E/V Nautilus 2021-2023 Pacific Field Proposal UNDER THE NEW NOAA OCEAN EXPLORATION COOPERATIVE INSTITUTE

摘要

In May 2019, the NOAA Office of Exploration and Research announced that the University of Rhode Island would be the lead institution for its new Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI). In partnership with the University of New Hampshire, the University of Southern Mississippi, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and the nonprofit Ocean Exploration Trust, the consortium will receive an initial five-year award of up to $94 million.The OECI mission is threefold: (1) explore the 12 million square kilometers of submerged US ocean territory in order to strengthen our nation's Blue Economy, aid responsible management, and promote greater scientific understanding of our nation's vast underwater territory, knownas the Exclusive Economic Zone; (2) develop the technology needed to carry out this effort, including greater use of autonomous vehicle systems operating from a broad range of seagoing platforms to explore the entire water column; and (3) train the next generation of scientists, engineers, and educators needed to maintain our nation's leading role in growing STEM-related professions.