2022 Caribbean Mapping

Thomas Morrow

Expedition Coordinator, NOAA Ocean Exploration

Thomas Morrow is a physical scientist with NOAA Ocean Exploration. He spends his time working as an expedition coordinator with the mapping team on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer and supporting NOAA’s ocean exploration mission. Thomas is a marine geologist and geophysicist who started his ocean exploration career while earning his bachelor’s degree in geology at the University of Florida. He then moved to the University of Idaho for master’s and doctorate degrees in geological sciences, studying mid-ocean ridges, fracture zones, and hotspot seamounts. Prior to joining NOAA Ocean Exploration, Thomas spent several years as a postdoctoral research fellow at Boston College, coordinating missions to explore the Gofar Transform Fault on Research Vessel Atlantis and Research Vessel Thomas G. Thompson.

Sam Candio

Mapping Lead, NOAA Ocean Exploration

Sam Candio is a physical scientist with NOAA Ocean Exploration. He splits his time between conducting field operations aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer as an expedition coordinator/mapping lead and conducting shoreside responsibilities at the University of New Hampshire Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center, including mission planning, data quality control, and data archiving. Sam received a bachelor’s degree in marine biology from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington (UNCW), with minors in environmental science and oceanography, and an associate degree in marine technology from Cape Fear Community College. Following graduation, he worked as an instructor for UNCW's MarineQuest, leading a suite of marine science experiential learning programs ranging from the generation of biodiesel from algae to the operation of side-scan sonars and remotely operated vehicles. Prior to signing on with NOAA Ocean Exploration, Sam spent four years aboard NOAA Ship Fairweather, serving as the chief hydrographic survey technician leading coastal bathymetric surveys in areas ranging from the Alaskan Arctic to California’s Channel Islands.

Henry Arndt

Explorer-in-Training, NOAA Ocean Exploration

Henry Arndt is a lifelong ocean enthusiast hailing from the state of Colorado. Henry recently completed his undergraduate degree in atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Being in a landlocked state did not deter his interests in ocean exploration. Henry is a certified Inland Ocean Ambassador of the Inland Ocean Coalition and performed a research internship in marine biogeochemistry at NOAA's Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. He is excited to gain more experience in ocean exploration. In his spare time, he is an aviation enthusiast, movie connoisseur, and loves deep-sea fishing whenever he has the opportunity.

Caitlin Bailey

Video Editor, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration

Caitlin Bailey became a member of the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration video team and started sailing aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in 2016. She is a “bi-polar” explorer, having been to both the Arctic and Antarctica, as well as a National Geographic Explorer. Caitlin is passionate about wildlife and sharing the deep sea and polar regions with a wide variety of audiences. She has a Master of Fine Arts in science and natural history filmmaking from Montana State University and a Bachelor of Science in animal biology from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. When not at sea, Caitlin resides in San Antonio, Texas, where she enjoys SCUBA diving, hiking, and entertaining her labradoodle, Camie.

Kathrin Bayer

Explorer-in-Training, NOAA Ocean Exploration

Kathrin Bayer is one of three Explorers-in-Training working with the NOAA Ocean Exploration seafloor mapping team during the 2022 Caribbean Mapping expedition. She earned her bachelor’s degree in oceanography from Humboldt State University and her master’s degree in ocean sciences from the University of California Santa Cruz. She is most interested in biological oceanography and deep-ocean exploration. She enjoys reading, playing video and board games, and spending time in and around the ocean.

Roland Brian

Video 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.

Bob Knott

Video Engineer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration

Bob has almost 50 years of experience in broadcast engineering. Following a 37-year career with Rhode Island PBS, departing in 2006 as chief engineer, he worked for the Sea Research Foundation and Ocean Exploration Trust as the senior broadcast engineer. He was responsible for the design, commissioning, and maintenance of the Inner Space Center located at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography. He also worked on many research vessels and supported telepresence operations from NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, Exploration Vessel Nautilus, Research Vessel Endeavor, and Research Vessel Atlantis, plus many other University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System ships. Bob is married and has six adult children, nine grandchildren, and a great-grandson. He and his wife Donna play French horn and are active in many community music ensembles in Rhode Island.

Andy Lister

Data Engineer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration

Andy Lister graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in ocean engineering. He went on to study at Embry-Riddle, focusing on artificial intelligence systems and obtaining a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. After school, he worked in the oilfield before starting his own business in 2014. He has currently joined the team as a mechanical engineer with additional interests in the data management side. He enjoys coding, electronics, and working aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to bring the public to unexplored places across the globe.

Daryin Medley

Explorer-in-Training, NOAA Ocean Exploration

Daryin Medley is a NOAA Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Graduate Scholar completing a master’s degree in estuarine environments at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, Florida. Daryin is conducting research on North Pacific fin whale migrations and climate variability in the Bering Sea under the supervision of Dr. Steven Morey.

Chris Wright

Data Engineer, Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration

Chris Wright holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Mary Washington and a Master of Business Administration 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 expedition 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.