NOAA Ocean Exploration supports research expeditions to explore previously unvisited areas of the ocean. We provide partnership coordination, funding, staff, tools, and expertise needed to develop mission plans that deliver rigorous, systematic observations and documentation of biological, chemical, physical, geological, and archaeological aspects of the ocean. Follow NOAA Ocean Exploration-supported expeditions, including those on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, while they are underway or trace the activities and discoveries of past expeditions by clicking on the expedition-specific links below. For each expedition, you'll find information ranging from expedition plans and feature stories to educational materials and expedition daily updates, videos, and images.
Use the map below to access web coverage of NOAA Ocean Exploration-supported expeditions. You can also browse expeditions by topic or by year. Expeditions that took place prior to 2010 are archived here.
Access data collected during past expeditions via the NOAA Ocean Exploration Data Atlas.