T ABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements 3

Message from Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere & NOAA Administrator 4

Message from Director of NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration 5

Vision and Mission 7

Map of 2003 Ocean Expeditions 8

Key Expeditions 

Mountains in the Sea: Exploring the New England Seamount Chain 10

Windows to the Deep: Exploration of Blake Ridge 12

Investigating the Charleston Bump 14

Life on the Edge: Exploration of Unique Reef Outer Shelf & 

Slope Habitats Off the Carolinas 16

Medicines from the Deep Sea: Exploration of the Gulf of Mexico 18

Northern Gulf of Mexico Deep-Sea Habitats 20

Submarine Ring of Fire 22

Exploring the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands 24

Themes 

Mapping Our Uncharted Oceans 26

Ocean Interactions and Dynamics 28

Ocean Exploration Technology: New Sensors and Tools 30

Exploring our Maritime Heritage 32

Education and Outreach 34

Photo Credits 37

TABLE OF CONTENTS
NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Association of Diving Contractors International, Brevard

Community College, Burke High School, C&C

Technologies, Inc., California Academy of Sciences,

Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility, Charleston

County School District, College of Exploration, College

of Charleston, College of William and Mary, Columbia

University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Crew

of the Research Vessel Thomas G. Thompson, Crews of

the R/V Seward Johnson and Johnson-Sea-Link

submersible, Crews of the R/V Kai’imikai-o-Kanaloa.

and Pisces submersibles, Crew of the NOAA ship Oscar

Settee, Crew of the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown,

Crews of Research Vessel Atlantis and Deep

Submergence Vehicle Alvin, Crews of Research vessel

Akademik Mstislav Keldysh and MIR submersibles,

Danish Hydrographic Agency, Deep Ocean

Expeditions, DePaul University, The DesignPond,

devOcean, Discovery Channel, Droycon Bioconcepts,

Inc, Eau Gallie High School, Florida Atlantic University,

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary,

Geological Survey of Israel, Geological Survey of

Denmark, Georgia Institute of Technology, Girl Scouts

of the USA, Hamden High School, Harbor Branch

Oceanographic Institution, Hatfield Marine Science

Center, Hawaii Pacific University, Hawaii Undersea

Research Lab, Hawaii Sea Grant, Hawaiian Island

Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, Heritage

Middle School, History Channel, Institute for

Exploration, Institute for Genomic Research, Institute for

Nautical Archaeology, J.L. Scott Marine Education

Center Education Center & Aquarium, Japan’s National

Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and

Technology, Lincoln Academy High School, Los

Angeles County, Museum of Natural History, Marine

Conservation Biology Institute, Massachusetts

Center for Coastal Studies, Massachusetts Institute

of Technology, Mitretek Systems, NAPRO

Communications, NASA, National Park Service,

National Geographic Television and Film, National

Marine Sanctuaries Foundation Naval Research Lab,

Naval Underwater Warfare Center, North Carolina

Department of Environment and Natural Resources,

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, North

Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve, New

Zealand Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences,

NOAA Arctic Research Office, NOAA Coastal Services

Center, NOAA Eastern Oceanics, NOAA Flower

Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA

Fisheries, NOAA Fisheries Galveston, NOAA Marine

and Aviation Operations, NOAA National Marine

Sanctuaries Program, NOAA National Undersea

Research Program, NOAA Ocean Service, NOAA

Office of Coast Survey, NOAA Office of Oceanic and

Atmospheric Research, NOAA Office of General

Counsel, NOAA Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center,

NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory,

NOAA Systematics Laboratory-Smithsonian Institution,

Northwestern Hawaiian Island Coral Reef Ecosystem

Reserve, Ocean Technology Foundation, Oklahoma

State University, Oregon State University, Oregon Sea

Grant, P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, PAST

Foundation, Peabody Museum of Natural History,

Ramey School in Puerto Rico, Savannah State

University, SECOSEE, Smithsonian Institution,

Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, Sonsub Inc.,

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources,

Stockholm University, Texas A&M University, University

of Alabama, University of Alaska Fairbanks, University

of Connecticut and NOAA NURC -Avery Point,

University of Florida, University of Hawaii at Hilo,

University of Hawaii at Manoa and Hawaii Undersea

Research Laboratory, University of Louisiana at

Lafayette, University of Maine, University of Miami,

University of New Hampshire/NOAA Center for Coastal

Ocean Mapping Joint Hydrographic Center, University

of North Carolina-Wilmington and NOAA/NURC,

University of Oregon, University of Rhode Island,

University of Southern Mississippi, University of South

Carolina, University of the Virgin Islands, University of

Virginia, University of Washington, University of the

West Indies, University of Wyoming, U.S. Geological

Survey, U.S. Coast Guard. USN Arctic Submarine Lab,

Walker Marine Geophysical Co., Woods Hole

Oceanographic Institution.
I

n just three short years and with limited resources, the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration has achieved solid

results in basic exploration and mapping the ocean floor, as well as in education and

outreach efforts. These achievements were built on a strong foundation of partnerships. 

I am proud to present their 2003 report.

Expeditions in 2003 added to our knowledge of deep-sea volcanoes along the Earth's

submarine Ring of Fire. They brought marine organisms from the seafloor of the Gulf of Mexico

to laboratories for study as healing agents in a growing list of medicines from the sea.

Teams of scientists learned more about precious deep-sea corals in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and

studied deep-water habitats on seamounts in the North Atlantic, at the Charleston Bump in the South Atlantic, and in

the Gulf of Mexico. An expedition to Blake Plateau in the South Atlantic brought up organisms that thrived where no

sunlight reaches, but where life is supported by methane gas seeping from ocean sediments.

In 2003, the ocean provided more information about our history and culture. With partners, NOAA explored ancient

shipwrecks in the Black Sea and studied the condition of other sunken vessels of historic importance including USS

Arizona in Pearl Harbor; RMS Titanic in the North Atlantic; and U-166, a German U-boat sunk in the Gulf of Mexico

during WW II. Again with partners, NOAA searched for the remains of the Gaspee and other American Revolutionary

War wrecks and researched possible locations of USS Alligator, a Civil War era submarine lost in a storm off

Cape Hatteras.

Mapping is a fundamental component of ocean exploration. It is the first critical step for planning focused

explorations and scientific investigations. With partners, NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration surveyed more than

50,000 square nautical miles of new ocean area including the Mariana Arc and the Puerto Rico Trench, the deepest

area of the Atlantic ocean. In the Arctic, NOAA and academic partners mapped more than 1,500 nautical miles where

Alaska's continental slope is 2,500 meters deep. This information is critical for both expanding our understanding of

the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and supporting possible future extensions of the EEZ where potential

resources valued at $1.3 trillion are estimated to exist.

While 2003 was an exciting and productive year, there are challenges ahead. New sensors and systems will help meet

those challenges, and NOAA will rely more than ever on strong partnerships. Our fundamental view of the ocean has

changed. For thousands of years, people looked across the ocean and asked, "What lies beyond?" Today we ask,

"What lies below?" Those deep mysteries will be answered by ocean exploration.

Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr.

Vice Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.)

Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

MESSAGE FROM UNDER SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR 

OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE & NOAA ADMINISTRATOR
The 2003 Field Season was an exciting year for NOAA’s Office of Ocean

Exploration. We funded, organized, and sailed with interdisciplinary teams of

world-class scientists, where there was always the excitement of exploring and

mapping new areas of the ocean. We wrote new chapters in history while

excavating old shipwrecks, found new species of life, and investigated chemical compounds

in ocean organisms that might cure cancer or other diseases.

There was also the excitement of sharing these new discoveries with students, teachers,

scientists, and indeed with all interested taxpayers. We reached out to those audiences in a number of ways. This

annual report is one example, but there are many others. Thus far, 150 lesson plans, centered on our expeditions,

have been written for grades 5-12. We also sponsored Professional Development Institutes nationwide for teachers to

bring the joy of science and exploration into the classroom. Open houses were held at the end of many expeditions

and students toured research vessels and interacted with scientists in the labs on those ships. It is hard to say who got

the most out of those interactions—the scientists or the students. Some students may go on to be scientists or perhaps

science teachers. All the students learned more about our oceans and their increased ocean literacy will be vital

when as taxpayers and voters, they’ll face decisions about the future of our oceans. 

The shared excitement of our voyages of discovery is available to anyone who visits www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov.

where stories of discovery are told in mission summaries, accompanied by still and moving images from the deep

oceans. Many expeditions read like daily newspapers, where scientists file daily mission logs at sea, and the reader

is along for the ride. The smell of salty air and the rise and drop of the research vessel in heavy seas are not far from

the readers’ senses.

Again in 2003 we operated at a fast pace. First we called for proposals and had a distinguished group of scientists

peer-review those proposals. We then selected expeditions and projects based on reviews and other considerations

including the availability of funds, ships, manned submersibles and remotely operated vehicles. Next we organized

missions and multidisciplinary teams of scientists, went to sea and reported to the public on another successful field

season. All of that—in less than one year! 

I hope you enjoy our 2003 Annual Report. 

CAPT. Craig McLean

Director, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration

MESSAGE FROM DIRECTOR OF NOAA’S OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION
NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION
VISION AND MISSION

THE VISION

The oceans are the lifeblood of Earth. They cover more

than 70 percent of the planet’s surface, drive its weather,

and ultimately fuel all living creatures. Throughout

history they have been a vital source for sustenance,

transport, commerce, growth and inspiration. Yet for all

of our reliance on the oceans we have explored less

than 5 percent of their breadth and depth. 

Realizing the urgent

need for a better understanding of this critical

global resource, and in

response to growing

national concern over

the state of the oceans,

the U.S. government

empowered a panel of experts in 2000 to develop a

national strategy for ocean exploration. The result was

the creation of a National Ocean Exploration Program

(OE) in 2001 to be led by the nation’s ocean agency, the

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA).

THE MISSION

NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration was created to

investigate the oceans for the purpose of discovery and

the advancement of knowledge. NOAA’s OE program

signaled a turning point for this nation’s ocean

exploration efforts and it represents a bold and

innovative approach. It infuses teams of multidisciplinary scientist-explorers with a “Lewis and Clark” spirit of

discovery, then equips them with the latest exploration

tools - some pioneered specifically to support OE

missions. These new exploration tools are taking

researchers to some of the deepest and least explored

regions of the world’s oceans and as a result, a more

thorough understanding of the deep ocean realm

is evolving. 

OE’s mission fits into four distinct areas:

Mapping and characterizing the physical,

biological, chemical and archaeological aspects of

the ocean;

Developing a more thorough understanding of

ocean dynamics and interactions at new levels;

Developing new sensors and systems to regain U.S.

leadership in ocean technology, and;

Reaching out to the public to communicate how

and why unlocking the secrets of the ocean is well

worth the commitment of time and resources, and

to benefit current and future generations.

OE dedicates 10 percent of its annual budget to various

outreach and education activities, and is committed to

working towards improved science literacy and

developing the next generation of ocean explorers,

scientists, and educators. By tapping into NOAA’s

Ocean Explorer Web site and other outreach initiatives,

Americans become “citizen explorers” and connect

deeply with their own instinctive fascination with the

oceans. 

Expeditions and projects undertaken in 2003 were built

on OE’s previous two years of discovery-based ocean

research. Results from the 2003 field season already

include new maps of previously unknown ocean areas,

the discovery of new marine species and habitats, and

volumes of new data for scientists, natural resource

managers and educators. 

VISION AND MISSION
Steamship Portland

Northeast Seamounts

Life on the Edge

Blake Ridge

Charleston Bump

Puerto Rico Trench

Kick’em Jenny Volcano

Sound in the Sea

Gulf of Mexico Biology

Gulf of Mexico Habitats

U-166

Deep Sea Mediciines

Arctic

NW Hawaiian Islands

Great Lakes

Quest for the Gaspee

Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Titanic

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

2003 Ocean Expeditions
Black Sea

Ring of Fire
The New England seamounts make up the

longest seamount chain in the North Atlantic.

They encompass more than 30 major volcanic

peaks extending from Georges Bank southeast for about

1,100 km to the eastern end of the Bermuda Rise,

ending abruptly with Nashville Seamount to the east

northeast of Bermuda. 

An interdisciplinary team of scientists (including ichthyologists, geneticists, reproductive biologists, oceanographers, and a hydrographer), educators, journalists, graduate students, and a scientific illustrator were among

the few who have ever explored these seamounts.

The objectives of the expedition were to map the

distribution of octocorals and assess the overall diversity

of seamount organisms;

determine whether New

England seamount octocorals are genetically

distinct; examine the

reproductive state and

larval strategies of

seamount octocorals;

assess the physical

impact of bottom trawling on octocoral communities and seamount

biodiversity; and acquire multibeam data to produce

high resolution maps of the regions studied.

The expedition took place aboard the Woods Hole

Oceanographic Institution’s Research Vessel (R/V)

Atlantis from July 11 – July 19, and used the Deep

Submergence Vehicle Alvin to explore the deep ocean.

Three seamounts, Bear, Kelvin, and Manning, were

visited during the expedition. Multibeam mapping

occurred on Bear and Kelvin seamount, with some

maps made of areas in between the sampling sites. This

cruise was the first to map and dive on Kelvin seamount.

Two Alvin dives were

made at Kelvin and

Manning and three

dives conducted at

Bear seamount. On

each dive, the Alvin

collected video and

digital still imagery

and sampled for

deep-water corals

and associated fauna, especially organisms living with

the corals and fish inhabiting coral assemblages. Once

back on the ship, each coral specimen was sampled for

reproductive state and morphology of the polyps, tissue

was taken for genetic analysis, associates were removed

and preserved, and then the entire coral body was

preserved for final identification on return to the

laboratory.

A journalist from Science Magazine covered the cruise

and wrote an article titled ‘Deep Sea Mountaineering,’

published in Science Magazine in August 2003.

A reporter from Newsday, also participated in the cruise

and submitted daily logs and images from sea to the

“Our Natural World” series of the New York area

Newsday Website.

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

KEY EXPEDITIONS

Mountains in the Sea:

EXPLORING THE NEW ENGLAND

SEAMOUNT CHAIN
A live question and answer

session was orchestrated

between students in Connecticut

and scientists in the Alvin while

the submersible was diving at

1600 meters below the surface

on Bear Seamount.

The R/V Atlantis and DSV Alvin

were the support platforms for

the Mountains in the Sea

expedition. The support ship’s

multibeam sonar and dynamic

positioning were critical to the

success of the mission.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

At least one new species of deep-sea coral may have

been discovered, as was at least one new species of

cumacean (small shrimp-like crustacean). In addition,

the habitat range of several fish species was preliminarily extended through the findings of this expedition.

Co-Principal Investigator, Ivar Babb, Director of the

National Undersea Research Center (NURC) at the

University of Connecticut (UConn) said, “This was a

very successful cruise, as more samples were collected

and information obtained than we all imagined

possible.”

Peter Auster, science director at NURC/UConn said,

“We saw approximately 18 species of deep-sea fishes,

which is not many when one considers shallow water

fish communities but is substantial when working in the

deep sea.” Auster continued, “the seven dives showed us

that fish are distributed very unevenly around

seamounts and there are apparent differences between

seamounts. For example, very few species were seen at

Kelvin Seamount but many more

were observed at Manning and

Bear Seamounts.”

Observations suggest there are

associations of some species with

particular features of the seafloor

landscape. Hakes and cusk eels

were observed in the shelter of

basalt crevices searching for prey,

while halosaurs found shelter

over sediment ripple features.

Scott France, professor of biology

at the College of Charleston, sampled 20 different coral

species for genetic sequencing on the three seamounts

visited, including six black corals and one stony coral.

France indicated, “These genetic diversity data can

ultimately be used to estimate the amount of larval

dispersal between the seamounts. For this objective, we

sampled tissue from seven species found on more than

one seamount.”

Les Watling, the Principal Investigator of the cruise and

Professor of oceanography at the University of Maine,

determined the corals collected differed significantly

from those seen in the canyons and on the slope off

the US east coast. He also noted each coral species had

its own set of associated species, such as worms or

brittle stars. 

Jon Moore, Assistant Professor, Florida Atlantic

University, studying the biodiversity on the seamounts

stated, “Photographic surveying and selective sampling

during this expedition has impressively expanded our

knowledge of the animals living on these seamounts.”

EXPEDITION AT A GLANCE 

New England Seamounts

July 11 – July 19, 2003

Research Vessel Atlantis

Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin

7 Submersible Dives

29 hours of bottom time

First mapping and exploration of 

Kelvin seamount

Over 440 specimens collected
Avast reserve of gas trapped in ice-like hydrate

deposits and free gas that migrates up through

sediments is located at Blake Ridge on the U.S.

Atlantic Ocean margin, at water depths greater than

2000 meters. Where seafloor faults, salt diapirs (domes

where overlying sedimentary layers are broken and

uplifted by the movement of more plastic underlying

rocks, such as salt or shale), and sedimentary structures

disturb the gas hydrate reservoir, there is potential for

development of communities that rely on chemosynthesis (synthesis of organic compounds by energy

derived from chemical reactions) rather than photosynthesis as the basis of the food web. Ecological characteristics of these communities serve as indicators of

composition and

flux of fluids and

gas within the

sediments. 

The goals of the

Windows to the

Deep expedition

were to develop

an understanding

of the geological

setting associated

with deep-sea hydrate and gas reserves on the Blake

Ridge and to locate additional methane seeps and seep

communities using integrated biological, chemical, and

geophysical approaches. The expedition team included

scientists and students with experience in aqueous and

sediment geochemistry, seep ecology, microbial

ecology, hard-rock geology, seismology, geophysics,

and marine hydrogeology. 

The expedition was staged aboard the Woods Hole

Oceanographic Institution’s Research Vessel (RV)

Atlantis from July 22 – August 3, 2003, and used the

Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin. 

Seven Alvin dives were conducted to explore the

biology, physics, and chemistry of seafloor methane

seeps at water depths of 2,000 meters to 3,500 meters

off the coast of the southeastern U.S.

Three dives on the

Blake Ridge Diapir

presented researchers

with the opportunity

to expand exploration of this known

methane seep and to

map the distribution

of live clams, dead

clams, and mussel

fields in greater detail. During the dives, scientists

collected samples of clam populations for studies

linking clam distribution and health to the geochemistry

of underlying sediments. Scientists also acquired mussel

samples for histopathological studies, and used push

cores to sample sediments and bacterial mats for geochemical analyses and microbial community studies

based on DNA and RNA. 

Windows to the Deep had an active nighttime program

of SEABEAM bathymetric mapping and 3.5 kHz

sub-bottom profiling. These surveys and Alvin dives

enhanced our understanding of the ecology of methane

seeps, the relationship of salt diapirs to the geology of

the region and to gas hydrate dynamics, and structural

features associated with the Cape Fear landslide.

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

KEY EXPEDITIONS

Windows to the Deep:

EXPLORATION OF BLAKE RIDGE 
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The team of scientists, led by

Chief Scientist Dr. Carolyn

Ruppel of the Georgia Institute of

Technology and Co-Chief

Scientist Dr. Cindy Lee Van Dover

of The College of William and

Mary, accomplished diverse

scientific objectives during their

exploration of the Blake Ridge

gas hydrates province.

Using Alvin, the scientists

acquired a complete suite of

geochemical and biological

(clams, mussels, and bacterial mats) samples on the

Blake Ridge Diapir, where gas hydrate had been

observed at the seafloor in 2001. Geophysical imaging

of the shallow sub-seafloor sediment layers at this

location revealed the three-dimensional structure of the

gas chimneys sustaining the cold seep chemosynthetic

community. Studies combining the results of the

biological, geochemical, and geophysical sampling are

at the frontier of interdisciplinary research on the deep

ocean environment. In this case, the integrated

approach permits researchers to relate the spatial

distribution of mussels, clams, and bacterial mats to the

chemistry and physics of the sub-seafloor methane and

fluid plumbing system.

The new biological samples are also being used for

focused studies. Researchers are extending their work

on viruses infecting mussels, linking clam reproduction

to sediment geochemistry, identifying new species, and

using genetic techniques to characterize microbial

populations.

With seafloor imaging tools available on the Atlantis,

the researchers compiled the most complete map ever

produced of the Cape Fear submarine slide, the largest

such slide on the U.S. Atlantic margin and a feature

whose origin has long been linked to the presence of

gas hydrates in the sediments. “This new map has

already revised our understanding of the extent and

nature of this slide and of other submarine geo-hazards

related to gas hydrates,” said Ruppel.

The combination of comprehensive, high-resolution seafloor

bathymetric surveys, extensive

subsurface profiling, and seafloor

ground-truth observations with

Alvin allowed researchers to

modify criteria used to predict the

location of chemosynthetic

communities at Blake Ridge

and similar seafloor settings. As

Ruppel noted, exploration-based

research always increases our

understanding of the deep-sea

environment. “We are engaged in

planetary exploration, where the

planet is Earth,” she said.

The expedition was exceptional not only in its scientific

scope, but also in its impact on the 16 current or

recently graduated students who participated. Eleven

students visited the seafloor in Alvin, and the students

often took the lead role in data acquisition and analysis.

During Alvin’s ascent from the seafloor, one student

said, “I thought about how far I was from where I grew

up...and how lucky I was to have this experience.”

EXPEDITION AT A GLANCE 

Blake Ridge

July 22 – August 3, 2003

Research Vessel Atlantis

Deep Submergence Vehicle Alvin

7 Submersible Dives

New exploration of Cape Fear 

Diapir, Cape Fear escarpment, 

Blake Ridge Diapir, and Blake Ridge

New maps created of Cape Fear 

submarine slide and of diapirs 

inboard of Carolina Trough 
Off the coast of South Carolina and Georgia

exists a unique feature called the Charleston

Bump, which rises off the surrounding Blake

Plateau from 600 meters deep to a depth of about

370 meters. The rocky, erosion-resistant Charleston

Bump impedes the flow of the Gulf Stream, deflecting it

offshore and creating a zone of gyrating eddies and

swift, narrow currents. The combination of rocky, highrelief bottom and strong currents creates a complex

habitat consisting of scour depressions, mounds of

deep-sea corals and rubble, and steep slopes that are

deeply undercut with extensive caves. 

The investigation of the Charleston Bump was staged

from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution’s

(HBOI) Research Vessel Seaward Johnson, from

August 1-14, 2003, and was funded through NOAA’s

Office of Ocean Exploration. Scientists from the Marine

Resources Research Institute at the South Carolina

Department of Natural Resources and the University of

South Carolina led the expedition. 

During the 15 days at

sea, researchers investigated how fishes and

invertebrates adapt to

the variety of bottom

habitats, and how they

tolerate the strong and

shifting currents. They

also sought to find

new and unique species. Much of this work was

conducted using HBOI’s Johnson-Sea-Link II

submersible, which is outfitted with digital video, still

cameras and other instruments to record information

about the surrounding waters. The submersible

collected samples of rocks and sediments, as well as

specimens of fishes and invertebrates such as sponges

and deep-water corals. Additionally, instruments were

deployed to measure temperature, salinity, oxygen

content, and current speed and direction throughout the

water column. This information is used to describe the

water column and dynamics of water flow at the

Charleston Bump and to characterize the habitat of the

organisms collected. 

An “Open House” took place immediately following the

cruise, on August 15, as the vessel was docked in

Charleston, SC. Hundreds of students from nearby

schools in grades 5-12 were able to tour the vessel.

They had the opportunity to see the Johnson-Sea-Link II

submersible and several specimens collected during the

Charleston Bump cruise as the scientists acted as tour

guides and answered questions about their work and

life at sea. A second component of this day was a

nearby “Ocean Education Fair” where NOAA’s Office of

Ocean Exploration, the South Carolina Aquarium,

Project Oceanica, the North Carolina Museum of

Natural Sciences, and the South Carolina Sea Grant set

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

KEY EXPEDITIONS

Investigating the 

Charleston Bump
up exhibits to tell students about

their work, engage them with

brief educational activities, and

hand out materials. 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

During the cruise to the

Charleston Bump, 14 submersible

dives, down to depths of

600 meters, were completed.

Scientists encountered a great

variety of habitats during these

dives, each inhabited by different forms of life. “The

largest bottom-dwelling species of bony fish, wreckfish

and red bream, tend to occupy habitats providing a

large amount of protected space, such as caves and

overhangs,” said David Wyanski, a fish biologist with

the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

“Away from areas of steepest relief, we noted fauna that

were adapted to lower relief habitats. In areas with

manganese-phosphorite rubble or low-relief limestone

rock interspersed with patches of sand, we noted

smaller fish species, often associated with sponges,

corals or rock formations that conferred protection,”

he said, continuing with his assessment of species

distribution in this unique environment. 

“We collected more than 20 ‘living rocks,’ “ said Leslie

Sautter, Associate Professor at the College

of Charleston's Department of Geology and

Environmental Geosciences. “These specimens show a

wide range of invertebrates on a single rock. We found

organisms escaping the current and predators by living

on the rock undersides, and very different species -

those better adapted to currents - living on top of

the same rocks.” Steve Stancyk, Professor

of Marine Science and Biology

at the University of South

Carolina and Co-Principal

Investigator of the cruise

will be identifying the

organisms collected.

“The links between patterns of

water flow and the types of

organisms that live in each flow

‘regime’ have been studied in

habitats such as coral reefs and

seamounts in the North Atlantic,

but seldom have they been investigated in deep water, and never

at the Charleston Bump,” said

Stancyk. An example of such a

link was observed during one of

the dives, where a fan-like

sponge had created a microhabitat on its down-current side by reducing water

current velocity, and thereby causing the deposition of

sediment. The pile of sediment was collected with the

suction sampler on the submersible and will be

examined to see if invertebrate abundance is greater in

the sediment pile as compared to sediments in adjacent

areas with higher currents.

“Under such harsh conditions, one might expect to find

a dearth of marine life,” said George Sedberry, senior

marine scientist at the South Carolina Department of

Natural Resources. “Yet, a submersible visit to the

bottom revealed three-foot long wreckfish, large

barrelfish and bizarre forms of corals and sponges

bending into the current to scoop up the sparse

plankton drifting in the Gulf Stream. Because the

Charleston Bump has not been explored to any degree,

the expedition looked for new species, especially when

the submersible applied suction to small crevices and in

caves where creatures may hide.”

EXPEDITION AT A GLANCE 

Charleston Bump

August 1-14, 2003

Research Vessel Seward Johnson

Johnson-Sea-Link II submersible 

14 Submersible Dives

“Open House” in Charleston, SC

Specimen collection

Water flow dynamics
Many marine habitats have been overlooked

or only cursorily examined. Deep study

areas such as those off the Carolinas,

between 100-1000 meters, are important frontiers,

offering a transition from the continental shelf to the

true deep sea. Relative to the continental shelves of the

U.S. and Gulf of Mexico, transition areas are less well

studied because the bottom topography is extremely

rugged and/or overlain by extreme currents. As a

result, non-conventional sampling methods must be

incorporated into mission design.

The unique and productive habitats off of the Carolinas

were explored through a multidisciplinary partnership

between NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration (OE), the

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), University of North

Carolina – Wilmington, North Carolina Museum of

Natural Sciences, NOAA Systematics Laboratory,

NAPRO Communications, and Harbor Branch

Oceanographic Institution (HBOI). 

The expedition was staged from the HBOI Research

Vessel (R/V) Seward Johnson, between August 16 and 27,

using the Johnson-Sea-Link II manned submersible and

a Panther remotely-operated vehicle (ROV). The

expedition was sponsored by OE as part of its mission

to investigate the oceans for the purpose of discovery

and the advancement of knowledge. Project Principle

Investigators were S.W Ross (lead, UNCW), K.J. Sulak

(USGS), M.S. Nizinski (NMFS), and E.D. Baird (NCSM).

Scientists completed a 12-day voyage to study the

region’s poorly known deep-reef habitats, including

deep Lophelia coral bank habitats. 

Life on the Edge included locating, profiling, and

defining habitats, developing a holistic concept of

community structure and function, examining the use of

hard bottom habitats as nursery areas for economically

important fish species, evaluating boundaries and

candidate habitats for

a proposed Marine

Protected Area and

confirming the true

nature of the site

known as the “Snowy

Wreck.”

Plans included sharing the expedition

with the public

through an array of outreach partners including the

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. 

An “At-Sea Media Day” was held August 20 so

expedition scientists could report their findings to and

answer questions for the media. Scientists and explorers

led tours on board the research vessel to demonstrate

the technology that enabled this expedition and to

explain discoveries they made.

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

KEY EXPEDITIONS

Life on the Edge:

EXPLORATION OF UNIQUE REEF OUTER SHELF

& SLOPE HABITATS OFF THE CAROLINAS 
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The diverse team of scientists and

educators was successful in

exploring, comparing, and

contrasting the closely associated

ecosystems of the outer shelf

hard grounds and midslope

deep coral (Lophelia) banks off

the Carolinas.

Dr. Steve Ross of UNCWilmington, described the need

to study these habitats, “Overlain

by extreme currents and difficult

to sample using conventional

surface gear, these deep habitats have been poorlyknown. When we sampled deep reefs we looked

closely at the data and saw large communities of fish

otherwise thought to be rare. If we find that deep-sea

corals are primary habitats for these rare fish

communities, we’ll need to act soon to protect those

habitats and reefs from further damage.”

These sampling methods included a variety of surface

and mid-water sampling, including tucker trawls,

plankton nets, neuston netting, night light, rod and

reeling and dip netting. Additionally, a Remotely

Operated Vehicle (ROV) investigation and daily

manned submersible (Johnson SeaLink II) were

deployed for the purpose of investigation.

The submersible and surface investigations were

undertaken at four primary target sites along the outer

shelf and slope of the Carolinas. Undersea operations

comprised 17 submersible dives and one ROV dive.

During the dives, scientists took

hundreds of underwater digital

still images to document reef

habitats and the fish and invertebrate fauna. Scientists noted

significant range extensions for

several species of fish indigenous

to the Caribbean. 

Surface sampling operations were

conducted at more than 50

surface stations and 21 midwater

sampling stations using several

types of equipment. At one

surface station, scientists were

excited to capture close-up video

imagery of spawning behavior of one flying fish species

they believe had never previously been documented.

In addition to collecting samples and imagery, scientists

undertook a large number of fathometer surveys.

The resulting digital image files pinpoint areas of

undersea topography documenting deep-coral reefs that

may be the subjects of future explorations.

With video gathered from the ROV, scientists confirmed

for the first time that the seafloor target known as the

“Snowy Wreck” is indeed a shipwreck of a steel-hulled,

120-foot long vessel that is largely intact.

NOAA scientist Dr. Martha Nizinski spoke about the

mission’s teamwork and their drive to succeed, “The

mantra of our mission was ‘Make this cruise count’.

Every valuable piece of information we can glean from

our samples will be incorporated into scientific, peerreviewed manuscripts.”

EXPEDITION AT A GLANCE 

Carolinas

August 16-27, 2003

R/V Seward Johnson

Johnson-Sea-Link II Submersible, 

Panther ROV

17 Submersible Dives

1 ROV Dive

1st collection of invasive Lionfish 

via submersible

Confirmed “Snowy Wreck” Shipwreck

Media Interacted with Scientists
Deep-water marine habitats are a relatively

untapped resource in the search for new

medicines. Virtually no drug discovery

research had targeted the deep-water reef and hardbottom communities in

the Gulf of Mexico, and,

in particular, the microorganisms living in these

communities.

This project explored

untapped sources for

potential new drugs that

will be applied over the

long-term in the study, and treatment of human

diseases, including cancer, infectious diseases, diseases

of the immune system, cardiovascular disease and

central nervous system disorders.

Sailing from St. Petersburg, Florida, scientists from

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution (HBOI)

partnered with NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration

(OE), Sonsub Inc., C&C Technologies Inc., and NOAA’s

Office of Coast Survey in a 12-day search for new

“medicines from the deep sea.”

The mission was staged from the 274-foot NOAA ship

Ronald H. Brown using the Sonsub Inc. remotelyoperated vehicle (ROV), Innovator, a heavy-duty

industrial ROV to collect specimens and document the

habitats explored. In their quest to identify new

medicines, scientists focused on collecting and studying

marine organisms found in deep rocky habitats along

the shelf edge from southwestern Florida to Alabama.

The exploration objectives for the Medicines from the

Deep Sea mission sought to advance understanding of

the northern Gulf of Mexico by conducting “marine life

inventories” of both vertebrates and invertebrates.

Scientists also located and mapped deep-water corals,

discovered new ocean resources, and promoted ocean

science through education and outreach activities.

OE’s national education coordinator and a Florida high

school teacher-at-sea provided a strong educational

component to the mission. Their efforts included lesson

plan development for grades 6-12, mission logs and

interviews, and post-cruise presentations.

Expedition scientists held a “Port Call” day on

September 8, to discuss their pre-cruise expectations

and answer questions from the media. Scientists and

explorers led tours on board the NOAA ship Ronald H.

Brown to demonstrate the technology that enabled this

expedition and

to discuss mission objectives

and potential

discoveries.

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

KEY EXPEDITIONS

Medicines from the Deep Sea:

EXPLORATION OF THE GULF OF MEXICO
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Decommissioned oil rigs, towers

of coral that rise from the ocean

floor, and a limestone ledge that

15,000 years ago was the

shoreline of Florida’s west coast

were just a few of the targets the

scientific team explored during

the mission in the northern Gulf

of Mexico. 

“Basically no research had been

conducted on the biomedical

potential of the Gulf of Mexico

deep sea resources,” said John

Reed, Chief Scientist for HBOI’s Division of Biomedical

Marine Research (DBMR).

The Deep Sea Medicines mission was a cooperative

effort between scientists and industry. Scientists used

the ROV Innovator, which is owned and operated by

Sonsub Inc. based in Houston, Texas. The ROV is often

operated in support of the offshore oil industry and can

dive to nearly 10,000 feet. The Innovator was specially

configured with a set of new tools which were

fabricated to support a series of scientific expeditions

based from the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown. These

tools maximized the ROV’s capability to collect

scientific data and marine specimens.

During the expedition, scientists used the ROV to

collect samples, record 585 high-quality underwater

digital still images and 69 hours of video to document

the fish, invertebrate fauna, and reef habitats.

In addition to the samples and photographs, scientists

used the ship’s SEABEAM mapping system to gather

bathymetric data and subsequently

developed high-resolution topographic

maps of five sites. These highresolution maps were used to

identify the primary target

locations to dive the ROV.

Prior to the cruise, Dr. Shirley

Pomponi, HBOI’s Vice President

and Director of Research, was

confident of new discoveries,

“Because so much of the Gulf

remains unexplored, I expected to

find new organisms that we had

never encountered before on any

of our other trips.”

Preliminary results suggest the

cruise exceeded expectations

of the Principal Investigators,

Dr. Pomponi, Dr. Amy Wright, and

John Reed. At least one new

species of sponge was discovered,

and chemical analysis indicates novel compounds were

present in many of the samples collected. Among other

achievements, scientists brought up specimens of the

sponge Forcepia to continue research on compounds

showing promise in the treatment of pancreatic cancer. 

Though it may be years before we determine if any

of these compounds will directly benefit human health,

sample testing and the search for new samples must

continue if we are to discover new medicines from

the sea. 

EXPEDITION AT A GLANCE 

Gulf of Mexico

September 8-19, 2003

NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown

Sonsub Innovator ROV

22 ROV Dives

5 SCUBA Dives

Industry ROV used for scientific 

investigation

New species discovered

New bioactive compounds under 

investigation

KEY EXPEDITIONS
The presence of deep-sea corals in the Gulf of

Mexico has been known for several decades,

yet little work has been focused on understanding their basic biology, functional ecology,

distribution and abundance. Some of these questions

were explored through a NOAA-sponsored expedition

aboard the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown, using an

industry-standard ROV, the Innovator from Sonsub of

Houston. During this 12-day expedition, deep-sea

coral habitats were investigated by three discrete groups

of scientists: the Marine Conservation Biology Institute,

NOAA’s Flower Garden Banks National Marine

Sanctuary, and the University of Alabama. 

The expedition provided an opportunity for a scientist

from Marine Conservation Biology Institute (MCBI) to

field-test the Deep-sea Coral Collection Protocols, a

document prepared by a panel of experts from several

institutions involved in collecting, preserving, and

analyzing deep-sea corals. The goal of the Protocols is

to improve our national capacity to document deep-sea

coral diversity. MCBI also hoped to document the way

Gulf of Mexico deep-sea corals provide habitat to

associated species. Deep-sea corals are designated

“essential fish habitat” in the Pacific, where they enjoy

legal protection under the 1996 Magnuson Stevens

Fishery Conservation and Management Act.

A group of scientists from NOAA’s Flower Garden Banks

National Marine Sanctuary continued their efforts to

biologically and geologically characterize the Flower

Garden Banks, and other deep-water reef communities

of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. On this cruise,

they were primarily interested in classifying those

representative organisms appearing to be “signature”

species that help define the biological communities.

The goals of the ongoing efforts are to determine the

linkages between the biological communities and

assess regulatory and management needs of the reefs

and banks of the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. 

Finally, a deep-sea corals group, led by scientists from

the University of Alabama, explored the occurrence and

ecology of deep-sea corals, specifically Lophelia

pertusa, which is potentially widely distributed and

associated with very site-specific conditions conducive

to colonization and growth. Unlike the large Lophelia

reefs found in the South Atlantic Bight, the information

available indicates the colonies in this region exist

as scattered thickets anchored on hard carbonate

substrate found in association with relict hydrocarbon

seeps. If so, scientists may be witnessing the early

stages of Lophelia coral reef development. Given the

expansion of the oil and gas industry in the northern

Gulf of Mexico, it is critical that these areas are located,

mapped, and characterized, and that comprehensive

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

KEY EXPEDITIONS

Northern Gulf of Mexico

Deep-Sea Habitats
efforts are undertaken to learn

more about their biology and

ecological function – the

foundation for developing sound

management strategies to protect

these fragile resources.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Thanks to the cooperation of

a multidisciplinary group of

scientists on board the research

vessel, 12 ROV dives were

conducted successfully, involving more than

59 hours of bottom time. Several hundred specimens

associated with deep-sea communities were also

collected for further study. This specimen bounty

included various sponges, many algal species, more

than 80 species of invertebrates, 21 coral species, and

various fishes, as well as numerous geological samples.

“We explored several sites,” explains Sandra Brooke

from the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology and

Co-Principal Investigator of the deep-sea coral group,

“and each had a very distinct dominant fauna; one

was predominantly Lophelia colonies, another large

gorgonian bushes, and a third was abundantly

colonized by several unidentified species of anemone.

We are still in the process of discovering the extent and

nature of these hardbottom communities but as always,

the further we investigate, the more questions arise.”

There were several new discoveries made regarding the

species residing in the Northernwestern Gulf of Mexico.

“These collections resulted in two new (undescribed)

species of algae, and multiple range extensions for fish

and invertebrates previously unknown from this part of

the Gulf of Mexico,” said an excited G.P. Schmahl,

Chief Scientist of the Flower Garden Banks National

Marine Sanctuary.

“We discovered two new species of habitat forming

deep-sea corals on this trip, but one of the very exciting

finds was an organism with the branching morphology

and axis of a gorgonian but the dermis of a sponge,”

said Peter Etnoyer, Principal Investigator from Marine

Conservation Biology Institute. “One might be inclined

to suspect an encrusting sponge on a black coral’s axis,

but we documented several of this

particular species in more than

one place.”

Additionally, deep-sea coral

habitat functions were clearly

evident during this expedition.

“We found excellent documentation of this at 1500 feet,” said

Etnoyer, “where we found a large

field, several hundred meters

long, of the Primnoid coral

Callogorgia americana delta. The

colonies were covered with Cat Shark (Family

Scliorhinidae) egg cases. A single colony was home to

as many as a dozen egg cases, and cases adorned more

than half the colonies.”

Following the cruise, students and teachers near the

ship’s port in Gulfport, MS were able to tour the ship

and see live deep-sea crabs, corals, sponges, and other

invertebrates, and learn about the diversity of deep-sea

corals and deep-reef communities and their significant

ecological role in the Gulf of Mexico habitats. 

EXPEDITION AT A GLANCE 

Northern Gulf of Mexico

September 21 – October 2, 2003

NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown

3 projects

Deep-sea corals and deep-water 

reef communities explored

12 ROV dives

Private industry ROV used
The Mariana and Volcano Arcs lie almost entirely

within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

of the combined Territory of Guam and the

Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

Exploratory mapping and sampling of the Mariana Arc

have been ongoing since the 1960s. This is truly a

frontier area of the U.S. EEZ for ocean exploration.

Volcanic activity is frequent and widespread along the

Mariana Arc.

The 2003 Submarine Ring of Fire expedition on the

University of Washington R/V Thomas G. Thompson

left Apra, Guam on February 9 and returned there

on March 5, after

making the first

systematic survey of

hydrothermal activity

along the Mariana

and southernmost

volcano intraoceanic

volcanic arcs.

Three primary exploration goals included

mapping all of the

major submarine volcanoes of the volcanic arc from Guam

to the juncture of the

Mariana and Volcano

Arcs using high-resolution side-scan sonar and multibeam systems, conducting a reconnaissance survey of

hydrothermal activity along the arc using a

Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD/rosette) system

to map and sample hydrothermal plumes, and

deploying an array of five autonomous hydrophones in

the back-arc basin to monitor acoustic signals.

The expedition mapped about 5,200 square nautical

miles with the MR1 towed side-scan/bathymetric

mapping system and about 8,100 square nautical miles

with the Thomas G. Thompson’s hull-mounted EM300

multibeam system. At a survey speed of nine knots, the

MR1 and hull-mounted multibeam data provided a

rapid high-resolution duet for surveying large areas of

seafloor. Sampling of the water column during the

CTD stations yielded 3,055 samples for chemical

analyses of dissolved and particulate hydrothermal

tracers. Five hydrophone moorings deployed at intervals

along the arc recorded data until their recovery in

September 2003.

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

KEY EXPEDITIONS

Submarine Ring of Fire
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Evidence for active hydrothermal

venting was found at 11

submarine volcanoes, including

two sites on the southern back-arc

spreading center. Three of the

seven volcanoes suspected of

historical volcanic activity are

currently hydrothermally active -

Nikko, Ahyi, and Esmeralda Bank.

Preliminary analyses of the data

sets have already yielded

important discoveries including the large range of

chemical variability in the plumes, the ubiquity of giant

sediment waves in the volcaniclastic sediments of the

flanks of some of the islands and submarine volcanoes,

and the presence of a robust hydrothermal signal

within the caldera of Maug Islands, a volcano thought

to have been dormant. “A notable discovery was that

submarine volcanoes of the Mariana region are much

more active than previously suspected,” said Chief

Scientist Bob Embley. “Associated vents appear to

produce chemically distinct plumes raising the

likelihood of discovering new species and associations

of chemosynthetic animal communities.”

More than 50 submarine volcanoes were mapped with

stunning new clarity and 10 active hydrothermal

systems were discovered and two confirmed at 

12 sites. The mapping also fortuitously provided a

“before” image of the

submarine flanks of 

Anatahan Island,

which began

KEY EXPEDITIONS

erupting for the first time in

human history on May 10, 2003.

The survey around the flank of

the island made three months

before the eruption shows

features indicative of geologically young submarine activity.

Ridges extending southeast into

deeper water from the southeastern flank of Anatahan are

probably geologically young

submarine lava flows. Data

from the array of hydrophones

deployed on the expedition and recovered

in September 2003 by a Korean research vessel

revealed precursor waterborn seismic waves prior

to the eruption — data not

recorded on seismometers

on the islands.

The Anatahan eruption

and the presence of the

hydrothermal system at

Maug, both formerly

considered dormant volcanoes, underscores the need

for more information about the state and character of

these and other submarine volcanoes in the U.S. EEZ.

The planned 2004 expedition will bring a remotely

operated vehicle to some of these newly discovered

sites to conduct sampling and mapping. 

EXPEDITION AT A GLANCE 

Mariana and Volcano Arcs

February 9 – March 5, 2003

Research Vessel T. G. Thompson

Mapped 13,300 Square Nautical

Miles

Discovered hydrothermal systems

Deployed hydrophones 

Obtained Images before eruption
Alarge percentage of all U.S. coral reefs are in

the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI), a

remote chain of small islands and atolls

stretching 1,200 nautical miles northwest of the main

Hawaiian Islands. The area’s deep-sea coral beds and

seamounts were explored through a multidisciplinary

partnership between NOAA’s Office of Ocean

Exploration (OE), Hawaii Undersea Research

Laboratory (HURL), University of Hawaii at Manoa,

Hawaii Pacific University, National Marine Fisheries

Service, National Geographic Television, and Woods

Hole Oceanographic Institution. 

The expedition was staged from University of Hawaii’s

Research Vessel (R/V) Kai’imikai-o-Kanaloa (Heavenly

Searcher of the Seas), between September 3 and

November 5, using the Pisces IV and V manned

submersibles, a remotely operated vehicle (RCV-150),

and a seafloor mapping sonar system. The expedition

was sponsored by NOAA, as part of its mission to

investigate the oceans for the purpose of discovery and

the advancement of knowledge.

Scientists completed

a 64-day voyage to

the remote NWHI

where they studied

the region’s virtually

unexplored deep-sea

corals, submarine

canyons, ridges and

seamounts. 

Exploration included: visiting unexplored seamounts

where data indicates oceanic productivity is highest in

the island chain and supports unknown fish and

precious coral assemblages; surveying submarine

landscape of endangered Hawaiian monk seal for their

habitat and fish community with specific attention to

seal prey and their association with precious corals;

exploring the roles of submarine canyons as hot spots of

benthic production; studying the reproductive biology

and genetics of deep-sea precious corals; and mapping

and sampling precious coral beds and seamount deepsea coral communities.

Plans included sharing the expedition with the public

through an array of outreach partners including

National Geographic Television. 

A “Port Call” day was held November 6th so expedition

scientists could report their findings to and answer

questions from media. Scientists and explorers hosted

tours for media and for area students on board

the research vessel to demonstrate the technology

supporting this expedition and the discoveries made.

Additionally, ocean-related organizations participated

in an “Ocean Education Fair,” for visiting students

and teachers.

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

KEY EXPEDITIONS

Exploring the

Northwestern

Hawaiian Islands 
ACCOMPLISHMENTS

The multidisciplinary group of

scientists on this mission accomplished a wide variety of

scientific objectives, explored

and surveyed new territory and

discovered new species and new

data about previously known

species.

Amy Baco-Taylor of Woods Hole

Oceanographic Institution studied the reproductive biology and

genetics of deep-sea precious

corals. “We made exciting discoveries,” she said, “including four new coral beds, gold

corals found spawning in the sample jars on the surface,

and beds with juvenile precious corals — something we

haven't observed in the Main Island coral beds.”

HURL scientists Chris Kelley and John Smith, and

Smithsonian scientist and curator Stephen Cairns,

joined Baco-Taylor in surveying bottom-dwelling

invertebrates, near-bottom fishes and deep-water corals

on seamounts — undersea mountains. In the first

explorations of the NWHI below precious coral depths,

the scientists saw incredibly dense, high biomass coral

and sponge communities at 1500-1800 meters, with

sponges measuring one to three meters across. 

“We discovered at least 16 new species of corals

including at least two new genera,” said Baco-Taylor.

“At least one new crinoid (sea lily) was discovered,

which is certainly a new genus and possibly a new

family,” she said. The discoveries show that deep-sea

corals in Hawaii harbor diverse invertebrate

communities that play an important role as a habitat,

and that they are far more diverse than shallow water

corals. “Hawaii's seamounts and deep-water coral beds

need to be protected,” said Baco-Taylor. 

Craig Smith of the University of

Hawaii at Manoa, and Eric Vetter

of Hawaii Pacific University

studied submarine canyon and

scavenger communities. Canyons

are common along slopes of

submerged seamounts, but have

not been well explored. During

dives in canyons off Nihoa Island

and Maro Reef, scientists

observed a remarkable abundance

and diversity of life, demonstrating

that canyons are biodiversity

“hotspots.” “The results met our

expectations that submarine

canyons appear to have more

diversity than areas outside canyons,” said Vetter. “The

abundance of those organisms increased with depth

rather than decreased as one might expect.” Vetter also

described a rare sighting of what could be a “False Cat”

shark.

Frank Parrish, a fishery biologist with NOAA’s Pacific

Island Fisheries Science Center, investigated how

endangered Hawaiian monk seals use habitats for

hunting and protection. He surmised deep-sea corals

were the reason seals clustered at certain places, but

observed no monk seals near those corals. Scientists on

the expedition’s next project were surprised and pleased

to document the first known association between deepsea corals and monk seals when a tagged monk seal

suddenly peered into their submersible’s view port near

a collection of gold corals more than 500 meters deep.

EXPEDITION AT A GLANCE 

Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

September 3 – November 5, 2003

Research Vessel Kai’imikai-o-Kanaloa

Pisces IV and V Submersibles, 

RCV-150

43 Submersible Dives

2 Legs, 4 Projects

Discovered new species, genera

Sighted Monk Seal at 534 meters

Students and Media Interacted 

with Scientists
Mapping and survey projects

sponsored by NOAA’s Office

of Ocean Exploration (OE) in

2003 covered more than 50,000 square

nautical miles of previously uncharted

ocean floor. Yet, Earth’s oceans remain

largely a mystery, with nearly 95 percent

of the ocean floor unexplored—unseen

by humans eyes.

Mapping the physical, biological, geological, chemical,

and archaeological aspects of the ocean provides

knowledge necessary for characterizing the entire

marine environment. To maximize vessel resources and

opportunities and to avoid redundant research, OE

identifies, encourages and supports transit mapping and

other mapping of opportunity, especially when

mapping is not a planned objective of a voyage. 

Partnerships in mapping, both internal and external to

NOAA, have been key to the success of OE’s mapping

objectives. NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey (OCS), the

nation’s leader in maintaining nautical charts for safe

navigation, professionally maps our ocean floor daily.

OE seeks to combine the knowledge and resources of

OCS, with the needs and capabilities of other marine

scientists who could benefit from their

tools and techniques. In 2003, OE

sponsored five OCS hydrographic survey

technicians and physical scientists to assist

in acquiring and processing mapping data

on three separate expeditions. Their

professional skills and expertise significantly improved the maps created on OE

cruises when they helped scientists generate faster,

more accurate results.

In addition to aligning mapping efforts internally, OE is

continuing to look externally to chart under-explored

areas of the globe. A major component beyond NOAA’s

inventory of expertise is a marine geology capability to

map and define new geological features and resources.

NOAA has looked for assistance from other federal

agencies, such as from NOAA’s long time partnership

with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). An example

of from partnership in 2003 was the further mapping of

the Puerto Rico Trench as led by Dr. Uri Ten Brink from

USGS, on two separate cruises aboard the NOAA ship

Ronald H. Brown. 

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

THEMES

Mapping our Uncharted Oceans
OE also contracted for existing and emerging capabilities in remotely operated vehicles, human occupied

vehicles, and autonomous underwater vehicles for

mapping purposes aboard NOAA’s fleet and the many

academic and private platforms OE uses

annually. These actions further defined the

role for industry in ocean exploration and

science, and sustain NOAA’s involvement

with the latest commercial ocean technology.

Several OE projects used mapping

technology, even when mapping was not the

main objective. Projects included the investigation

of the Kick’em Jenny volcano off Grenada, surveying

New England seamounts in the North Atlantic, and

bio-prospecting surveys in the Gulf of Mexico. 

Collaborative ocean mapping requires coordination

with OE projects using sonar technology for bathymetry

and habitat characterization, mid-water multibeam for

pelagic resource mapping, and low frequency towed

source survey for geological mapping. This level of

effort often involves mapping the U.S. continental shelf

and important ocean features, focusing on areas under

U.S. jurisdiction but including other areas that are

unknown or poorly known.

In September, Arctic and hydrographic researchers led

by Dr. Larry Mayer from the Center for Coastal and

Ocean Mapping at the University of New Hampshire

embarked on a 10-day Arctic Ocean mapping

expedition exploring the Chukchi and Northwind

Ridge. This mission focused on creating detailed

bathymetric maps that could be used to justify

expanding the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

north of Alaska.

THEMES

The team sailed aboard the US Coast Guard Icebreaker

Healy, equipped with a hull-mounted Seabeam

multibeam sonar capable of sensing the ocean floor at

great depths. The bathymetric and backscatter imagery

data created by the multibeam sonar provided

important information into the tectonic processes

affecting the ocean basin. In particular, Dr. Mayer’s

team addressed questions regarding the extent of

grounded ice on the Chukchi Plateau. Confirmation of

the extent of ice-grounding in this region is of great

importance to understanding the history of Pleistocene

glaciation in the Northern Hemisphere.

Systematically mapping and defining our marine

environment is an elemental first step to better understanding our marine resources. Comprehensive

mapping activities characterize areas of research

including hydrography, living marine

resources, essential fish habitats, coral

communities, hydrothermal vents, gas

seeps, and marine archaeology sites.

Maps generated from OE expeditions

facilitate an important national effort to

inventory our national resources in the

sea, and provide complete information for stewardship

and management of the ecosystems that we seek to

define and protect. For many disciplines, mapping is the

only way to establish a baseline for determining future

research needs, and OE will continue to work with

researchers to map uncharted areas in 2004. 
THEMES

Ocean Interactions and Dynamics

The President’s panel on ocean exploration that

initially articulated the idea of our national

Ocean Exploration Program put forth several

challenges to the new program that were to become its

objectives. These challenges were meant to be bold,

ambitious and approached in new ways. One of these

objectives is to explore ocean dynamics and interactions at new scales, thus helping to explaining new or

poorly understood phenomena. The approach to

exploring ocean dynamics and interactions, as defined

by the President’s Panel Report, is to assess many of the

individual properties and characteristics that are a part

of the complex interactions making up the oceanic

environment.

These individual properties and characteristics cover a

huge range of almost anything oceanic, and include

assessments of water mass properties, such as its

temperature, salinity, circulation, organic and inorganic

chemicals, and geologic controls. It also includes an

assessment of water mass ecosystem characteristics

such as organic cycling, habitats and habitat associations, and community

associations. Finally,

the Ocean Exploration

Program should include

assessments of the

spatial extent of water

masses and variations in

water masses over time.

The NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration (OE) has

approached this challenge of exploring ocean dynamics

and interactions through the organization of its multidisciplinary oceanographic cruises that always explore

new aspects of an ocean area. Through a panel review

of experts, projects that are proposed for receiving a

grant are reviewed for their scientific merit, their

relevance to NOAA’s goals, and their accordance with

the objectives set forth for the Ocean Exploration

Program. Many of these properties and characteristics

are therefore ensured to be a part of most expeditions. 

Most OE expeditions examined some facet of ocean

dynamics and interactions, and often multiple ones.

The following are examples from some of the 2003 OE

cruises that illustrate OE’s accomplishment in exploring

ocean dynamics and interactions. 

During the month of February, an expedition to the

Mariana Arc in the western Pacific, called the

Submarine Ring of Fire, took place. This expedition

examined submarine volcanoes, looking primarily

for hydrothermal activity. The latest sea-floor

mapping tools and sensors were used to image the

volcanoes and to detect plumes of heat, gas and

metals rising from the hydrothermal systems along

the arc. These plumes represent an unexplored

hydrothermal source that may inject globally

significant fluxes of heat and chemicals into the

oceans, having an untold influence on our planet. 

The interactions and dynamics of seamount biota

were explored during the Mountains in the Sea

expedition that took place on the New England

Seamount chain. A key goal was to investigate the

relationship of fishes and associated species such

as squids, with features of seamount landscapes.

The distribution of deep-sea corals in this unique

environment was also explored with respect to the

seamount landscape, revealing some level of

zonation based on these environmental factors. 

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION
The Windows to the Deep expedition to the Blake

Ridge focused on methane seeps and their

associated chemosynthetic communities. These

communities consist of extensive fields of clams

and mussels (some up to 30 cm long) as well as

worms in tubes, shrimp, and bacteria. Samples of

these communities were collected to better

understand their relationship to the methane seep,

as well as the seep itself. Knowledge of methane

seeps is important because of their potential as a

future energy source as well as their potential

contribution to climate change.

Off the coast of South Carolina lies the Charleston

Bump, a unique geological feature that greatly

influences the flow of water in that area, creating a

zone of gyrating eddies and swift, narrow currents.

The Investigation of the Charleston Bump explored

the very unique and specialized communities that

have adapted to life in these turbulent waters,

focusing on the interaction of habitats with the

circulation and currents. Investigators collected

samples of rocks and sediments, as well as

specimens of fishes and invertebrates such as

sponges and deep-water corals that were found in

different areas of the diverse landscape.

THEMES

Two discrete deep-sea communities on the

continental slope were explored during the Life on

the Edge expedition. The objective was to

document the locations and aerial extent of

portions of the deep-reef habitats, especially on a

small scale, as well as document the biodiversity of

deep-reef fauna by quantifying habitats, species

associations, and behaviors. These objectives were

addressed in part by sampling the entire water

column in order to understand all possible habitat

influences. 

The Kick’em Jenny Volcano was explored in March

to learn about the growth and development

of submarine volcanoes into eventual islands.

An important discovery made regarding its

development is that Kick‘em Jenny is continuously

releasing gas bubbles, confirming scientists’

previous beliefs that the volcano is actively

degassing. This interaction with the ocean is

important because this process can significantly

lower the density of the water, thereby posing

a serious danger to shipping or boating in the

area. Investigators also explored the volcano’s

relationship to the natural environment and unique

biota that surround the hydrothermal venting in

the area. 
The NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration (OE)

technology program is built on strong relationships across NOAA, other federal agencies and

the wider ocean engineering community. These

relationships allow cooperative technology investments

which are frequently the only way to support the

high costs of ocean sensors and platforms. Regular

communication with partners such as the National

Science Foundation (NSF), National Aeronautics and

Space Administration (NASA), and the U.S. Navy

ensures that NOAA is working in cooperation with

other major sponsors of technology research. 

Technical excellence is a core value in the OE program.

Strong ties to technology development labs keep the

program at the cutting edge of ocean engineering.

During 2003, OE worked with engineers at the Woods

Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Institute for

Exploration (IFE), the Naval Undersea Warfare Center

(NUWC) and other leading institutions.

In ongoing science programs, OE also works to apply

the latest industrial technology to exploration. This

effort included the deployment of a commerciallyprovided remotely operated vehicle (ROV), Sonsub

Incorporated’s Innovator, on the NOAA ship Ronald H.

Brown during the 2003 field season.

The 2003 OE technology program was conducted

through grants solicited during the annual announcement of opportunity, cooperative ventures with other

federal agencies and a significant effort to communicate

and collaborate across NOAA.

OE is a leader in the promotion of autonomous

underwater vehicles (AUVs) within NOAA. AUVs,

which are unmanned robotic submarines operating

without tethers or remote controls, provide a new

approach to missions ranging from hydrographic

surveying and habitat assessment to mid-water

oceanography and marine archaeology. AUVs are the

next generation of deep-ocean vehicles, beyond

remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and human

occupied vehicles (HOVs). 

OE supports teams from across NOAA interested in this

new technology. During 2003, The National Marine

Fisheries Service (NMFS), The National Undersea

Research Program (NURP) and The Office of Coast

Survey (OCS) all developed AUV programs with OE’s

support. Prototype procurement is underway and all

three efforts will deploy AUVs in 2004.

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

THEMES

Ocean Exploration Technology:

NEW SENSORS AND TOOLS 

2003 TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM

Supported search for submerged Space 

Shuttle Columbia wreckage

Synthesized technology and teams from 

multiple agencies for demonstration 

project at Kennedy Space Center

Funded and advised NOAA AUV procurements 

Demonstrated live ultra-high resolution

“telepresence” from an expedition in the

Black Sea 

Upgraded the capabilities of WHOI’s

Autonomous Benthic Explorer (ABE)
To further the development of AUVs, and their

deployment across NOAA and the ocean exploration

community, during 2003 OE established a partnership

with the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, which serves

as a center of excellence in AUV technology for the

U.S. Navy.

During 2003, OE supported a unique gathering of

agencies, technologies and investigators to demonstrate

the potential of leveraging technology programs.

In August, 30 representatives from eight agencies

convened in a NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC)

conference room to kickoff the Joint Environmental

Science Investigations (JESI). The project objective was

to apply a diverse set of tools combined in a new

systems approach, to explore the aquatic environment

of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which

surrounds KSC. The non-NOAA participants included:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

(NASA) Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Jet

Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)

Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division

Newport

United States Coast Guard (USCG) Research &

Development Center

Dynamac Corporation

United States Navy Mobile Diving & Salvage Unit

Two (MDSU-2)

University of South Florida (USF) Center for Ocean

Technology (COT)

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

(FFWCC) / Florida Marine Research Institute (FMRI)

Team members operated and deployed many new technologies. AUVs were used for physical oceanographic

sampling and bottom mapping. Passive acoustics,

including advanced systems developed by the U.S.

Navy and the passive acoustic monitoring system

(PAMS) developed by NASA, were used to listen in as

marine life used the marine reserve for spawning and as

a year-round habitat. Several in situ sensors, including

systems from NASA, Dynamac, USF and FMRI, were

deployed in coordination with the AUVs and acoustics

to collect additional data. 

This joint effort brought together multiple and diverse

agencies for cooperative research in a secure and

environmentally sensitive area. The processes

developed will be similar for future cooperative

programs between these agencies and the program

paved the way for and will increase the pace of

cooperation and collaboration. JESI also demonstrated

synergistic use of varied sensors and platforms for

comprehensive monitoring of marine areas.

This approach can widely benefit many missions

including maritime security, environmental monitoring

and ocean exploration.

Based on the success of this interagency approach,

2004 technology collaborations are planned, especially

with NASA and the U.S. Navy. 
NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration (OE)

explores submerged cultural resources and

supports multidisciplinary teams and collaborative programs to discover new cultural resources,

sharing knowledge about our maritime heritage. 

Working primarily in the initial phases of exploration

and discovery, OE systematically surveys and locates

sites of archaeological or historical significance and

engages the public with new information. NOAA

sponsored projects and expeditions in 2003 that

investigated cultural sites throughout the world.

For example, NOAA helped sponsor the return of

Dr. Robert Ballard’s Institute for Exploration (IFE) to the

Black Sea to explore ancient shipwrecks and possible

man-made settlements. The cold, anoxic waters of the

Black Sea create ideal conditions for preserving organic

material such as ancient wooden shipwrecks, which

were discovered in previous missions. IFE brought new

technology including a remotely operated vehicle

(ROV) specially designed to conduct underwater

archaeological surveys, and an innovative system to

transmit images via satellite to the U.S. where they were

distributed live on Internet and Internet II worldwide.

The expedition was the first time National Science

Foundation, another expedition sponsor, allocated

dedicated ship time to a maritime archaeology project.

NOAA sponsored a number of academic-based

expeditions in 2003. Researchers from the University of

Rhode Island and Mystic Seaport searched for

the remains of the Gaspee and other American

Revolutionary War wrecks in Narragansett Bay, Rhode

Island using side-scan sonar and magnetometer

equipment, and for the second year in a row, graduate

students from East Carolina University investigated

wreck sites in the Outer Banks off Ocracoke Inlet,

North Carolina.

An investigation of cultural resources does not end with

new discoveries. OE, in conjunction with the NOAA

Maritime Heritage Program created by the National

Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP), led an initiative

with each coastal state to establish and strengthen the

management of our nation’s coastal historical resources.

In cases where coastal states lack programs to inventory,

assess, and protect historic shipwrecks, NOAA OE

worked with them toward an exchange of information

and data, hydrographic survey results from Office of

Coast Survey (OCS), and regulatory and policy

experience with the NMSP permitting system and the

NOAA General Counsel. 

To help address resources NOAA is already responsible

for managing, OE continued to collaborate internally

with OCS on new wrecks found in nautical charting

surveys, and with NMSP to explore cultural resources in

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

THEMES

Exploring our 

Maritime Heritage
their jurisdiction. Projects included

further investigations of SS Portland

and other wrecks in Stellwagen

Bank NMS, as well as further ROV

research in Thunder Bay National

Marine Sanctuary and Underwater

Preserve.

NOAA has a vested interest in the

appropriate treatment of Titanic as

per the RMS Titanic Maritime

Memorial Act passed by Congress

in 1986. In June, OE conducted

two days of intensive diving and

research as part of an 11-day

expedition to the site of the Titanic

shipwreck aboard the Russian

science vessel R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh,

a vessel with two deep-diving submersibles.

OE assessed the wreck site and conducted observations

supporting on-going scientific research. Members of the

international maritime archaeology and science

communities participated and offered expertise. 

NOAA and the National Park Service (NPS) worked

together to assess, protect and preserve our nation’s

submerged historical resources. In November, OE

assisted the NPS Submerged Resources Center with

research at the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor,

Hawaii. NPS routinely monitors the shallow wreck

THEMES

site to see how the warm salt

water degrades the ship, and

how the wreck may be affecting

the surrounding marine

environment. OE assisted

ROV and dive operations, and

provided data management

support.

OE and NMSP assisted another

federal partner, the Office of

Naval Research (ONR) in

assessing the possible location

of the Navy’s first submarine

USS Alligator, a Civil War era

vessel lost off Cape Hatteras

during a storm. The team

uncovered rare historical documents in France, created

oceanographic and engineering models, and laid out

a possible search area. This effort included a small,

exploratory research cruise sponsored by ONR that

took place last summer aboard the NOAA ship

Thomas Jefferson.

Many OE-sponsored maritime heritage projects would

not have been successful, and in some cases not even

possible, without the assistance of industry-developed

ROVs and autonomous underwater vehicles and their

associated skilled people. One government and

industry partnership was an expedition on the NOAA

ship Ronald H. Brown documenting the archaeological

remains and biological habitat of the German

submarine U-166 wreck lying upright at a depth of

5000 feet in the Gulf of Mexico. This was a collaborative effort between NOAA, C & C Technologies, Inc.,

Sonsub International, Sonardyne, and the PAST

Foundation. 

With the President’s Panel Report on Ocean

Exploration and the report of the National Academy’s

Exploration of the Seas both highlighting the

importance of the nation’s maritime history as told

through the discovery and study of shipwrecks, NOAA

continues to focus on the science and history of

shipwrecks and works to integrate the efforts of

government, academia and industry to benefit coastal

states and the nation. 

OE undertakes projects in the following

areas as they relate to cultural heritage

and the maritime landscape:

All shipwrecks within state and

federal waters

U.S. flag ships wrecked throughout the world

Submerged, prehistoric landscapes

Historical structures directly 

pertaining to maritime heritage 

Shipwrecks holding a unique 

place in history, wherever they

may be found.
Acornerstone of NOAA’s Ocean

Exploration (OE) program is to

reach out to the public to

communicate how and why unlocking the

secrets of the ocean will benefit current and

future generations. With 10 percent of its

annual budget dedicated to education and

outreach activities, the program strives to

engage the broadest possible audiences and

to raise America’s environmental literacy, an

effort channeled largely through high-quality, effective

collaborations between ocean explorers and America’s

teachers. Collaborative efforts included the

development of educational opportunities, materials,

and resources that brought entire classrooms “on board”

for exploration and discovery during NOAA’s multidisciplinary voyages of discovery. 

The education section of the Ocean Explorer Web site

(http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov) provides direct access

to more than 150 lesson plans developed by scientists

and educators, more than 60 of which were produced

in 2003. Lesson plans correspond to specific

expeditions and are correlated to National Science

Education Standards. For many expeditions, scientists

and educators file daily logs and images from sea and

this supplements lesson plans as an invaluable

educational resource. Teachers can search lesson plans

on the Ocean Explorer Web site by grade level, subject

area, key word, region, and expedition name. A listing

of professional development opportunities and

information on how to request the OE CD-ROM is also

included.

Six Professional Development Institutes (PDIs) were

conducted including those for teachers in South

Carolina and Georgia for the Charleston Bump

expedition, in Mississippi for the Gulf of Mexico Deep

Habitats and Gulf of Mexico Carney/Fisher expeditions,

in Connecticut and Massachusetts for the New England

Seamounts expedition, and in Florida for the Islands in

the Stream expedition. One included a live audio chat

between teachers in Charleston, scientists and

educators at sea, and the crew in Woods Hole

Oceanographic Institution’s manned submersible Alvin

while it was on the ocean bottom.

A curriculum titled Learning Ocean Science through

Ocean Exploration was created for national-level

professional development in ocean science content for

teachers of grades 6-12. Lesson plans take an inquirybased approach through themes that cut across ocean

expeditions. Ocean science themes progress from

physical science through earth science to biological and

environmental science, as ocean sciences include all of

these areas. Supplemental activity booklets were

produced for four expeditions. 

NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

THEMES

Ocean Exploration

Education and

Outreach
What is unique in this approach is the combination of

the Ocean Explorer Web Site with each lesson. Teachers

and students have a direct connection to the scientists

whose work they are modeling in the classroom and a

direct connection to exciting new discoveries through

NOAA ocean exploration. 

Two Aquarium Partnerships were developed to provide

professional development to teachers in use of Learning

Ocean Science through Ocean Exploration curriculum.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and the

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas have agreed to

offer professional development in the use of the

curriculum to help build regional cadres of ocean

exploration teacher leaders. Additionally, plans for a

third partnership with the South Carolina Aquarium

were initiated.

In partnership with the National Marine Educators

Association (NMEA), an issue of Current, The Journal of

Marine Education, focused on the Arctic 2002

Expedition. In collaboration with NASA, the Ocean

Exploration program developed a video-based,

interactive career component

for the Ocean Explorer Web

THEMES

site, entitled OceanA.G.E (Another Generation of

Explorers). Through OceanA.G.E., students are invited

to interact with talented women and men who explore

our ocean planet on NOAA Ocean Exploration

expeditions.

OE and the National Geographic Society co-hosted a

nine-part virtual teacher workshop series to

communicate how the excitement of ocean exploration

can enhance learning in the classroom. The series ran

from April through December 2003. Experts presented

keynote lectures and facilitated open discussions. 

To enhance ocean literacy, NOAA Ocean

Exploration continued to foster numerous

national and regional partnerships with

the Marine Advanced Technology
NOAA OFFICE OF OCEAN EXPLORATION

THEMES

Education National ROV Student Competition, collaborations with Stephen Low Productions and Rutgers

University for the development of educational

components for the Volcanoes of the Deep Sea IMAX

Film, the National Centers for Ocean Science Education

Excellence (COSEE) Council, and the Southeastern

Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence

(SECOSEE). NOAA worked with the Smithsonian

Institution’s National Museum of Natural History

(NMNH) where an Ocean Hall is expected to be a

premiere exhibit on the oceans when it opens in 2008. 

OE coordinated four “Port Call” days during the 2003

expedition season. Held in Charleston, S.C., St.

Petersburg, Fla., Gulfport, Miss., and Honolulu, Hawaii,

port calls were associated with specific voyages of

discovery and included media availabilities, tours for

students and Ocean Education Expos. Expedition

scientists opened their shipboard labs to reporters and

groups of students to explain the mission and their

findings and to display posters, sea-floor maps, videos

and specimens recovered from the deep ocean.

Interactions between scientists and students were

positive and spirited. 

Ocean Education Expos allowed area organizations to

exhibit ocean-related educational themes and to

distribute educational materials. Students were

challenged to visit each exhibit for answers to questions

posed to them in an “Ocean Science Scavenger Hunt”

Port Call days also resulted in significant print and

electronic media coverage. 

Additional media coverage was generated nationally

and regionally with the issuance of six news releases,

media embarkations on expeditions, and interviews

provided to the New York Times, Associated Press and

numerous other media. “Our Ocean World” is a daily

90-second radio program carried by more than 150

radio stations and OE sponsors this program as part of

its mission to raise ocean literacy. In 2003, the program

reached an estimated 180 million listeners in the U.S.

and another 35 million overseas. An opinion piece by

the director of NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration was

carried nationally by Knight-Ridder as a year-end

wrap-up story on ocean exploration in 2003. 

In 2003, the NOAA Ocean Exploration program

reached out to stakeholders in both traditional and new

ways to help improve the ocean literacy of learners of

all ages. In achieving ocean literacy, Americans can

make informed decisions and take positive actions on

vital ocean issues that affect the Earth and its

inhabitants. 
Inside front cover – Top left photo: A pencil urchin

collected at 1,750 ft depth has tubeworms attached to

its spines. The view is from the under or “oral” side.

Top right photo: Live nautiliniellid worm, removed

from mantle cavity of the clam. Photo courtesy

J. Dreyer. Middle right photo: While pursuing a larger

fish, scientists happened to capture this unsuspecting

goby, just 1.5 cm long. There are more than 2,000

species of goby found around the world. This family of

fish includes the smallest of all vertebrate species.

Many are amazingly cryptic. Depending on the

species, these bottom-dwelling fish can be found living

in crevices, burrows, or shell material on reefs or more

exposed substrates. Photo courtesy Dave Wyanski,

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.

Bottom photo: This small squat lobster, Galathea sp.,

shown here from the dorsal view, was collected

incidentally as it perched on top of a sponge targeted

for collection. Photo courtesy S. Bernhardt, FGBNMS.

Page 2 – Top left photo: Iceworms, Hesiocaeca

methanicola, live within methane hydrates in the

Northern Gulf of Mexico. NOAA photo. Top right

photo: A close-up view of a basketstar. Bottom left

photo: The planehead filefish is the most abundant

species in our Sargassum collections. Its color and

shape blend seamlessly into the seaweed. NOAA

photo. Bottom right photo: This iridescent nudibranch

looks like a creature from another planet, but was

actually found attached to Sargassum. The clarity of

the image reveals details of this one-inch organism that

are almost impossible to see with the naked eye.

Photo courtesy Art Howard, NAPRO.

Page 6 – Top left photo: Sonsub technicians recover

their ROV Innovator after surveying the U-166. NOAA

photo. Top right photo: Arctic researcher and

hydrographer Dr. Martin Jakobsson aboard the

Healy. NOAA photo. Bottom photo: The ROV

Hercules recovered after investigating wrecks in the

Black Sea. NOAA photo.

Page 7 – Microbiologist peers out the MIR's porthole as

the submersible descends to Titanic. NOAA photo.

Page 10 – Left photo: A deep sea paragorgia sp. Coral

collected during the Mountains in the Sea cruise.

Photo courtesy M. Crosby. Right photo: An open coral

polyp as seen by the Alvin, showing some tentacles

and pinnules during the Mountains in the Sea cruise.

Photo courtesy WHOI.

Page 11 – Recovery of Woods Hole Oceanographic

Institution’s (WHOI) DSV Alvin during the Mountains

in the Sea cruise with the WHOI R/V Atlantis in the

background. Photo courtesy Catalina Martinez.

Page 12 – Left photo: Three live nautiliniellid worms in

the mantle cavity of a vesicomyid clam collected at the

Blake Ridge Diapir. Photo courtesy J. Dreyer, College

of William and Mary. Right photo: A close-up view of

a crustacean. NOAA photo.

Page 13 – WHOI DSV Alvin being launched during the

Windows to the Deep expedition. Photo courtesy

WHOI.

Page 14 – Left photo: A close-up view of a syllid worm

collected on August 10, 2003. NOAA photo. Right

photo: A close-up view of a crinoid. Photo courtesy

Jerry McLelland, University of Southern Mississippi.

Page 15 – A 2,400 pound CTD used to collect

information on the conductivity, temperature, and

depth throughout the water column. NOAA photo.

Page 16 – Left photo: A close-up view of a sea urchin.

Photo courtesy Art Howard, NAPRO. Right photo:

A close-up view of a basketstar. NOAA photo.

Page 17 – A close-up view of a porcelain crab.

Photo courtesy Liz Baird.

Page 18 – Left photo: Microbes isolated from a

deep-water sponge. Right photo: Electrophoresis

allows scientists to visualize DNA and RNA.

NOAA/HBOI photos.

Page 19 – Tunicates that produce bioactive

compounds. NOAA/HBOI photo.

Page 20 – A close-up view of a venus flytrap Unemone

collected by the Sonsub Innovator ROV. NOAA photo.

Page 21 – Sonsub Innovator ROV deployment.

NOAA photo.

Page 22 – Left photo: Mariana Island Arc volcanoes are

overlain with the track of T.G. Thompson Cruise 153,

2003. Symbols for various features are shown in the

legend. Names of volcanoes that are possible 2004

ROV dive targets in red. Right photo: Island and

submerged volcanoes. NOAA photo.

Page 23 – Upper photo: Volcanic eruption. NOAA

photo. Lower photo: Underwater volcano mapped.

NOAA photo.

Page 24 – Left photo: Deep-ocean crab investigating a

scavenger trap at a depth of 1000 m off Maro Reef.

Photo courtesy Craig Smith and Eric Vetter. Right

photo: An unidentified eight armed squid found

drifting midwater. Photo courtesy Frank Parrish,

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Page 25 – Deep-sea precious corals. Photo courtesy

Amy Baco-Taylor. 

Page 26 – Top photo: Reconnaissance map for a site

in the Gulf of Mexico produced with Seabeam

bathymetry data. NOAA image. Bottom photo:

Renditions of side-scan and multibeam sonar images.

NOAA image.

PHOTO CREDITS

Page 27 – Top photo: A seamount discovered on the

2003 Arctic Mapping Expedition. Image courtesy

CCOM/UNH. Middle photo: 3D model of the Puerto

Rico Trench. NOAA image. Bottom photo: Threedimensional image Astoria Canyon looking southeast.

NOAA image.

Page 28 – Left photo: Smaller fishes, such as filefishes

and triggerfishes, reside in and among the brown

Sargassum. NOAA photo. Right photo: CTD launch.

NOAA photo.

Page 29 – Squat lobster and lophelia. NOAA photo.

Page 30 – Left photo: Manipulator arm of ROV ROPOS

places heat sensor in hydrothermal vent. NOAA photo.

Right photo: Autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV).

NOAA photo.

Page 31 – Left photo: Remotely operated vehicle

(ROV). NOAA photo. Right photo: Joint environmental

science investigations at NASA Kennedy Space Center.

NOAA photo.

Page 32 – Left photo: Spare anchor on the bow of RMS

Titanic. NOAA photo. Right photo: A piece of ancient

amphora recovered from the 2003 Black Sea

Expedition. NOAA photo.

Page 33 – Russian crewmembers prepare the

submersible, MIR II, for deployment. NOAA photo.

Page 34 – Top right photo: Students from Gulfport, MS.

interested in the science of medicine from the sea.

NOAA photo. Bottom right photo: Students in Hawaii

visit scientists in a lab aboard the research vessel.

NOAA photo.

Page 35 – Top left photo: Hawaii Undersea Research

Laboratory's remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is

swung out over the pier, demonstrating how the ship

positions it for a dive. NOAA photo. Middle left

photo: NOAA’s Catalina Martinez briefs students in

front of the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown. NOAA

photo. Bottom left photo: Students from Gulfport Miss.

schools visited the NOAA ship Ronald H. Brown as the

ship's science parties changed between missions.

Sonsub's ROV Innovator however was on board for

three successive deep sea missions in the Gulf of

Mexico. NOAA Photo. Top right photo: Professor

Craig Smith, University of Hawaii at Manoa, is

interviewed following a cruise. NOAA photo. Bottom

right photo: The Kai’imikai-o-Kanaloa operated by

NOAA’s Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory at the

University of Hawaii. NOAA photo.

Page 36 – Oceanexplorer web page samples courtesy

NOAA.

37

FISCAL YEAR 2003 ANNUAL REPORT
For more information, contact:

The NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration

1315 East West Highway, 10th Floor

Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

Tel: 301-713-9444

www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov

U.S. Department of Commerce/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration