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Weather
The Okeanos Explorer is currently operating near an undersea feature called Pioneer Tablemount, southeast of Midway Atoll, 1,000 miles from Honolulu. This largely unexplored pinnacle rises from the seafloor over 5,000 meters deep to nearly the surface. A spectacular ROV dive is currently taking place this afternoon of March 4th, revealing incredible sea life such as the transparent sea cucumber at left. These creatures are usually seen on the bottom, but this one was found free swimming, its undulating body moving it steadily by, at a depth of over 1,000 meters. Viscera can be seen inside its clear outer body.
Unfortunately, gusting winds and high seas have forced cancellation of several ROV dives over the last few days, and postponed our planned weekend operations on the Battle of Midway site. We are holding out hope that the weather will abate and dives can take place early next week, though the forecast is not promising.
The image at right, from Natural Earth, gives an idea what we’re up against. With the view centered roughly over our operations area, this snapshot from March 1 shows a couple of major storm systems passing through the region. History shows a 20% chance of seas exceeding twelve feet during the winter months in this part of the world, and we are definitely falling within that unlucky circumstance.
Regardless of the weather, the mapping team has been extremely productive during the last couple of days and filled in some important gaps around Pioneer Bank. These efforts included the mapping of a completely new seamount to the west of Pioneer Bank Ridge.
Please check out our Expedition Portal to see live imagery, replays of earlier dives, and other information about this important and exciting NOAA expedition.
NOAA Okeanos Explorer Program
The NOAA Midway dives have been planned for March 5-7, subject to weather and other unforeseen circumstances that are a part of life at sea. Stay tuned for further details about how to follow this expedition. The vessel is currently in Hawaiian waters testing equipment in preparation for its main mission which will begin around February 23rd: Map
The Okeanos Explorer program is one of exploration and discovery, designed to achieve a first-look at the unknown seafloor that will inspire further research. It is a highly collaborative process that involves the entire science community, so that new discoveries are available to everyone. All data is shared in real-time during the cruise through telepresence. Educational outreach is a major component, and public access is encouraged, including through the SeaWord Foundation. The current mission is to explore the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, encompassing the waters around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. It is the single largest fully protected conservation area under the U.S. flag, and one of the largest marine conservation areas in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the preserve includes deep and shallow coral reefs, sea mounts harboring thousands of marine species, hundreds of islets home to 14 million seabirds, and cultural resources of importance to native Hawaiians as well as historians of World War II.