocean Exploration, she worked as an outdoor educator, archaeology technician, and researcher in various parts of the United States and Latin America. With travel and work experience in over two dozen countries, she is deeply interested in the many motivations that drive different people to care about and conserve the natural world.
Data Sampler Manager, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (on shore)
Susan Gottfried has been a member of NOAA Ocean Exploration’s Data Management Team since 2004. Susan is the designer, developer, and maintainer of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer’s customized Sampling Operations Database Application (SODA), which is the database portion of the sampling operations protocols on Okeanos Explorer during remotely operated vehicle operations. Susan is a Louisiana State University alumni who graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering Design. Susan is a new grandmother to Cruz born August 2020 and Taylor is due November 2021!
Photographer and Producer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
For more than 30 years, Emmy-award winning photographer and producer Art Howard has helped viewers experience life through images from 50 countries and seven continents. A native North Carolinian, Art has followed researchers aboard multiple deep-sea missions, documenting the excitement and challenges of exploration. Art uses the latest video technology to bring viewers as close as possible to life at sea, from the surface to depths of 915 meters (3,000 feet), capturing both scientists and the marine life they seek to understand. Art has spent the last 11 years independently producing media for the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.
Data Sampler Manager, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (on shore)
Jonathan Jackson chose a career that reflects his love of the outdoors, especially fishing. He earned a Bachelor of Science in wildlife and fisheries sciences from Mississippi State University and a Master of Science in fisheries and aquaculture from Auburn University. Jonathan was then hired as a biologist with a private consultant in Mobile, Alabama, participating in operations including upland stream surveys and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys of salt domes surrounding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In 2013, his career took him to NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center’s Mississippi lab where he worked on a Deepwater Horizon National Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) ichthyoplankton project and participated in NOAA Fisheries sampling cruises. Jonathan transferred into NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information in 2015. He is the technical manager for the Harmful Algal Blooms Observing System and participates in efforts to archive harmful algae and other environmental data. During expeditions, Jonathan manages the data collected from samples collected by the ROV and works with the science leads during the specimen preservation process.
Remotely Operated Vehicle Engineer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Anya Jensen received a Bachelor of Science in robotics engineering from Olin College. In the past, she has worked on autonomous vehicles and packaging automation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she spent time working on an off-the-grid power system while living in a tent in the Appalachian Mountains. She also lived in Mexico, where she studied endemic endangered animals. Anya is currently living in Rhode Island where she spends her free time photographing wildlife, backpacking, and surfing.
Mechanical Engineer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Sean Kennison first joined the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration in 2014 while earning his undergraduate degree at the Pennsylvania State University. He sailed on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer as part of the engineering team and assisted with various design projects throughout his senior year. Upon graduating at the top of his class with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a minor in engineering mechanics, he joined the team full time. Sean regularly maintains the vehicles and continually works on improvements to keep them up-to-date with technological advances. He has gained invaluable experience and knowledge through the seasons, onshore and offshore, that has turned him into a versatile engineer. Initially starting as a passionate navigator, Sean has grown to become a skilled pilot and is a proven lead for the remotely operated vehicle expedition team.
Data Sampler Manager, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (on shore)
Anna Lienesch is a Data Manager with NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) through the University of Maryland’s Cooperative Institute for Satellite Earth System Studies (CISESS). She earned a B.S. in Marine Science with a minor in Anthropology from Eckerd College in 2016 and has been with NCEI and NOAA Ocean Exploration’s Data Management Team since early 2018. Anna serves as the team lead for Ocean Exploration’s Federally Funded Opportunity (FFO) end-to-end data management activities and is the NCEI liaison to various NOAA divisions and line offices. Anna is also a champion crocheter and is responsible for the EX squid mascot, Oscar, hanging in the dry lab.
Mechanical Engineer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Jon Mefford holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Hawai‘i. He began his career working as a software test engineer on the Space Shuttle program for several years before moving to Hawai‘i to pursue his master's degree. During his time as a graduate student, he participated in a number of research expeditions aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer as a member of the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) team. This experience was invaluable to him as he worked on his degree, which focused on the design, development, and implementation of control systems for marine robotics. Since that time, Jon has spent more than eight years working as a test and integration engineer on the Orion Space Program, occasionally returning to support expeditions with the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration. He remains passionate about both space and deep-sea exploration and appreciates the many parallels that can be drawn between them. \Jon currently resides in Denver, Colorado.
Systems Administrator, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Jim Meyers attended Williams College and received a B.A. in history. He has worked in the information technology field for over 20 years, including 19 years at various positions at Sea Research Foundation, Inc. in Mystic, Connecticut. He is married with two adult children. Outside of work, he is an avid soccer fan and plans European vacations around match schedules.
Ocean/Mechanical Engineer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Lars Murphy holds a bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering and a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from the University of Rhode Island. Growing up on the coast of Maine, he developed a constant pull toward the unknown, the unexplored, and chaotic environments and acquired a drive to bring meaning, understanding, and order to these areas. Lars has a professional background working with autonomous underwater vehicles and other subsea robotics systems both internationally and nationally and now supports remotely operated vehicles Deep Discoverer and Seirios as an ocean/mechanical engineer.
Video Producer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Emily Narrow is a video producer and editor whose work focuses on science and nature. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College where she double-majored in biology and cinema studies. She also holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in science and natural history filmmaking from Montana State University. She was a video producer for a production company in Washington, DC, for three years, where she made public service announcements, ad campaigns, and promotional videos for non-profit and environmental organizations. Since 2011, she has been a freelance video producer, creating videos for clients such as the National Park Service, NOAA, Montana State University, Zero Point Zero Productions, and VisionHawk Films. Most recently, she edited three web videos about the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration’s 2019 remotely operated vehicle expedition to Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Emily currently resides in Bozeman, Montana.
Sample Data Manager, NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (on shore)
Madalyn Newman is joining the expedition team for the second time as the sample data manager of biological and geological samples collected during the dives of remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer. She is a Mississippi Gulf Coast native who graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) with a bachelor’s degree in marine science and her master’s degree in environmental geosciences from Mississippi State University (MSU). She began her career as a plankton taxonomist with USM and NOAA Fisheries, working primarily with Deepwater Horizon oil spill samples. Currently, she is working as a data archivist and outreach specialist for the Northern Gulf Institute at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi under a NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information-MSU cooperation.
Remotely Operated Vehicle Team Lead, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Chris first joined our group on the Cayman Rise Expedition in 2011, just prior to being hired full time by NAVSEA. For the next three years, an informal NAVSEA-NOAA relationship allowed Chris to continue to participate in our design, engineering, and offshore operations. Chris holds a B.S. in Ocean Engineering and a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech with a minor in mathematics. Chris has been a major contributor to our design-build process and a tremendous asset to our offshore operations. He is a skilled navigator, pilot, and co-pilot of our vehicles and brings with him a level of enthusiasm that everyone around him appreciates and respects. In late 2014, Chris joined our Mechanical Engineering team full time and he is enthusiastic about training the next generation and tackling new projects. Chris resides in Falls Church, Virginia.
Remotely Operated Vehicle Team Lead, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Levi Unema is an Eagle Scout from Lynden, Washington. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering along with a Certificate in Electric Power Engineering from Michigan Technological University. Levi joined the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration (GFOE) in 2016 and designs, builds, operates, and maintains GFOE’s remotely operated vehicles. Since joining the team, he has acquired many technical skills in the satellite communication field, in addition to the broadcast video field. Levi sails on most remotely operated vehicle expeditions on Okeanos Explorer, satisfying the roles of electrical engineer, navigator, pilot, co-pilot, and sometimes VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) engineer. Levi resides in Newport, Rhode Island.
Systems Administrator, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration
Chris Wright holds a B.S. in business administration from the University of Mary Washington and an M.B.A from Rollins College. After graduation, he worked as a network and systems administrator and engineer in the hospitality industry in the Northeast and Mountain West for more than 15 years. Recently relocating back to the East Coast, Chris joined the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration (GFOE) data team in early 2019 as one of the newest members of the organization. In 2019, he completed his first cruise aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and is extremely excited about continuing the journey to explore the oceans around the world. When he isn't sailing on Okeanos Explorer, he’s busy working in GFOE’s Quonset office planning, designing and implementing data solutions to help refine and mature its base of operations for ocean exploration. Chris and his family currently reside in Newport, Rhode Island.
