E/V Nautilus to map ocean floor of Marianas starting May

4/28/2025—Ocean Exploration Trust and the Nautilus Exploration Program are all set to map the ocean floor and conduct remotely operated vehicle dives of the Marianas, which includes the deepest part of the Earth’s oceans—the Marianas Trench— from May to June this year.

The exploration will be conducted from the E/V Nautilus, a 68-meter research vessel equipped with remotely-operated vehicles. The ship is in Guam set for the expedition to commence in May.

Education and Outreach director or Megan Cook and expedition leader and chief scientist Daniel Wagner held a presentation for Saipan residents last month at the American Memorial Park visitors center about this year’s Marianas exploration.

“We're in the final preparations for some really exciting work. We're going to see for the very first time some exciting habitats and ecosystems that are offshore here and hopefully bring you all along on this ride together,” said Wagner.

He said exploring what lies on the bottom of the ocean is one of the remaining mysteries of the planet as we know it.

“We're all very aware that we live on a largely ocean planet. However, I think most people within the scientific community are not aware of how much of that ocean planet has never been explored. In fact, only about a quarter of the global ocean has been mapped with modern standards, with modern technologies.”

Wagner said the information their team aboard the E/V Nautilus collects would be invaluable for different applications, from understanding how climate changes or propagates, from global cycles, from managing fisheries, from conservation areas, or even more practical applications.

Cook likened the method the E/V Nautilus will be mapping the ocean floor to how Google Earth maps on land.

“We call it mowing the lawn, just to keep our land references there. The ship moves back and forth collecting data, the sonars emit sound and the longer it takes for that sound to bounce back, you reveal the seafloor and get data on the different depths along the way. If you've been like, I've seen Google Earth, I've seen Google Maps, you zoom in, there's a map of the seafloor.”

Essentially, Cook said Ocean Exploration Trust and the Nautilus Exploration Program will be going to places on the seafloor that people have never been before with the E/V Nautilus.

“We're so honored to be here as guests in your waters and kick off the expedition season in May and June, here working with the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument and exploring the waters of the whole archipelago.”

Wagner just some of the interesting features they will be exploring next month until June are the hydrothermal vents of active volcanoes running down the spine of the Marianas archipelago.

“They’re basically where lava, hot materials, and hot gases from the center of the Earth make their way up into the seafloor. And these are truly remarkable and just kind of fun facts. These types of ecosystems were only discovered about 50 years ago. And actually, our president and founder, who is best known for finding the [HMS] Titanic, he was part of missions that discovered these types of ecosystems.”

Another unique feature on the Marianas’ seafloor Wagner and his team will be exploring are what you call underwater mud volcanoes.

“We'll be focusing mostly on the other side of the islands where we have another type of truly remarkable ecosystem that we don't have really anywhere on Earth where we have these mud volcanoes. They are fundamentally different to true volcanoes in that you do not have lava erupting to the seafloor, but you have trapped gases, mud, and silts coming up. Here, the Mariana Islands are home to the largest underwater mud volcanoes on Earth.”

They will also try to get a sense of what lives in those 33,000 feet of water that are above the Mariana Trench that have really never been explored before.

“There have been a few explorations that have gone to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, but no one has really looked at what happens in these 33,000 feet of water,” said Wagner

Ocean Exploration Trust and the Nautilus Exploration Program aim to explore the ocean, seeking out new discoveries in the fields of geology, biology, maritime history, archaeology, and chemistry while pushing the boundaries of education, outreach, and technological innovation. Their expeditions center on scientific exploration of the seafloor, collaborating with the broader research community to identify priority regions and phenomena, and sharing our expeditions with explorers around the world via live telepresence.

During their expeditions, Ocean Exploration Trust and the Nautilus Exploration Program offer scientists, educators, students, and the global public a remote exploration experience via live video, audio, and data feeds from the field, as well as ship-to-shore interactions direct to classrooms and science centers. They embed educators and students in E/V Nautilus expeditions, gaining hands-on experience in ocean exploration and serving as STEM role models for the next generation. NautilusLive.org offers an immersive experience year-round for explorers to learn more about our expeditions, find educational resources, and marvel at new discoveries.

Ocean Exploration Trust was established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2007 to support the newly launched Ocean Exploration Program in the United States, which was outlined and guided by the President’s Panel for Ocean Exploration in 2000. OET’s program is national and international, with funding support from federal agencies as well as the private and public sectors. Since the NOAA Ocean Exploration Program was authorized into U.S. law by Congress in 2009, OET has been partnering closely with the NOAA Office of Exploration & Research as well as other government agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector to advance the field of deep-sea exploration and to engage the public and next generation.

Story by Mark Rabago