The U.S. deep-sea exploration vessel Okeanos Explorer is in Fiji for the first time, carrying out scientific exploration and seafloor mapping to improve understanding of the Pacific’s largely unexplored deep waters.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Okeanos Explorer docked in Suva yesterday as part of its 2026 Pacific exploration operations.
The vessel is expected to remain in Fiji for about three more days before departing for American Samoa, where it will carry out further deep-sea mapping.
NOAA Expedition Coordinator Nikki Morgan says the team’s work involves identifying areas of scientific interest, securing the necessary permits and planning sites where the vessel’s remotely operated vehicle can be deployed.
The Okeanos Explorer is equipped with four types of mapping sonars and a remotely operated vehicle capable of diving to depths of 6,000 metres.
Morgan says the vessel collects mapping data, video, imagery and other information to help build knowledge of areas of the ocean that remain poorly understood.
She says the raw and processed data collected in Fiji waters, including geo-referenced imagery, will be made available to the Fijian Government, while the final data will also be publicly accessible.
Morgan says the data being collected in Fiji does not contain information on mineral resources, as the focus of the current work is on documenting what the seafloor looks like.
She says NOAA does not restrict the data to particular users, with information made available for commercial, public and research purposes.
The aim, she says, is to reduce what is unknown about the seafloor and provide information that can assist researchers, governments and policymakers in making decisions.
The U.S. Embassy in Suva hosted Fiji media personnel on board the vessel to learn more about its scientific exploration and seafloor mapping work.
Chargé d’Affaires Christina Cavallo says the United States supports transparency in ocean scientific research and the sharing of information to help Pacific partners make informed decisions about managing their resources.
NOAA Ocean Exploration plans to spend more than 150 days at sea aboard the Okeanos Explorer this year, exploring deep waters around Hawai‘i, the Cook Islands, American Samoa and Fiji.
After its work in American Samoa, the vessel will head to Honolulu for its winter maintenance.
