About oceanexplorergov

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NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) is the nation’s first and only federal program dedicated to expanding our understanding of the ocean through systematic exploration, targeted research, and the use and advancement of undersea technologies.

If you're looking for the official source of information about OER, please visit http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/

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Basket Star: INDEX 2010

Behold, the mighty basket star! Seen while exploring Indonesian waters in 2010, the intricate network of bifurcating arms of this basket star also housed several large shrimp. Video courtesy of courtesy of NOAA Ocean Exploration, INDEX-SATAL 2010. To view more media from the INDEX 2010: “Indonesi…

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Swimming Brittle Star: Windows to the Deep 2018

We often encounter brittle stars when exploring, but usually we see them buried in sediment or entwined in coral branches. So it was an exciting surprise to see this one swimming along in the water column during a Windows to the Deep 2018 dive! Look at it go! Learn more about the brittle star: htt…

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Bigfin Squid

It’s not every dive that deep-sea explorers encounter a bigfin squid (Magnapinna sp.). It’s actually pretty unusual; roughly a dozen sightings have been confirmed worldwide. So, when we captured an adult bigfin squid on camera during Dive 10 of Windows to the Deep 2021 off the West Florida Escarpme…

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