E/V Nautilus and its Corps of Exploration ventured further west and south than ever before in 2019, the fifth year of exploration in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The nearly 200 day expedition season included mapping and ROV exploration in national marine sanctuaries along California, the second expedition of the multi-year NASA SUBSEA program, and sailing out to remote regions of the central Pacific to search for two maritime heritage sites and document deepwater coral communities. New research partners included the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within the Pacific Remote Islands National Marine Monument, both expansive protected areas about which comparatively little is known, in large part due to their remote locations. 

OET mapped more of the ocean’s seafloor this year than any on record, over 135,340 km2. This marks a major contribution to the Seabed 2030 effort to map the entire world’s seafloor by 2030, particularly since Nautilus surveyed remote US territories otherwise unlikely to be mapped. Continuing partnerships with groups including the National Geographic Society allowed comprehensive mapping and exploration within the Phoenix Islands Protected Area, particularly around Nikumaroro Island while searching for Amelia Earhart’s plane. This year also marked the first deployment of our mobile capabilities, as OET and the University of New Hampshire’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping worked with the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary to map lakebed habitat in northwestern Lake Huron. 

Expedition Partners

2019 Nautilus Expeditions

Cave along California's ancient shoreline
Osborn Bank
May 10 – 13, 2019
NA106
Bathymetric map
California Mapping
May 15 – 22, 2019
NA107
underwater vents
Gorda Ridge
May 24 – June 9, 2019
NA108
Seamount bathymetry
Pacific Seamounts
June 11 – 22, 2019
NA109
Coral
Kingman Reef, Palmyra Atoll, and Jarvis Island
June 23 – July 13, 2019
NA110
Sea plane taking off
Search for the Samoan Clipper
July 14 – 20, 2019
NA111
Coral
National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa
July 22 – August 5, 2019
NA112
Historical photo of Amelia Earhart standing on airplane
Nikumaroro Island
August 7 – 25, 2019
NA113
Coral
Baker and Howland Islands and Johnston Atoll
August 25 – September 16, 2019
NA114
3-D map
Pacific Seamounts
September 19 – October 2, 2019
NA115
Whale fall
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
October 13 – 18, 2019
NA117

2019 Mobile Expedition