Okeanos Explorer 

---

The Okeanos Explorer is a ship built by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). It departed from Port Canaveral in Florida on May 14, 2021. 

Okeanos Explorer: 

• NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer is the only federal vessel dedicated to exploring our largely unknown ocean to discover and advance knowledge about the deep ocean. 

• The Okeanos Explorer is the only NOAA ship to have a dedicated ROV. Although ROVs have been used on other NOAA ships, they are typically removed at the end of a mission. Having a permanent ROV makes it easier to deploy at any time. 

• During the expedition, scientists reveal that the deep-water biodiversity in the Coral Triangle is comparable to that of its shallower waters. Up to 50 new species are discovered during the mission.

Orpheus: 

• Usually, a large high-power location finding equipment such as Sonar will be required to navigate in the dark sea bed. Unlike such equipment, Orpheus uses a low-power system of cameras and lights and advanced software. It is lighter than the deep-sea submersibles. 

• It weighs around 250 kilograms. 

• It is designed to be nimble (quick and light movement), move easily in a rugged (broken or uneven rocky surface) environment. This kind of environment is usually inaccessible to most deep-sea vehicles.