March 6, 2003— The oceans and great inland seas are among the few remaining frontiers of human discovery on the planet. History demonstrates that exploration results in discoveries of great value. Every ocean expedition has the potential to discover important information about the origins of life on Earth, or new living or nonliving resources that may have potential to benefit humanity. Recent progress in technology is enabling new initiatives.

NOAA established its Office of Ocean Exploration in 2001 and thereby instituted a program to lead the coordination and execution of ocean exploration activities across NOAA offices and in collaboration with other national stakeholders in the ocean environment and its resources. Discovery and the spirit of challenge are cornerstones of NOAA’s OE program. These values drive the development and deployment of exploration technologies in NOAA.

Ocean exploration requires a broad spectrum of technology. Many of the challenges faced by NOAA’s ocean explorers are similar to those faced by NASA engineers and astronauts. In fact, in May of 2002, OE was one sponsor of the Link Symposium, which brought ocean and space scientists and engineers together to further the development of new technologies. While this — and other groups of NOAA researchers — are looking to the future, there are many exciting technologies supporting ocean exploration today.

Most people quickly think of submersibles, such as the Alvin, as a primary tool for exploration. NOAA has benefitted from Alvin and other submersibles, like the Johnson-Sea-Link, as it explores the ocean realm. Submersibles allow individual scientists to explore the deep in person. Trained eyes making detailed observations of the ocean floor and water column have been a key component in ocean discoveries, such as hydrothermal vents and the chemosynthetic ecosystems they support. During 2002, a NOAA expedition to the Galapagos Rift deployed Alvin to explore this fascinating undersea environment.

The Galapagos Rift Expedition also used another important undersea technology, Autonomous Underwater Vehicles, or AUVs for short. AUVs are unmanned, untethered robotic submarines. They carry batteries for power and are programmed with limited intelligence that allows them to explore the ocean autonomously. Once an AUV is launched it is basically on its own. In the Galapagos an AUV called the Autonomous Benthic Explorer used the night hours to probe the rift, while Alvin explored during daylight hours. Since ABE, like all AUVs, is a robotic vehicle it does not require pilots or scientists to risk themselves under the sea. A small team of engineers and scientists can comfortably control ABE’s dives from the deck of a research vessel. As technology, particularly software to control these robots, improves AUVs will become common tools for ocean exploration.

NOAA uses another type of unmanned vehicle for ocean exploration. Remotely Operated Vehicles, or ROVS, use a long tether or cable to connect the vehicle to a pilot on the surface. Since the tether carries power, as well as data, ROVS can be deployed for long durations and provide for close inspection of ocean features. Recent NOAA explorations have used an ROV called ROPOS, short for Remotely Operated Platform for Ocean Science. This ROV, and others (such as Tiburon) at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, are important tools for ocean science and exploration. During a recent exploration of the Arctic, NOAA needed to develop a new ROV specially designed for the challenges of under-ice deployment.

While unmanned vehicles and submersibles are important for exploring the deep ocean, individuals can actually explore the shallower waters through diving. Technical diving is used for many important types of ocean exploration. Coral reefs are a frequent ocean realm explored by divers. An exciting NOAA technology supporting diving is the Aquarius Undersea Habitat where scientific divers can live on the ocean bottom for days at a time. This facility even has been used to help NASA astronauts prepare for life in space.

A significant technical undertaking in NOAA ocean exploration is the search for, preservation, and (in some cases) recovery of submerged cultural resources. There are many shipwrecks — and even human habitation sites — submerged beneath the ocean. Exploring and protecting these parts of the past is an important mission for NOAA. During 2002, NOAA supported the recovery of the turret of the USS Monitor, the famous Civil War ironclad warship. This effort required a huge technical effort and relied heavily on advanced diving techniques. NOAA has also used advanced technology to survey and inspect shipwrecks in Thunder Bay.

There are many other types of technologies and tools used by NOAA researchers. Sonar and other acoustic instruments allow the NOAA Ocean Service to make charts, and the NOAA Fisheries to survey habitat and assess stocks. Oceanographic instruments like CTDs, drifters and trawls allow scientists to study the ocean. Developing and deploying advanced technology is a key element of NOAA ocean exploration. New tools and techniques will continue to lead to new discoveries in the depths.

Relevant Web Sites
National Marine Sanctuary Program Web site

Welcome to the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary

USS Monitor Center

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve

NOAA's Coral Reef Information System (CoRIS)

NOAA’s Ocean Service

NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey

Aquarius: The World’s Only Underwater Ocean Laboratory

NOAA’s Undersea Research Program

Advanced Undersea Diving Technologies

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service

Media Contact:
Jana Goldman, NOAA Research, (301) 713-2483 ext. 181