Okeanos Explorer Commissioned

NOAA Commissions First Ship Dedicated Solely to Ocean Exploration

Aug 18, 2008 Alan Sorum

Okeanos Explorer represents the future of ocean research conducted by the United States through a vessel dedicated exclusively to ocean exploration.

Officials from the United States Department of Commerce commissioned the Okeanos Explorer, former United States Navy Ocean Surveillance Ship Capable, as the first federal ship dedicated solely to exploring the ocean on August 13, 2008 in Seattle, Washington. The Okeanos Explorer will use unique technology to allow shore based researchers access to real-time exploration activities.

Virtual Ocean Research Through Use of Telepresence and Remotely Operated Vehicles

The former Navy surveillance craft will use satellite and internet based telepresence provided through five upland Exploration Command Centers to allow researchers to view real-time images and data streams while the vessel is underway. A major project partner is the University of Rhode Island Inner Space Center, founded by ocean explorer Dr. Robert Ballard who discovered the Titanic and other well-known historic shipwrecks. Along with the University of Rhode Island facility, other command center locations will include the University of New Hampshire, Connecticut's Mystic Aquarium, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) facilities located in Silver Spring, Maryland and Seattle, Washington.

During the Okeanos Explorer commissioning, NOAA Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D stated, “The ocean provides us food, medicines, energy, and a means for transportation. While we have relied on the seas for centuries they still hold many secrets. This new ship will help unlock those mysteries and bring discoveries to light.”

The first commanding officer of the Okeanos Explorer will be Commander Joseph A. Pica of the NOAA Corps, one of the seven uniform services found in the United States. Crew training and vessel systems testing is expected to take two years in operations to take place in the Pacific Ocean. The ocean exploration vessel's name was a product of a national contest held by NOAA to promote ocean literacy. Woodstock High School in Woodstock, Illinois won the contest with their entry Okeanos Explorer, reflecting the early Greek term Okeanos for the ocean out of 400 entries.

Okeanos Explorer Research Capabilities and Specifications

Researchers will enjoy the full capabilities of the Okeanos Explorer through a virtual environment. The craft will be using and implementing cutting edge technologies with a focus on the use of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV) to measure and analysis the deep ocean environment.

Former USNS Surveillance T-AGOS Class Ship Capable built by Halter Marine in 1989
Overall Length: 68.3 meters (224 feet)
Beam: 13.1 meters (43 feet)
Draft: 4.6 meter (15 feet)
Displacement: 2,298.3 metric tons (2,533 US Short Tons)
Propulsion: 1,600 horsepower diesel-electric power plant - two shaft driven propellers
Crew Berthing: Room for 46 crew and mission support personnel
ROV: Two tethered craft capable of operating depths of 6,000 meters (19,685 feet)
Dynamic Positioning (DP): Automatic system holds vessel in place during ROV operations
Mapping Equipment: High resolution hull-mounted multibeam sonar (Kongsberg-Simrad EM302 ) capable of mapping the seafloor to depths of 6,000 meters (19,685 feet)
Data Communications: Very High Speed Aperture Terminal (VSAT) Satellite Transceiver with Internet 2 connections to shore facilities

NOAA is billing the Okeanos Explorer as America's Ship for Ocean Exploration. The promise of a virtual research platform available to many different researchers is a exciting prospect for the agency and ocean research community. Anyone with an internet connection will be able monitor the Okeanos Explorer as it conducts its exploration missions.

The copyright of the article Okeanos Explorer Commissioned in Marine Biology & Oceanography is owned by Alan Sorum. Permission to republish Okeanos Explorer Commissioned in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.