Eagle Ray and Mola Mola on NOAA Okeanos Explorer
Leonardo Macelloni (USM)
Overview
In this project, the USM AUVs Eagle Ray (ER) and Mola Mola (MM) will be deployed from the NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer (EX) during a research cruise targeting unexplored areas of the US Pacific continental shelf. The area of interest is located in the proposed designation of Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary offshore of central California. This area remains largely unexplored and is in need of further exploration, especially high-resolution products, to support emerging management needs. Ocean floor topography, geological features, and seabed habitats have been generally mapped with hull-mounted sonars, hence higher-resolution bathymetry and visual investigation (e.g. photomosaics) will greatly improve our knowledge of the region’s biodiversity and geological features in a region that may be subjected to submarine geo-hazards.
