Exploring the ocean for national benefit

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

Learn About Science & Exploration

Learn about Ocean Exploration

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

Ocean Science for Everyone
For Educators
Multimedia

Highlights

Wallpaper
Pink sea anemone on the ocean floor with October calendar overlay.

October Desktop Wallpaper

It’s October! Need some help getting into the Halloween spirit? Download this Venus flytrap anemone to your desktop today.
Oceanic map with labeled geographic features and exploration plans.
Expeditions & Projects
Beyond the Blue: Palau Mapping 3 (EX2507)
Two individuals on a boat managing tethers for underwater vehicles, with the ocean and cloudy sky in the background.
Expeditions & Projects
Testing Affordable Underwater Robots

News Updates

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

Our Expeditions by the Numbers

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

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

Status: NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer

From September 19 to October 8, NOAA Ocean Exploration and partners will conduct the last of three exploratory ocean mapping expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. This expedition will start in Guam and focus on expanding high-resolution bathymetry coverage around Babeldaob. The expedition will also include the collection of environmental DNA (eDNA) samples from several of the Palau International Coral Reef Center’s long-term eDNA monitoring stations.

Learn about Beyond the Blue
Close-up of a coral branch with pink polyps and a squat lobster against a black background.

Featured Favorite

A squat lobster perches on a bamboo coral. Seen during the tenth dive of the Papahānaumokuākea ROV and Mapping expedition.

Learn More View All Images
Explore More with NOAA Ocean Exploration

Learn more about our mission, people, impact, and other resources.