Beyond the Blue: Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping

From April 8-May 5, NOAA Ocean Exploration will lead a 28-day remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and mapping expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to explore deep waters in and around Papahānaumokuākea. This expedition will include daytime ROV dives to explore the seafloor and water column, overnight mapping operations, and continuous shore-side participation via telepresence technology.

The waters in the Pacific Islands region span a diverse range of ecosystems and dynamic geological environments. They contain some of the last relatively pristine marine ecosystems on the planet and harbor numerous protected species, wondrous geological formations, and undiscovered shipwrecks.

Papahānaumokuākea is a place of extraordinary beauty, known by a single name that commemorates the union of two Hawaiian ancestors – Papahānaumoku and Wākea – who gave rise to the Hawaiian Archipelago, the taro plant, and the Hawaiian people.

In 2024, NOAA Ocean Exploration conducted three expeditions on Okeanos Explorer within Papahānaumokuākea, mapping 36,685 square kilometers (52,774 square miles), thereby increasing the region’s modern mapping coverage by approximately 9%. The collected mapping data will help increase understanding of marine life and habitats to inform management decisions, help to establish a baseline assessment of the ocean environment, and increase public awareness of ocean issues. These data will also be instrumental in informing future exploration efforts, including those being conducted during the Beyond the Blue: Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition.

Expedition Operations

During the Beyond the Blue: Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition, the team will work to further fill gaps in our understanding of the region by conducting focused mapping and ROV operations, with a focus on waters deeper than 200 meters (656 feet) within the region.

Mapping operations will build off of work conducted in 2024 and serve as the basis for planning and executing ROV dives during the expedition. Given the sparsity of mapping data in the region, in some instances, the team will follow a “map and dive” approach, collecting mapping data the night before a dive to guide the path of the ROV on a dive taking place the following morning.

Over the course of the expedition, we will conduct ROV dives to explore deep-sea coral and sponge habitats, seamounts, maritime heritage sites, and the water column. Thanks to telepresence technology, anyone with an internet connection is invited to watch and listen as members of the science community actively engage and guide each dive.

All things permitting, when the ship is not in transit, dives will be streamed most days, April 11 to May 2, from approximately 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. HDT / 1 p.m. to 11 p.m. EDT. Note that dates and times are subject to change.

All data collected during the expedition will contribute to Beyond the Blue: Illuminating the Pacific, a multifaceted science campaign designed to increase knowledge about deep ocean waters in the Pacific Islands region. The campaign directly supports National Strategy for Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization (NOMEC) goals to close gaps in understanding of a region critical to U.S. national security, fisheries, mineral and energy resources, and biodiversity.