A mapping expedition sponsored by NOAA Ocean Exploration through the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) will cover priority areas identified by scientists in support of future expeditions and filling gaps in bathymetry along the U.S. West Coast. This biologically rich region extends more than 320 kilometers offshore and provides a vast array of natural resources important to the national economy, including fisheries, energy, and other mineral resources.
Mapping in this region is a priority of the Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems (EXPRESS), a cooperative multi-year and multi-institution research campaign to develop comprehensive models and maps in the deep sea areas of northern California, Oregon, and Washington. EXPRESS partners include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Bureau of Energy Management, United States Geological Survey, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, and University of Southern California Sea Grant.
This expedition is sponsored by NOAA Ocean Exploration through the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute.
