NOAA Ocean Exploration

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As organisms interact with their environment, they shed DNA into their surroundings. The genetic material left behind in water, soil, or even air, is called environmental DNA, or "eDNA" for short. Throughout the Beyond the Blue: Palau Mapping series of expeditions, scientists have been collecting water samples from the ocean's depths. These water samples are then filtered aboard the ship's wetlab, as pictured here. The filtered and preserved eDNA samples derived from this process are then sent to a lab for extraction and genetic sequencing once onshore. To learn more about what eDNA can tell us about our ocean world, follow the link to download an educational factsheet: https://lnkd.in/ewjcb5Nw [Image: Members of the science team filter water samples for eDNA collection in the wetlab aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer.] #okeanos #STEM #eDNA #ocean

It’s October! What better month to highlight the Venus flytrap anemone? A deep-sea delight to some, but there’s no treat, just tricks, for the tiny unsuspecting animals that drift within its reach. The anemone paralyzes their prey using stinging cells on its tentacles, folds itself up to trap them, and then eats them.  Embrace the Halloween spirit by downloading this elegant deep-sea predator to your desktop today: https://lnkd.in/erydK6i2 #explore #ocean #OceanExploration #Halloween #anemone

USS Baltimore (C-3) was a U.S. Navy cruiser that served from 1890 to 1922 in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, including in the Spanish-American War and World War I. It was scuttled in 1944 near the southern shore of Oahu, Hawai‘i. September 29, 2017, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners explored the wreck during an expedition aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Learn more about the wreck and explore its 3D model at: https://lnkd.in/ebK35afR Images: The remains of USS Baltimore (C-3), upright and intact on the flat sandy seafloor. Screenshot of the photogrammetric model of the wreck of USS Baltimore. #shipwreck #OceanExploration #ocean #explore #okeanos NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations

To make deep-sea exploration more accessible to scientists, a team of engineers and scientists have developed two low-cost, open-source underwater vehicle systems. This summer, the team set out to evaluate their systems at a site off Hawai‘i with the goal of demonstrating that affordable robotic platforms can support long-term monitoring and research in sensitive and remote marine environments. Learn more about the project: https://lnkd.in/emFCcxQk Shown here, DROPSphere autonomous underwater vehicle (left) and Bruce hybrid remotely operated vehicle/autonomous underwater vehicle (right). Image courtesy of Field Validation of Novel Low-Cost Underwater Robot for Deepwater Exploration and Characterization. LSU Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute #ocean #explore #OceanExploration #UnderwaterRobots #UncrewedSystems

Teachers, don’t forget: Registration is still open for our fall 2025 professional development workshops, Exploring the Deep Ocean with NOAA! These full-day, in-person events are designed to give educators of grades 6-12 the knowledge needed to teach about ocean science and exploration. Participants will also receive a collection of classroom-ready resources. Registration details and training dates for our partner sites around the U.S. are available on the NOAA Ocean Exploration website here: https://lnkd.in/gWuXsmsm  These professional development opportunities are offered in partnership with NOAA Ocean Exploration’s Education Alliance Partners and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation.

In 2023 and 2024, two expeditions supported by NOAA Ocean Exploration resulted in the mapping of more than 31,600 square miles (82,000 square kilometers) of seafloor within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone around Hawaiʻi, including more than 3,000 square miles (7,800 square kilometers) in an area informally known as the “Hawaiian crescent” due to its shape. These mapping data will help to build the foundation needed to understand the geological and biological context of the area, allowing scientists to better characterize the abyssal plain ecosystem and potential abyssal plain nodule occurrence south of Hawaiʻi. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eU7naTYF #ocean #exploration #seafloormapping #data #Hawaii

USS Yorktown was an American aircraft carrier lost in 1942 during the World War II Battle of Midway. In 2025, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners explored Yorktown using remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer, discovering and imaging a remarkably well-preserved mural titled “A Chart of the Cruises of USS Yorktown.” Little is known about this unique deep-sea artwork, an unexpected and extraordinary find. Learn more about the wreck and explore a 3D model of the mural: https://lnkd.in/eAs9NkNR Images: 1. Remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer descends into the midships elevator shaft of USS Yorktown (CV-5) to image the mural “A Chart of the Cruises of USS Yorktown.” 2. Screenshot of the photogrammetric model of the USS Yorktown mural “A Chart of the Cruises of USS Yorktown.” #ocean #Yorktown #WWII #shipwreck #MaritimeHeritage

TODAY - Just like the seasons, ocean conditions can change throughout the year. Revisiting the same sites at different times is important to understanding how ocean conditions vary — and how that might impact restoration of deep-sea coral habitats. Join experts live from the RV Point Sur to hear more about how Gulf conditions change throughout the year, and why studying these patterns helps inform restoration efforts. Tune in for a LIVE discussion at sea today, Tuesday, September 23 at 1 p.m. EDT/12 p.m. CDT, and learn more about the expedition series here: https://lnkd.in/eTsYsjXU #coral #restoration #gulfcoast

New research: Scientists have discovered that a deep-sea jellyfish found near Florida by a team aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer belongs to a subspecies once thought to live only in waters around the arctic. The discovery shatters past assumptions about these “lampshade-like” jellyfish. Read the full story here: https://lnkd.in/gMC5Wew2 #deepsea #research