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Overview

We propose a new exploration paradigm to advance the pace of exploration and discovery through the multi-vehicle use of the new Orpheus class AUVs to explore the hadal regions of our ocean.

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Year 7 Update

Orpheus Seafloor Resource Characterization

Adam Soule (URI-GSO), Jake Russell (Orpheus Ocean), Jason Fahy (URI)

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Overview

Year 7 puts Orpheus AUVs into the water on two different ships. From E/V Nautilus in the Mariana Region, the team conducts the first direct observations of seafloor critical mineral deposits and co-located ecosystems at 4,000–6,000 m depth. From NOAA Ship Rainier near Kingman and Palmyra Atolls, a parallel campaign collects seafloor imagery, sensor data, and physical samples for NOAA, BOEM, and USGS critical-minerals research — and demonstrates Orpheus Ocean’s new sample-collection capability for the first time.

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