Catch our video broadcasts from June 21 through July 11
Curious about what lies and lives deep beneath the surface of the ocean? Now’s your chance to see it with your own eyes.
The remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer (left; on the deck of NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer) will be used to image unexplored areas of the Blake Plateau, Blake Ridge, Blake Escarpment, submarine canyons offshore of North Carolina, submerged cultural heritage sites, areas predicted to be suitable habitat for deep-sea corals and sponges, intercanyon areas, and gas seeps. 2019 photo. (Image credit: NOAA OER)
From June 21-July 11, tune into NOAA’s live video broadcasts of dives to depths as deep as two miles (3,200 meters) as part of an expedition off the southeastern coast of the United States.
After collecting high-resolution mapping data of the seafloor and water column, we’ll use remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) deployed from NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to explore deep-sea coral and sponge habitats, potential shipwrecks, submarine canyons and cold seeps. In fact, the deepwater areas we’ll be investigating are some of the least explored parts along the U.S. East Coast, so it’s possible that viewers and scientists alike could see marine species never seen before.
What is this deep-sea expedition about?
Led by the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, the Windows to the Deep 2019 expedition marks the 100th mission during which ocean exploration data has been collected from the Okeanos Explorer. This year marks 10 years since the first ocean exploration data was collected from the ship.
Data collected during this mission in the waters off Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina will fill critical gaps in our understanding of the southeast U.S. coast. It’s also expected to provide information needed to sustainably manage ocean resources and strengthen the Blue Economy, which includes more than 3 million jobs in marine trades, marine transportation, offshore mineral extraction, ship and boat building, and tourism and recreation.
Mark your calendars
- What: NOAA's Windows to the Deep 2019 Expedition
- When: June 21 to July 11, 2019
- Watch: ROV dives will be streamed live online each day from about 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. EDT (ocean and weather conditions permitting).
More: Access expedition daily updates, mission logs, images and videos and educational resources.
