New tools for ocean exploration, equipping the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer

In 2004 the US Navy transferred the USNS Capable (T-AGOS 16) to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The vessel has recently completed an extensive conversion effort to become the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. NOAA's Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) will use the vessel to conduct multi-disciplinary ocean exploration and research projects. OER's goal is to increase America's knowledge of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and other areas of the roughly 95 percent of the underwater world not previously explored and largely unknown. As a new vessel dedicated to ocean exploration the Okeanos Explorer received significant upgrades and new equipment. This paper describes the major facets of the conversion. The Okeanos Explorer will be the first NOAA vessel to carry a dedicated remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and systems designed to connect the ship and ROV activities to shore via ldquotelepresence.rdquo The development and integration of these new technologies on the vessel is also described. The paper concludes with a discussion of how OER envisions these tools being employed in ocean exploration.