All Aboard! Virtual Ocean Exploration

Recognize those islands?

Last week, Megan let the Knaussers in on a neat event happening at the Silver Spring campus highlighting recent activities and accomplishments within NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration.  If you've been hiding under a rock, in your cubicle, or simply experiencing a momentary brain lapse, you (like me) might have been thinking to yourself, Wait - we have an office for that?  While not a program we hear about every day, these folks might be the most passionate marine nerds among us.  As we all sat in the NOAA command center, these aquatic adventurers gave us a unique and fascinating window into the complexities and wonders of their underwater world aboard the Okeanos and the Nautilus.

At this event, the NOAA command center was receiving live feeds from not one, but two underwater exploration vessels.  First, we spoke with researchers aboard the Okeanos, NOAA's primary exploration vessel.  Investigating hydrovent formation in the Caymen Trench was not the only item on the agenda for its expedition throughout the Caribbean.  Last year, the ship documented changes in biodiversity in the coral triangle of the Indonesian Archepelago.  The captain explained to us that none of these beautiful discoveries could have been made or shown to the world were it not for telepresence, fiber optics, and satellites.

AUV takes ocean measurements on its own.

On the other side of the world, the Nautilus was exploring the Black Sea on its expedition through the Mediterranean, stopping along the coasts of Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Israel researching underwater volcanoes, methane seeps, and seamounts.  This work truly is integrated with other NOAA operations and programs and even produces the bathymetric data that underlies Google Ocean maps.  The coordination effort behind this type of communication is almost daunting.  But, the bedecked ROVs and hard-working technicians have created virtual underwater research stations and classrooms, with scientific experts and teachers accessing it from the comfort of a computer screen.  While less exciting (and less cramped) than experiencing it first hand, this telepresence really has revolutionized the exploration process. 

Global Okeanos missions.

As budding marine conservationists and resource managers, we've probably all heard the complaint that we know more about the surface of the moon and Jupiter than we do about the depths of our oceans.  After having experienced the challenges of prioritizing research projects in the U.S. and even bemoaning the lack of "sufficient data to inform management decisions" a few times myself, I now have a better appreciation for the politics and sensitivities of dedicating entire vessels (and immense funding) to exploration, simply for discovering unimagined or unexpected truths in the name of scientific progress. 

East coast missions, mouse-over online to see the name!

While the arguably indulgent nature of this work and its intangible benefits might keep it near the bottom of the funding priorities in lean budget times, their maps express the need for continued exploration better than any speech or grant proposal could.  They have conducted so many missions around the world and along the coasts, each requiring immense time, effort, and money.  But, the ocean really is tremendously large, and as can be seen, so much of their efforts have been dedicated to exploring the depths of our own coastal backyards.  It seems that these technicians, biologists, and vessel operators may be helping us take a big step toward improving public awareness by actually helping people see (and then hopefully care) about the underwater environment.  But there is still so much left to be explored!


Big thanks to Megan for the invitations!