2025 Expedition

Mattingan: Mariana Arc Volcanic Exploration

May 7 – 29, 2025
NA171
Volcanic arc of the Mariana Archipelago viewed from the south
Expedition Leader
Co-Lead Scientist
Co-Lead Scientist

E/V Nautilus will begin the 2025 season exploring the ocean of the Mariana Islands- one of the most tectonically and volcanically dynamic locations on the planet. This area is home to one of the most active arc volcanic systems on Earth with more than 60 submarine volcanoes, and a back-arc spreading center where new seafloor is created. This 22-day expedition will utilize the ROV and mapping systems of E/V Nautilus in combination with the Orpheus AUV to explore deep-sea areas identified by the local management and science community, including sites with signatures of active volcanism, abyssal plain habitats, and areas in and around the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument where new data can support resource management priorities. 

The expedition name Mattingan, describing the deepest parts of the ocean or the open ocean in Refaluwasch (Carolinian) language, was selected by the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument in consultation with cultural experts John Castro from the CNMI Department of Community and Cultural Affairs-Traditional Seafaring Program and Kodep Ogumoro Uludong from the Refaluwasch Advisory Council, with support from the Chamorro-Carolinian Language Policy Commission.

This expedition is funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute, including additional support from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in collaboration with the US Geological Survey.

Expedition Partners

Meet the Team

Expedition Posts

bill chadwick OET
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

NA171 Co-Lead Scientist Bill Chadwick prepares the Corps of Exploration for more volcano science this expedition!

erin ranney ocean exploration trust
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

Video engineer on Nautilus and wildlife filmmaker Erin Ranney presented about her career to the Corps of Exploration onboard E/V Nautilus.

Sierra Landreth OET
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

Today, Science Team member Sierra Landreth is taking over our Instagram Stories and Facebook Stories! A graduate student at Florida State University, Sierra studies deep-sea benthic ecology and communities on Pacific seamounts. Stay tuned and submit your questions for Sierra!

Science Communication Fellow Kyle Menter hosts an onboard workshop on Ocean Literacy!
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

Science Communication Fellow Kyle Menter hosts an onboard workshop on Ocean Literacy!

Mariana Trench MNM Superintendent Sean Macduff gives the #CorpsofExploration a presentation all about the Monument.
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

Mariana Trench MNM Superintendent Sean Macduff gives the Corps of Exploration a presentation all about the Monument.

USGS ocean research
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

For the next few days, we'll be diving with Orpheus Ocean's Orpheus AUV on the abyssal plain habitat east of the Mariana Trench. These underwater plains are found from 3,000 to 6,000 meters deep, covering about 70% of the ocean floor. Although they are one of the most significant habitats on Earth, abyssal plains remain some of the least explored parts of the planet, due to their extreme depths. To date, there have been no dives to explore the abyssal plain in the Mariana Archipelago.
 

mariana trench mapping
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

Last night we passed over the Mariana Trench, which is so deep that even our sonars can't map it!

orpheus AUV
Credit
NOAA Ocean Exploration

Sailing onboard E/V Nautilus for the first time during this NA171 expedition is the Orpheus AUV, built and operated by Orpheus Ocean. The Orpheus AUV will allow the team to explore the abyssal seafloor at depths up to 6,000 meters, which has to date been virtually unexplored around the Mariana Islands. During missions, Orpheus AUVs operate near or on the seafloor, performing high-resolution camera surveys as well as water and seafloor sampling tasks.
 

The Orpheus AUV is in the water for its first dive of the expedition!
Credit
Ocean Exploration Trust

The Orpheus AUV is in the water for its first dive of the expedition!

marianas geology

Our first expedition of 2025 sees us exploring the ocean of the #MarianaIslands. This region is largely shaped by the forces of plate tectonics, with some of the oldest #seafloor on the planet being driven into the Mariana Trench (the deepest ocean trench) and then remelted to bubble up as magma, forming a chain of volcanic islands and subsea volcanoes. The volcanic arc in the Mariana region has more than 60 underwater volcanoes: 20 of which are hydrothermally active. These seafloor hot springs are hotspots of biodiversity supporting a broad range of organisms, including gastropods, mussels, tubeworms, galatheid crabs, and shrimps. To the west of the volcanic arc lies the “back-arc”, another setting of seafloor volcanism where seafloor spreading occurs, along with hydrothermal vents, but in much deeper water. Stay tuned as we explore some of these amazing and unique features!