Exploring the ocean for national benefit

NOAA Ocean Exploration is the only federal program dedicated to exploring the unknown ocean, unlocking its potential through scientific discovery, technological advancements, partnerships, data delivery, and education.

Learn About Science & Exploration

Learn about Ocean Exploration

Dive into ocean exploration by exploring materials such as stories, ocean facts, and images and videos, organized by topic for learners of all ages and levels.

Ocean Science for Everyone
For Educators
Multimedia

Highlights

Expeditions & Projects
A three-dimensional point cloud model of the shipwreck "Senator" resting on the seafloor, rendered with colored points ranging from green for the seabed and lower parts of the hull to yellow and orange for the upper deck and structures. The data visualization shows the vessel's form and the surrounding underwater terrain against a dark background.

Exploring Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary at Scale

In August 2025, a team of maritime archaeologists and engineers conducted fieldwork in Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast Marine National Sanctuary. Their goal was to test new technology and techniques for exploring deepwater shipwrecks — and learn more about our past.
Junior Regional Advisors and PICRC researchers on the dock by NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in Koror, Palau.
Feature
Junior Regional Advisors in Palau
Marine research equipment on a boat deck with docks and buildings in the background.
Expeditions & Projects
Ocean Robots Working Together

News Updates

Event
NOAA-Supported Expedition on E/V Nautilus to Explore Deep Waters of the Cook Islands
Discovery
NOAA and Partners Map the Seafloor in Southernmost Hawaiian Exclusive Economic Zone
Discovery • Publication
Jellyfish Found by Team Aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer Shatters Range Assumptions
Opportunity
Call for Input: NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer 2026 Proposed Pacific Island Operating Areas
Education
Meet 2025 NOAA Ocean Exploration Hollings Scholar, Alex Ensign
Event
Watch Live: NOAA and Partners Lead Expedition to Advance Deep-Sea Habitat Restoration in the Gulf

Our Expeditions by the Numbers

NOAA Ocean Exploration coordinates, funds, and conducts expeditions around the globe that feed the essential research and scientific inquiry necessary to understand the features and phenomena of the ocean to support informed resource management decisions.

View Data and Products
Featured Statistics
443,304 Square Kilometers of Seafloor Mapped
+180 Days at Sea on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer
5.5 Million Website Views
+400 Educators Trained

Status: NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer

In October, NOAA Ocean Exploration wrapped up operations on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer for the 2025 calendar year. We expect to resume operations in the Pacific in April 2026. Keep an eye out for more information!

Learn about Beyond the Blue
Underwater scene with a rocky seabed and robotic exploration vehicle.

Featured Favorite

These small pillow basalts, seen during Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition, suggest the volcanic dome feature explored may have been produced by slow, “dribbly” basalt flows.

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Explore More with NOAA Ocean Exploration

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