Okeanos Explorer (EX2402): Beyond the Blue: Hawai'i Mapping

Vessel: Okeanos Explorer; Expedition Dates: May 14 - June 09 2024

Project Principals: Sam Cuellar, NOAA/OAR/OER (Expedition Coordinator); Shannon Hoy, NOAA/OAR/OER (Mapping Lead)

From May 14 - June 09, 2024 (Honolulu, Hawai'i to Honolulu, Hawai'i) NOAA Ocean Exploration conducted Beyond the Blue: Hawai'i Mapping (EX2402), a mapping expedition in Hawai'ian waters. Mapping operations during this 27-day expedition aided in closing bathymetry gaps to the south of the island of Hawai'i. EX2402 collected 42,954 square kilometers of seafloor bathymetry deeper than 200m, with 35,069 square kilometers within the U.S Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). During mapping operations, NOAA Ocean Exploration simultaneously collected EM 304 multibeam sonar bathymetry observations and Simrad EK60/EK80 split-beam fisheries sonar observations of biologic material in the water column, as well as Knudsen 3260 sub-bottom profiler observations of sub-seafloor geologic structures and sediment. A full-profile CTD test was conducted to over 3000 meters to validate the operability of all CTD systems for the 2024 field season. Focused multibeam backscatter surveys near the 200-nm EEZ line targeted areas of interest for the U.S. Geological Survey. Several unnamed and unmapped seafloor features were mapped during EX2402, providing initial characterization of these sites that will support further evaluation and exploration. All data associated with this expedition will be archived within 120 days of the end of the expedition and will be publicly available through the NOAA Archives.