Beyond the Blue: Palau Mapping

From July through October, NOAA Ocean Exploration will conduct three exploration mapping expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer in waters of Palau. Honoring the commitment the United States made to Palau in 2022, NOAA is working with the Palau International Coral Reef Research Center (PICRC) to collect high-resolution mapping data over a large area of the Palau National Marine Sanctuary.

The waters around Palau host a range of fascinating geology, biology, and oceanography. However, despite the rich diversity of life and habitats that are found in the region, very little is known about deep waters in the area.

Building onto NOAA-sponsored work conducted by the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute on Exploration Vessel Nautilus in 2024, these three expeditions on Okeanos Explorer will include 24-hour-a-day using the ship’s deepwater mapping systems, expendable bathythermographs (XBTs), and conductivity, temperature, depth profiler (CTD) casts to collect seafloor and water column sonar data as well as collect water samples for environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis. This work is being conducted in partnership with Palau to expand what is known about the deep ocean around Palau.

The first expedition will focus on collecting mapping data and eDNA samples to the west and south of Koror, Palau, in the area around southwest islands that make up the states of Sonsoroal and Hatohobie. This area is characterized by strong surface currents and seamounts that have formed near the boundaries of the Palau Basin and the Caroline Plate. Work on the second expedition will occur to the north and east of Babeldaob, focusing on closing bathymetery gaps along the Palau Trench and the Kyushu-Palau Ridge. The second expedition will end in Guam. The last dedicated Palau mapping expedition will start in Guam and will focus on expanding high-resolution bathymetry coverage around Babeldaob. This expedition will also include the collection of eDNA samples from several of PICRCs long-term eDNA monitoring stations.

All data collected during the two expeditions in and around Johnston Atoll will contribute to Beyond the Blue: Illuminating the Pacific, an ocean exploration campaign designed to raise collective knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of coastal and ocean waters in the Pacific Islands region through coordinated mapping and exploration expeditions, data management and sharing, strategic partnerships, and outreach and engagement.

The expeditions are being planned and led in close partnership with PICRC, with junior and senior regional advisors actively engaged and providing input both on shore and at sea, working to further build bridges between the two counties and share experiences.