Once described as the most polluted ocean zone on Earth, the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now supporting entire ecosystems. Researchers have confirmed that dozens of marine species are living on floating plastic debris. These include mussels, barnacles, shrimp-like amphipods, and other coastal organisms that normally live near shorelines. Plastic waste acts as a floating habitat. It allows coastal species to survive and reproduce far from land, something rarely possible before widespread plast

In April, NOAA Ocean Exploration conducted a "shakedown" expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington, to get systems ready for the rest of the field season...and to conduct some science (of course!). This video summarizes the science side of the expedition. For a full rundown of what we accomplished, visit: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/explorations/express/ex2301/welcome.html [With the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration and U.S. Ge

This year, Ocean Exploration Trust celebrates a decade of conducting scientific exploration expeditions aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus! Sailing through the Mediterranean, Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific over 104 expeditions, we've made new deep sea discoveries in geology, biology, and archaeology during 1741 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives. As this year comes to a close, take a deep dive through some of our top highlights with us! | Nautilus Live