NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
8h
This jellyfish is invisible! Well, kind of.

Being transparent in the deep sea can be a challenge: If you’ve eaten any glowing animals recently, their bioluminescence can warn your next prey of your approach. Red internal coloration helps block that light from shining through.
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Nov 6
The first part of the 2026 Technology Demonstration was a "shakedown" dedicated to testing & calibrating expedition systems & equipment, ensuring that all was in working order before heading out to deeper waters. Learn more about the expedition team here: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/exploration-te…
A man in a hard hat and PFD looks over the railing of a ship at sea, holding on with his left hand and pointing downwards with his right.A young person squats down behind an underwater robot to work on it; they hold a wrench in their hand and look down at the lower part of the vessel.
Two men in hard hats and PFDs watch as an orange underwater robot, connected by a tether, moves along a track towards the open ocean.Mission personnel conducting a ballast test on the HUGIN 6000 AUV.
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Nov 5
Meet Gulf restoration experts LIVE! Join one of three upcoming webinars to learn about a range of topics related to the restoration of deep-sea habitats impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Follow the link for details: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/news/mdbc-live…
An image of a branching orange coral interlaced with white brittlestars is overlaid with logos for NOAA, USGS, BOEM, the Inner Space Center, and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. Overlaid text states that events will run for 30 minutes and include time for audience questions. Livestream dates and topics include: Tuesday, November 10 at 3 p.m. EST: Storytelling Through Animation Tuesday, December 1 at 1 p.m. EST: The Science of Deep-Sea Coral Restoration Tuesday, December 15 at 2 p.m. EST: How to Build an ROV
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Nov 4
Happy #WormWednesday! This bristle worm was seen “dancing” during the 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration cruise. These worms have paired, bristle-like appendages called parapodia that give them the appearance of a bristle brush. Dance on, explorers!

oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition/ex2…
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Nov 3
Happy World Jellyfish Day! Did you know that #jellyfish don’t have brains? Or that jellyfish aren’t actually fish?

Learn more about these animals and see some of the jellyfish we’ve seen during expeditions past: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition-fea…

This beauty was seen in 2018 off TX & LA.
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Nov 2
Okeanos has left port, beginning the 2026 Technology Demonstration. During this year’s tech demo, the mission team will test the use and integration of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in routine operations aboard the ship. Read more here: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition/ex2…
A yellow underwater robot, shaped like a stout cylinder, is held aloft by a black crane, high over the heads of observers and an American flag.
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Nov 2
Over the past two years, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners have mapped an area greater than that of the Great Lakes combined in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone near the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam. Learn more here: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/news/cnmi-expl…
Map showing recently collected seafloor mapping (bathymetry) data filling in data gaps in waters of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) surrounding the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and around Guam.
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 31
Happy Halloween! Which of these deep-sea animals would you vote for in a costume contest?

A: Sea urchins with fancy “hats”
B: A monkfish pretending to be sand
C: A crab wearing a sponge
During Dive 08 of the third Voyage to the Ridge 2022 expedition, a rarely observed aggregation of sea urchins (Conolampas sigsbei) was seen, much to the delight of scientists onboard and onshore. The urchins each appeared to have a cluster of debris on the apex of its body, leading scientists to liken them to “hats.” Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration. Alt: Two sea urchins on the seafloor with a cluster of debris on their tops.Monkfish: This monkfish was hard to spot camouflaged against the seafloor at 861 meters (2.825 feet) depth during a Windows to the Deep 2019 dive to explore the south-facing wall of Washington Canyon off the coast of Virginia. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration. Alt: A fish the color of the seafloor beneath it with a flat body.
Crab: This decorator crab was observed using its modified back legs to carry a glass sponge on its back at a depth of 762 meters (2,500 feet) during Dive 12 of Windows to the Deep 2021. It is thought that decorator crabs use materials from their environments, such as sponges, as camouflage, to avoid detection. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration. Alt: A crab carrying a white sponge with its back legs.
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 30
Our team collects massive amounts of deep-sea data during expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, from video to maps. So where does that information go, and how can you use it? Read about our process here: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition-fea…
A man sits in front of a row of computer monitors in a dark room. Description: Chief Hydrographic Survey Technician Benjamin Bryan cleans seafloor mapping data during the 2026 American Samoa Mapping + Transit expedition. Image courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration.
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 29
Does your desktop need a fall glow-up? If so, download our crab-tivating November desktop wallpaper calendar. It’s pretty claw-some!

oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/multimedia/cal…

These crabs were seemingly, but not actually, facing off over a cluster of sculpin eggs (or engaging in a dance battle).
November calendar featuring a bright red king crab facing a dark orange crab on the sandy ocean floor with a flat rock topped with white fish eggs between them. The NOAA Ocean Exploration logo is in the lower left corner.
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 27
During the 2025 shakedown expedition on #Okeanos, we tested a new ROV lighting system. With its tentacles flowing gracefully in the current, this stunning giant sea anemone (Relicanthus daphneae) was the perfect model.

Learn more about this expedition: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition/ex2…
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 26
In spring 2026, after a year-long hiatus from ROV operations, the team on #Okeanos reintegrated ROVs Deep Discoverer & Seirios onto the ship. This work laid the foundation for successful #OceanExploration in 2026 & beyond.

Look back at the ROV shakedown: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition/ex2…
People securing a large, white ROV on a research ship deck as others watch from above.
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 22
“Holy guacamole, look at this thing!”

Here’s a throwback to 2015, when a team aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer found what remains the largest sponge ever discovered by most measures. Learn more about this sponge in our new Ocean Exploration fact: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/ocean-fact/wha…
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 21
eDNA can help us understand the deep sea. To standardize & accelerate the sharing & use of #eDNA data, NOAA launched the Ocean DNA Explorer, an open-source data portal for sharing, exploring, searching, & visualizing marine eDNA data.

Learn more: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/news/noaas-new…

#ocean
Ocean DNA Explorer homepage with a welcome message, underwater fish image, navigation menu, action buttons, and data statistics.
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 20
Is going to sea for work worthwhile? Just ask Brett Woodworth, who sailed on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer as an Explorer-in-Training intern in 2023 and returned as a mapping watchstander for our most recent expedition! Read his story here: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition-fea…
A man sits in front of a row of computer monitors, smiling for the camera.
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 16
"Imagine if we had that up here on the surface? Spider-like creatures just flying through the air." Sounds about right for the month of Halloween!

This tiny, “dancing” arthropod was spotted during our 2026 American Samoa ROV + Mapping Exploration: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition/ex2…
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 15
Teachers of grades 6-12: There's still time to register for several of our fall professional development workshops, "Exploring the Deep Ocean with NOAA!" Learn more and register here: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/professional-d…
Top left: 2 teachers sit at a table and work on an activity involving a black box and colorful pencils. Top right: A multicolored image of undersea mountains. Bottom left: An image of remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer being raised from the water. Bottom right: Two teachers sit at a table. One uses a syringe for a workshop activity.
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 14
Greetings from the abyss! During the #Okeanos 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration cruise, we captured beautiful video of this cusk eel. Interestingly, despite their long bodies and eel-like shape, cusk eels are not "true" eels.

More images and videos: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition-mul…
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 13
Today is the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction. #DYK that through ocean exploration we can better understand & respond to earthquakes, tsunamis, & other natural hazards?

Learn about the geology/hazards of AK's Aleutian Islands: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition-fea…

#iddrr
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NOAA Ocean Exploration@oceanexplorer
Oct 9
How do you stretch your legs during a month-long expedition at sea? Can explorers call home from the middle of the ocean? And most importantly… how’s the food? Check out this new feature about what it’s like to sail aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer: oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition-fea…
A view of the blue ocean from the fantail of a ship.
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