Scientists from the United States and Indonesia have begun a journey of discovery in a region of the deep ocean near Indonesia where almost no one has gone before, sharing what they learn as it happens with scientists, students and citizens around the globe.
The Indonesia-USA Deep-Sea Exploration of the Sangihe Talaud region, called INDEX 2010, is a three-year partnership between the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and the Indonesian Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology to map the seafloor and study the rich marine biodiversity of an area of southeast Asia where the Indian and Pacific oceans meet.
The expedition advances the approach that President Obama called for in his June 2009 commitment at Cairo University to renew U.S. engagement with Muslim-majority countries.
The expedition includes two specially equipped exploration and research ships and two state-of-the-art exploration command centers ― one in Seattle and one in Jakarta ― where U.S. and Indonesian scientists will work side by side during ship operations and open their discoveries to students and the public through a dedicated website.
Data and images from the seafloor are being sent from the ships and from the U.S. ship’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in near real time via broadband satellite and high-speed Internet, allowing scientists and other participants ashore to engage in the expedition via telepresence, giving them an up-close view of the area being explored.
“We’re very happy that the government of Indonesia has welcomed us in a partnership of science and technology development,” Craig McLean, acting assistant administrator of NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, told America.gov, “to bring our relatively newfound exploration capabilities in the United States to share with our Indonesian colleagues at a scientific level and at a level of public interest and education.”
“The area of the ocean that we’re going to look at has been of interest to ocean explorers for some time,” McLean said. “Biologically it’s recognized as a particularly diverse, if not potentially the most diverse, area of ocean in the world.”
“The tectonic phenomenon of Indonesia, such as underwater volcanoes, hydrothermal vents and other natural activities, contributes to greater deep-sea biodiversity,” Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Fadel Muhammad told America.gov July 14.
“This scientific knowledge provides extensive understanding of climate crisis and its related challenges,” he added. “As we still know very little about our ocean, it is important to continue scientific exploration in order to discover nature’s benefits for our communities.”
The information gathered and products developed, like digital maps and high-definition video, will help experts better understand, use and protect ocean resources. Coral ecosystems, sponges and other marine organisms offer promise for treating diseases. Some deep-sea ecosystems include organisms that can be used as food. And information from deep-sea exploration can add to knowledge about earthquakes and tsunamis.
Only about 5 percent of the world’s oceans has been explored.
EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN
For the expedition, each nation is contributing a ship with special capabilities. INDEX 2010 is the maiden voyage of NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer, the only U.S. government ship dedicated to ocean exploration. Okeanos is from the Greek word for ocean exploration, and the ship was named in a contest for schoolchildren.
Among the ship’s many systems is a hull-mounted multibeam sonar, which uses sound pulses to detect shapes on the seafloor and produce high-resolution maps of the seafloor as deep as 7,000 meters. It also has a two-piece ROV, attached to the ship by a tether, that is able to operate to depths of 4,000 meters. One vehicle is suspended above the other to light up and record the surroundings.
“We’re putting the ship in a position where it’s going out to largely unknown areas of the ocean ― areas where, if there were a map, there would be a big question mark,” scientist John McDonough, deputy director of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, told America.gov.
“The mapping system will allow us to bring back good maps of an area,” he added, “creating a foundation of information that others can use to make determinations about going back and doing follow-up work.”
The Okeanos Explorer will map the deep ocean floor and water column, collecting oceanographic data and obtaining high-definition video through the ROV’s cameras. The Indonesian ship Baruna Jaya IV will map the seafloor in different locations and collect biological and other samples from the sea.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
The expedition’s work has already begun. Between June 24–July 14 for Okeanos Explorer and July 14–19 for Baruna Jaya IV, Okeanos conducted multibeam mapping and ROV operations and Baruna Jaya conducted mapping operations and more traditional sampling.
The final leg takes place July 21–August 7 for Okeanos and July 20–August 7 for Baruna Jaya IV.
McDonough said the Okeanos Explorer plans to return to Indonesia in the summer of 2011 for a second year of operations. He said the results of exploration and discussions with the project’s science team and partners will determine activities for the rest of the three-year project.
The Indonesia-USA Deep-Sea Exploration of the Sangihe Talaud region, called INDEX 2010, is a three-year partnership between the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and the Indonesian Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology to map the seafloor and study the rich marine biodiversity of an area of southeast Asia where the Indian and Pacific oceans meet.
The expedition advances the approach that President Obama called for in his June 2009 commitment at Cairo University to renew U.S. engagement with Muslim-majority countries.
The expedition includes two specially equipped exploration and research ships and two state-of-the-art exploration command centers ― one in Seattle and one in Jakarta ― where U.S. and Indonesian scientists will work side by side during ship operations and open their discoveries to students and the public through a dedicated website.
Data and images from the seafloor are being sent from the ships and from the U.S. ship’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) in near real time via broadband satellite and high-speed Internet, allowing scientists and other participants ashore to engage in the expedition via telepresence, giving them an up-close view of the area being explored.
“We’re very happy that the government of Indonesia has welcomed us in a partnership of science and technology development,” Craig McLean, acting assistant administrator of NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, told America.gov, “to bring our relatively newfound exploration capabilities in the United States to share with our Indonesian colleagues at a scientific level and at a level of public interest and education.”
“The area of the ocean that we’re going to look at has been of interest to ocean explorers for some time,” McLean said. “Biologically it’s recognized as a particularly diverse, if not potentially the most diverse, area of ocean in the world.”
“The tectonic phenomenon of Indonesia, such as underwater volcanoes, hydrothermal vents and other natural activities, contributes to greater deep-sea biodiversity,” Indonesian Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Fadel Muhammad told America.gov July 14.
“This scientific knowledge provides extensive understanding of climate crisis and its related challenges,” he added. “As we still know very little about our ocean, it is important to continue scientific exploration in order to discover nature’s benefits for our communities.”
The information gathered and products developed, like digital maps and high-definition video, will help experts better understand, use and protect ocean resources. Coral ecosystems, sponges and other marine organisms offer promise for treating diseases. Some deep-sea ecosystems include organisms that can be used as food. And information from deep-sea exploration can add to knowledge about earthquakes and tsunamis.
Only about 5 percent of the world’s oceans has been explored.
EXPLORING THE UNKNOWN
For the expedition, each nation is contributing a ship with special capabilities. INDEX 2010 is the maiden voyage of NOAA ship Okeanos Explorer, the only U.S. government ship dedicated to ocean exploration. Okeanos is from the Greek word for ocean exploration, and the ship was named in a contest for schoolchildren.
Among the ship’s many systems is a hull-mounted multibeam sonar, which uses sound pulses to detect shapes on the seafloor and produce high-resolution maps of the seafloor as deep as 7,000 meters. It also has a two-piece ROV, attached to the ship by a tether, that is able to operate to depths of 4,000 meters. One vehicle is suspended above the other to light up and record the surroundings.
“We’re putting the ship in a position where it’s going out to largely unknown areas of the ocean ― areas where, if there were a map, there would be a big question mark,” scientist John McDonough, deputy director of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, told America.gov.
“The mapping system will allow us to bring back good maps of an area,” he added, “creating a foundation of information that others can use to make determinations about going back and doing follow-up work.”
The Okeanos Explorer will map the deep ocean floor and water column, collecting oceanographic data and obtaining high-definition video through the ROV’s cameras. The Indonesian ship Baruna Jaya IV will map the seafloor in different locations and collect biological and other samples from the sea.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS
The expedition’s work has already begun. Between June 24–July 14 for Okeanos Explorer and July 14–19 for Baruna Jaya IV, Okeanos conducted multibeam mapping and ROV operations and Baruna Jaya conducted mapping operations and more traditional sampling.
The final leg takes place July 21–August 7 for Okeanos and July 20–August 7 for Baruna Jaya IV.
McDonough said the Okeanos Explorer plans to return to Indonesia in the summer of 2011 for a second year of operations. He said the results of exploration and discussions with the project’s science team and partners will determine activities for the rest of the three-year project.
