Happy Holidays to the OECI family. I hope you get a chance to rest and relax with friends and family. I just returned from AGU and got to see first hand our impacts across the ocean research and engineering enterprise. We should all feel great about what we have been able to accomplish this year. Looking to the future is exciting as well. Capt. Mowitt and I took a detour from AGU to see the new NOAA ship Discoverer in construction in Houma, Louisiana. The ship looks fantastic and has many technological improvements that you expect with a new vessel. As we were touring the vessel, we noticed that a great deal of the construction crew were female. This was a pleasant surprise relative to my past shipyard experiences. We learned that the shipyard employs a 40% female crew that rises to more than 50% in some departments like welding. They let us know that they view this as an important strategic advantage for retaining staff and that they think their crew is the best. It was a really nice story to see in action. See you in 2026!

Deepest Regards,

Adam

OECI at AGU!

Last week, OECI students, scientists, and engineers descended on New Orleans for AGU 2025. Presentations highlighted work on Vailulu’u Seamount, autonomous platform capabilities, and recent E/V Nautilus expeditions to name a few. Conferences like AGU are a great way for members of the OECI to connect in-person, collaborate with other scientists, and to be inspired by the fantastic work being presented by all attendees.

Student Ashly Martinez Rodriguez presenting on her experience sailing on the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary expedition earlier this year.

B20E 2025 - 2026 Cohort

URI has welcomed a new cohort of Bridge to Ocean Exploration Students for year five of the workforce development program. Ten CCRI students attended orientation earlier this month. Advisors shared project overviews and students introduced themselves. This year’s cohort will work on projects spanning science and engineering including coral biology, robotics development, multimedia production, and Arctic oceanography. 

Check out this article to read more about past student’s experiences in the program! 

Ocean Exploration Trust 2026 Call for Science Input

In 2026, E/V Nautilus will conduct several multidisciplinary expeditions to explore the deep sea in the Central and Western Pacific, with planned expeditions to the Hawaiian Islands, the Mariana Islands, Wake Atoll, and the Ryukyu Islands. We invite members of the science and resource management community, particularly from the geographies where expeditions will take place, to submit science priorities for these expeditions, including specific requests for seafloor mapping, remotely operated vehicle dives, physical samples, and technology integrations. Please provide your input by February 1, 2026. Information received will be used to develop expedition plans and opportunities for collaboration, which will be discussed during planning webinars held prior to expeditions.

The Ocean Exploration Trust plans to continue operating E/V Nautilus in the Western and Central Pacific for the next several years in partnership with NOAA Ocean Exploration, the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, and other partners. NOAA Ocean Exploration plans to conduct additional expeditions in this region using NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. Priorities submitted through this call may therefore be shared with NOAA Ocean Exploration for coordinated expedition planning. 

Please help us share this call with your networks to ensure broad representation, and stay tuned to future communications from the Ocean Exploration Trust and NOAA Ocean Exploration for additional opportunities to provide input.

Submit Science Input