Beyond the Blue: Palau Mapping

Sam Cuellar

Expedition Coordinator, NOAA Ocean Exploration

Sam Cuellar is an expedition coordinator with NOAA Ocean Exploration and an underwater archaeologist who has spent over a decade in ocean exploration. With three years at NOAA Ocean Exploration and six previously with Oceaneering, International, Sam specializes in deepwater archaeology, mission and survey planning, and the collection and interpretation of numerous types of geophysical data from oceanographic systems, including autonomous underwater vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, towed sensors, and novel one-off technologies. His current research focuses on using atypical technologies to detect and characterize deep ocean cultural heritage sites, namely shipwrecks, and the development of improved archaeological methodologies at depths unreachable by divers. As an archaeologist, Sam has had the fortune of investigating abandoned World War II Emergency Fleet Corporation ships in a Texas river, participating in the excavation of a wrecked 17th-century Venetian merchantman carrying goods for the Ottoman Sultan in Croatia, and searching for the lost ships of Hernán Cortés along the Gulf Coast of Mexico. At NOAA Ocean Exploration, Sam has led expeditions to the far reaches of Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, up and down the West Coast of the United States, and throughout the Pacific, including recently to the furthest extents of Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary and some of the most remote environments on Earth. When not at sea, Sam can be found on long bike rides, backpacking, and seeking out live music around Washington, DC.

Brian Doros

Broadcast Engineer, Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute

Brian Doros is a television broadcast engineer who was born in Long Branch, New Jersey. He attended college in San Diego, California, focusing on television production, broadcast electronics, and technical maintenance in broadcasting. His career path first led him to employment at IBM/MCA Video Laser Disc Company in Costa Mesa, California, working in research and development in the early days of optical laser disc, then to Los Angeles, where he specialized in film for television post-production. The next several years were spent working in the Hollywood post-production industry at Paramount Pictures, MGM/Lorimar Telepictures, 20th Century Fox, NFL Films, and Sony Broadcast Company North America, contributing to his 30 years of experience in television post-production and broadcast systems integration. After Hollywood, Brian worked in the field, traveling and upgrading network television facilities to digital broadcasting capabilities during the analog to digital conversion. He now has moved on to less broadcast traditional applications of his background working in his current position.

Logan Kline

Operations Support Analyst, NOAA Ocean Exploration

Logan Kline is an operations support analyst with NOAA Ocean Exploration. Logan holds a Master of Science in ecology and environmental science from the University of Maine and a Bachelor of Science in environmental science and policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. For her graduate work, Logan investigated the efficacy of an artificial intelligence algorithm designed to detect and identify seabirds in plane-based imagery of Maine's coastal islands. She has been involved with NOAA in multiple capacities, including as an Ernest F. Hollings scholar interning at the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center and as a Sea Grant Knauss Fellow in NOAA Ocean Exploration. Logan is very interested in the intersection of emerging technologies and wildlife monitoring; she has experience in remote sensing, geographic information systems, computer vision, uncrewed aerial vehicles, and passive acoustics.

Mashkoor Malik

Science and Technology Division Chief, NOAA Ocean Exploration

Mashkoor Malik has served as a physical scientist with NOAA Ocean Exploration since 2008. Mashkoor holds a M.S. in ocean mapping and Ph.D. in natural resources and Earth science systems from the University of New Hampshire. Mashkoor's work with NOAA Ocean Exploration includes a diverse portfolio ranging from expedition coordination, ocean exploration data management, cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) implementation. Since 2021, he has served as the chief of the office’s Science and Technology Division, overseeing ocean exploration competitive grants, marine archeology, technology, and data portfolios.

Sean Maluchluw

Junior Regional Advisor, Guest Scientist

Sean Anjelo Maluchluw is a student at Saint Joseph’s University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in arts with a concentration in international relations. Sean Anjelo is interested in being an environmental diplomat and hopes to use his skills to create environmental policies back in his home country, Palau. Sean Anjelo also loves photography and enjoys meeting new people and learning new things.

Jessica Nation

Multibeam Bathymetry Data Manager, NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information

Jessica (Jess) Nation is a multibeam bathymetry data manager with NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, working out of the office in Boulder, Colorado. She works with the NOAA fleet, Academic Research Fleet, and various ships around the world to archive and make seafloor mapping data available to the public. Outside of work, she enjoys skiing, backpacking, diving, reading, and traveling.

Christopher Romsos

Datapresence Systems Engineer, Regional Class Research Vessel Project, Oregon State University

Chris Romsos is the datapresence systems engineer for the Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV) Project at Oregon State University where he contributed to the scientific design and specifications for the RCRVs and led the development of the CORIOLIX data system. Chris now works with the vessel transition team and supports CORIOLIX in the U.S. academic and NOAA research fleets. Chris earned a B.S. in environmental resource management from The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) and an M.S. in marine resource management from Oregon State. Before joining the RCRV project, Chris worked for the Active Tectonics and Seafloor Mapping Lab at Oregon State where he specialized in geographic information systems and seabed mapping for marine habitat research and management needs.