2018: a shift in focus in deep-sea explorations

In 2017, the Campaign to Address Pacific Monument Science, Technology and Ocean Needs (CAPSTONE), completed its successful three-year effort to explore deep-sea habitats across the central and western Pacific Ocean. In 2018, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer will shift its geographic focus and support deep-water investigations in the Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic. The deep waters in this region are far less remote than the vast expanse of Pacifc Ocean explored during CAPSTONE. In contrast to the CAPSTONE explorations, where huge seafloor areas were completely unexplored, the planning and selection of targets for future Atlantic expeditions will benefit from, and be guided by, rich existing datasets. The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer conducted a series of successful expeditions in this region in 2011-2015. Additionally, several other institutions have explored the deep-sea in this region. Much like the successful CAPSTONE effort, future explorations in the North Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico will continue to require collaborations between a myriad of partners. With both the Deep Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral, Canyon, Cold seep Habitats (Deep SEARCH) study and the Southeast Deep Coral Initiative (SEDCI) already working in the region, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer has the opportunity to align field efforts with many existing U.S. federal and academic partners.