2023 Seascape Alaska Expeditions (EX2302-EX2307)

May 2023 - September 2023

From May through September 2023, NOAA and partners conducted a series of telepresence-enabled ocean exploration expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to improve knowledge about unexplored and poorly understood deepwater areas offshore Alaska, with a particular focus on the Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska, and Aleutian Trench.

Data collected during the Alaska expeditions will establish a baseline in explored areas to catalyze further exploration, research, and management activities. Data will also contribute to Seascape Alaska, a regional campaign aimed at fully mapping U.S. waters off Alaska, creating accessible, high-quality modern seabed data for Alaskan waters to support U.S. research, resource management, sustainable economic growth, and the health and security of Americans.

View a summary of NOAA Ocean Exploration 2023 Seascape Alaska expeditions.

The six telepresence-enabled expeditions offshore Alaska in 2023 included remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives and multibeam sonar mapping operations. Expedition dates, numbers and names, operational modes, and ports of call were as follows:

May 5 - 26: EX2302: Seascape Alaska 1: Aleutians Deepwater Mapping / Seattle, Washington - Dutch Harbor, Alaska

June 5 - 20: EX2303: Seascape Alaska 2: Aleutians Deepwater Mapping / Dutch Harbor, Alaska to Kodiak, Alaska

July 14 - July 25: EX2304: Seascape Alaska 3: Aleutians Remotely Operated Vehicle Exploration and Mapping / Kodiak, Alaska to Dutch Harbor, Alaska

August 1 - 17: EX2305: Seascape Alaska 4: Gulf of Alaska Deepwater Mapping / Dutch Harbor, Alaska to Kodiak, Alaska

August 23 - September 16: EX2306: Seascape Alaska 5: Gulf of Alaska Remotely Operated Vehicle Exploration and Mapping / Kodiak, Alaska to Seward, Alaska

September 23 - October 14: Seascape Alaska 6: Gulf of Alaska Transit Mapping / Seward, Alaska to San Francisco, California

Summary: NOAA Ocean Exploration Seascape Alaska Expeditions

Despite contributing the largest area to the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, Alaskan waters remain one of the least explored areas in the United States. Current mapping data for the waters around Alaska address only 34% of the seafloor, and much the available data are sparse and predate modern mapping technologies. Additionally, most deepwater habitats in Alaskan waters remain predominantly unexplored.

To address these gaps, from May through September 2023, NOAA and partners conducted the Seascape Alaska series of telepresence-enabled ocean exploration expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Through mapping operations, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives, and autonomous underwater vehicle operations, we were able to collect data to improve knowledge about unexplored and poorly understood deepwater areas offshore Alaska, with a particular focus on the Aleutian Islands, Gulf of Alaska, and Aleutian Trench.

Download a PDF version of the Seascape Alaska expeditions summary (1.7 MB).

From May through September 2023, NOAA and partners conducted a series of remotely operated vehicle and mapping expeditions onboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to improve knowledge about unexplored and poorly understood deepwater areas offshore Alaska. Partnerships were key to the success of these expeditions and took form in a variety of manners, from community input on dive sites to the creation of the first annual Seward Science Symposium, which provided a venue for the exchange of ideas, setting the stage for collaborations far into the future. Data collected during the Alaska expeditions contributed to the establishment of a baseline of understanding of these areas and served to catalyze further exploration, research, and management activities. This data also contributed to Seascape Alaska, a regional campaign aimed at fully mapping U.S. waters off Alaska by 2040, creating accessible, high-quality modern seabed data for Alaskan waters to support U.S. research, resource management, sustainable economic growth, and the health and security of Americans. Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Seascape Alaska. Download largest version (mp4, 728 MB)

During the Seascape Alaska 3 expedition, the team completed a total of seven remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives, exploring sites ranging from the water column to an extensive gas seep covered with tubeworms and an amazing coral garden. The data collected during mapping and ROV operations throughout the expedition will help to fill some of the gaps in our understanding of the deep waters around the Aleutian Islands. Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Seascape Alaska. Download largest version (mp4, 274.2 MB)

During the Seascape Alaska 5 expedition, the team navigated challenges ranging from rough weather to poor visibility, and completed 19 deepwater remotely operated vehicles (ROV) dives in the Gulf of Alaska and coastal fjords. Dives revealed brooding octopuses and landscapes covered in brittlestars, and provided a glimpse into the complex ecological and geological processes of the area. The data collected during mapping and ROV operations throughout the expedition will help to fill gaps in our understanding of the deep waters in the region. Video courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Seascape Alaska. Download largest version (mp4, 670 MB)

Science Themes

Acquire data to support science and management needs
Identify and map vulnerable marine habitats, particularly high-density, deep-sea coral and sponge and cold-seep communities
Investigate the geologic history of the Aleutian Arc, including potential relevance to plate tectonics, geohazards, and subduction zone biology and geology
Increase understanding of deep-sea biogeographic patterns across the North Pacific

Summary Highlights

Over 285,000 square kilometers (110,040 square miles) of seafloor mapped
27 ROV dives at a depth range of 250 - 4,300 meters (820 - 14,110 feet)
94 primary biological and 38 geological samples collected
Over 150 participating scientists, students, and managers
Nearly 300,000 live video views

NOAA and partners initiated the Seascape Alaska series of six expeditions aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, using a dual-body remotely operated vehicle (ROV) capable of collecting biological and geological samples and diving to 6,000-meter depths and 4 different types of mapping sonars to explore deep waters in and around the Aleutian Islands, the Gulf of Alaska, the Alexander Archipelago, Prince William Sound, and the high seas. Additional acoustic mapping data were collected by partners on Research Vessel Kilo Moana over the Patton Seamount Chain.

Scientists, resource managers, and students located on shore actively participated in the expeditions, thanks to telepresence technology on Okeanos Explorer. That same technology allowed us to host ship-to-shore live interactions and deliver live online streaming of ROV dives to the general public, opening a window of understanding into the deep waters off Alaska for audiences around the world.

Data collected during these expeditions will help to establish a baseline in explored areas and spur further exploration, research, and management activities. Data will also contribute to the National Strategy for Exploring, Mapping, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone, Seabed 2030, and the broader Seascape Alaska campaign aimed at fully mapping U.S. waters off Alaska.

Map showing the location of dives conducted during the Seascape Alaska 3 expedition as well as preliminary bathymetry data collected during mapping operations. — Map showing the location of dives conducted during the Seascape Alaska expeditions as well as preliminary bathymetry data collected during mapping operations. *Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Seascape Alaska.* Download largest version (jpg, 540 KB).

A point cloud of the seamount mapped during the Seascape Alaska 1: Aleutians Deepwater Mapping expedition, generated from acoustic data collected via multibeam echosounder. The hot colors (red, orange, and yellow) represent the newly mapped peak of the seamount at a depth of 895 meters (2,936 feet), while the cold colors (purple, teal, blue) represent the base of the seamount at a depth of around 4,000 meters (13,123 feet). — This seamount was mapped during the Seascape Alaska 1: Aleutians Deepwater Mapping expedition. Data from existing NOAA nautical charts had indicated that the seamount was 1,591 meters (5,223 feet) tall, but this mapping work revealed that seamount is actually 3,105 meters (10,187 feet) tall, if not taller! *Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Seascape Alaska.* Download largest version (jpg, 776 KB).

Octopus nurseries: Apparent octopus nurseries were observed at two dive sites, Noyes Canyon and Gumby Ridge, during Seascape Alaska 5. At both locations, octopods were observed brooding over their eggs with juveniles in the vicinity. This image was taken during Dive 18 at Gumby Ridge. — Apparent octopus nurseries were observed at two dive sites, Noyes Canyon and Gumby Ridge, during Seascape Alaska 5. At both locations, octopods were observed brooding over their eggs with juveniles in the vicinity. This image was taken during Dive 18 at Gumby Ridge. *Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Seascape Alaska.* Download largest version (jpg, 1.6 MB).

Chemosynthetic clams embed in seafloor sediment to extract sulfide. These clams were observed at a gas seep site discovered during Dive 04 of the Seascape Alaska 3 expedition. — Chemosynthetic clams embed in seafloor sediment to extract sulfide. These clams were observed at a gas seep site mapped during the first Seascape Alaska and then explored and discovered using a remotely operated vehicle during Dive 04 of the Seascape Alaska 3 expedition. *Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, Seascape Alaska.* Download largest version (jpg, 1.4 MB).

Education Themes

Education theme pages provide the best of what the NOAA Ocean Exploration website has to offer to support educators in the classroom during this expedition. Each theme page includes expedition features, lessons, multimedia, career information, and associated past expeditions.

Media Resources

The Media Resources page provides members of the media with information, resources, and multimedia developed in association with the 2023 Seascape Alaska series of expeditions.

Media Contacts

Emily Crum

Communication Specialist
NOAA Ocean Exploration
ocean-explore-comms@noaa.gov

Keeley Belva

Public Affairs Officer
NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
keeley.belva@noaa.gov

NOAA Ocean Exploration’s 2023 Seascape Alaska expeditions will contribute to the National Strategy for Exploring, Mapping, and Characterizing the United States Exclusive Economic Zone, Seabed 2030, and multipartner Seascape Alaska campaign, which has been endorsed by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO as part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030.

Data collected during all expeditions will be available in NOAA’s public data archives within 90-120 days of its completion and will be accessible via the NOAA Ocean Exploration Data Atlas.

2021-2030 United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development | Seascape Alaska