Science Capabilities

OceanXplorer possesses a unique toolset that allows researchers to study each ecosystem as a unit before stitching each ecosystem into an integrated ecosystem assessment

Interdisciplinary tools for baseline study of reefs, deep sea regions, MPA management, and sustainable policy

Coastal Ocean (0m-200m) – The most accessible portion of the ocean is often the first to display signs of stress from terrestrial sources. The OceanXplorer serves as a platform to deploy teams of scuba divers to conduct reef transects and surveys to assess overall reef resilience and adaptability potential. Drones deployed from the main vessel capture a birds-eye views of coastline habitat, weaving a tapestry of images to signal areas most at risk from habitat disturbance and making suggestions on where protection is needed most. Using advanced geological sampling and analysis, researchers can understand historic episodes of sea level rise to predict what future sea level changes may look like in the near future.

Pelagic Ocean - The open ocean is the Earth's most expansive ecosystem. Physical and biological oceanography drive complex unseen processes throughout the water column, controlling the distributions of nutrients necessary for life to flourish in this vast environment. The OceanXplorer utilizes various cutting-edge equipment - from CTDs to underway sensors – to capture the biogeochemical cycles that drive global nutrient distribution. The ADCP installed onto the hull of the ship construct current profiles researchers to track the movement of water both at the surface and below.Tow nets deployed from the ship, allow researchers to capture minute plankton communities and bring them back to the labs for identification and analysis. eDNA and genomic sequencers on board the ship provide information into how the bottom of the food chain influences the composition of larger organisms at the top.

Deep-Ocean (200m-7,000m+) - The deep ocean is one of the last unexplored locations on Earth. However, research is showing that this habitat is far from desolate and supports its own unique and mysterious array of life found nowhere else on the planet. The cutting-edge engineering technology in OceanXplorers’ arsenal allows researchers to take a firsthand look at life in one of the most extreme habitats. Submersibles and ROV’s give researchers a chance to explore this understudied habitat, taking biological samples to understand how life has adapted at extreme pressure. Gravity and push cores, give researchers a look into how nutrient particles from the surface are sequestered and support microbial communities within deep-sea sediments. OceanX pushes the limits of research in the deep-sea through pioneering exploration, leading researchers to explore amazing habitats such as hydrothermal vents and deep-sea brine pools.

Atmospheric (0km – 48km) - Atmospheric processes drive oceanic change and vice versa. Gasses are constantly exchanged from the atmosphere to the ocean through passive diffusion at the air-sea interface. The composition of this exchange sparks extensive saltwater chemistry reactions in the ocean, influencing biological and physical processes such as coral skeleton accretion rate and ocean acidification. In turn, the ocean releases aerosols from sea spray which influences cloud formation and other atmospheric processes. With the installation of an air lab on the OceanXplorer, OceanX can capture these aerosol particle exchanges to understand and monitor local, regional, and global climatic conditions as well as microbial species spread through the atmosphere.

To help explore and understand the deep, measurements and data collection must be conducted in the deep ocean:Geological characterization of the makeup of the seafloor- Using a Knudson Chirp Sub-Bottom profiling sonar array, we can explore the structure and composition beneath the seafloor. This echo sounder reveals the composition and structure of the earth below the seabed.

Study physical and biological properties of the water column above the seabed - Using a cable attached sensor package (CTD), we can measure the temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and light along an entire depth profile (up to ~7,400 meters). Evaluation of these parameters in the water column allows us to understand how water masses are shaping the conditions of life in the ocean. Measurements are made from a sensor array, and water is collected from a rosette attached to a deep-sea cable (>7,400 meters in length). With the water sampling rosette, we are able to collect water samples at defined depths and evaluate the presence of environmental DNA (eDNA) for a range of marine species.

Visual characterization of the ocean/ocean features - Using either crewed submersibles or piloted ROV’s we can make high-resolution visual maps of deep-sea environments. Such maps allow the visual confirmation of complex and underexplored deep-sea ecosystems whose existence is often disputed due to lack of visual surveys. These tools also allow investigations into caves, walls, brine pools, vents, and overhangs on the ocean floor. These areas are inaccessible to traditional deep-sea studies, which rely on destructive methods such as trawls and dredges.

Direct sampling of deep-sea marine organisms and their environment - OceanX submersibles and ROV are outfitted with precise sampling equipment consisting of a robotic sampling arm, water-suction sampling, Niskin water sampling bottles, and sampling boxes. This sampling suite allows researchers to collect individual organisms, soil, water, sediment samples as well as retrieve research instrumentation from the seafloor.

Tagging of deep sea organisms – OceanX is the only organization to tag deep sea sharks from manned submersibles-meeting the animals “where they live” to collect data in the least invasive way possible.

To survey and understand what lies beneath the ocean surface, OceanX utilizes advanced mapping and photo tools:

Mapping the seafloor - Utilizing advanced acoustic sonar systems, OceanX produces detailed 3D maps of the ocean floor. The OceanXplorer vessel is equipped with two hull-mounted deep-water multi-beam echo sounders (Köngsberg EM 304 and 712), enabling comprehensive mapping of waters ranging from 100 meters to over 11,000 meters in depth. Combining the 3D mapping data with backscatter signals collected simultaneously can help reveal the nature of the ocean floor (rock, sand, coral etc.). In addition to ship-based mapping systems on OceanXplorer, multibeam sonar systems are also integrated into theROV. The MBES on Chimaera allows high-resolution mapping (cm resolution) of deep-sea features.

Shallow-Water Mapping and Photogrammetry - Utilizing the Otter Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) and the support vessel Metal Shark, OceanXis capable of accessing shallow-water areas for precise mapping purposes. The Otter, an easily deployable asset, is equipped with a Kongsberg multi-beam 2040p echo-sounder and a 360 camera, making it ideal for generating high-resolution maps in difficult-to-access locations. This capability is particularly beneficial for mapping complex habitats such as mangrove forests, seagrass meadows,coral reefs, and atoll lagoons. Metal Shark is suitable for mapping at depths ranging from 20 - 300 meters and supports a small team of scientists and divers, thereby enabling the coverage of extensive survey areas and the transportation of additional scientific equipment away from the main vessel.Additionally, researchers can alsoutilize a special stills camera system to create 3D photogrammetry models of ashallow-water ecosystems for digital analysis.

Fisheries and eDNA - Environmental DNA (eDNA) is the genetic material shed by organisms as they move around their ocean habitats. eDNA can be extracted from water, sediment, and even air - and provides the genetic material needed to answer a variety of questions about the marine environment. eDNA can be used to augment species assessments for fisheries surveys, to quantify and measure biodiversity in and around Marine Protected Areas, to look for species too elusive to capture using traditional trawl methods, and even to search for highly migratory species and megafauna. The utilization of eDNA as a tool to supplement existing methods of exploration and surveys/species assessments is a powerful and often cost-effective alternative that can guide policy-makers to science-based decisions about marine environments.

eDNA and ‘Omics on OceanXplorer - The laboratory facilities on OceanXplorer contain all of the materials required to extract DNA from water, sediment, and tissue samples collected by the submersibles, ROV, CTD, and SCUBA divers. DNA can be extracted, purified, and sequenced on board the vessel utilizing Oxford Nanopore Technologies GridION and PromethION sequencing systems. Additional analysis is conducted utilizing various bioinformatic pipelines installed on supercomputers in the labs. We have conducted fisheries metabarcoding studies to supplement stock assessments, biodiversity studies and metagenomic sequencing, and other sequencing projects related to extreme microbes found in brine pools, blue holes, and coral reefs ecosystems.

Blue Carbon (sediment, mangroves, oceanic blue carbon) - Measuring stored carbon content gives countries context on their climate change mitigation efforts. Provides incentive for providing protection. Gives countries data for unlocking funds needed for climate change mitigation, resource management and proper protections.

• Developing methods to quantify Blue Carbon is developing, just as the global field develops. We are exploring new methods of hyperspectral imaging to quantify types of mangrove and seagrass habitats/densities as a proxy for carbon sequestration, coring methods and subsequent on-board sample processing and analysis to measure carbon capture in sediments and have worked with kelp scientists in Norway to better understand carbon capture in kelp forests using drone photogrammetry and sampling.

Deep sea tools and exploration - The construction of OceanXplorer’s submersibles allows for unobstructed views of the surrounding environment with little noise emission, combined with the integrated outfitting of science and media equipment, providing scientists with the critical capability to put “eyes on the ground” and observe, document and collect data on ecosystems and species in their natural environment. The unique style of operations conducted on OceanXplorer is referred to as “Simultaneous Operations” or “SimOps”, designed to deploy both types of subsea assets along different depth gradients and habitats with the goal of balancing multiple science and media objectives across multiple vehicles to maximize sampling and data acquisition in an area. OceanXplorer is the only research vessel with this capability, which has been developed and refined since the launch of the ship in 2020.

• The subsea assets can be outfitted and modified based on the science and media objectives for each mission, and used as testing platforms for new types of imaging systems, sample collection tools, and sonars or acoustics. Recently we have integrated a 360 camera system into the ROV to generate high-resolution 360 AR experiences from dives conducted all over the globe. We have also built a 3D photomosaic system that can create 3D models of species and habitats at sub-millimeter level resolution, which can be utilized for analysis of how systems are changing through time or as education/outreach tools. The submersibles and ROV work together to utilize an optical modem system, which uses light to transmit live video and sound from the submersibles to the ship, and can be livestreamed anywhere around the world.

Artificial Intelligence (in development) - With the implementation of AI, we aim to conduct data analysis, genetic sequencing, and species and habitat classification using supercomputer power on board OceanXplorer