The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer completed its exploration of the northern reaches of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands offshore waters on 11 June 2016.

The onboard mission team, comprised of experienced seafloor mapping scientists and Explorers-in-Training new to the field, conducted mapping operations 24 hours per day for 13 days, primarily within the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument. Using multibeam sonar, they mapped the western wall of the Trench and searched for mud volcano discoveries. Data collected during this cruise will help scientists understand the complex geology of the region, and will be used to choose precise ROV dive locations for the following cruise, Leg 3 (June 17 – July 10).

The public is invited to follow the mission online via live video streams here.

From April 20 to July 10, 2016, NOAA and partners are conducting a three-cruise expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to collect critical baseline information of unknown and poorly known areas in and around the Marianas Trench Marine National Monument (MTMNM) and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The primary expedition goal is to acquire baseline information in deepwater areas to support science and management needs, and to understand the diversity and distribution of deepwater habitats in and around the CNMI and MTMNM.