From November 29 through December 21, 2017, a team of scientists and technicians from NOAA’s Ocean Explorer conducted exploratory investigations into the diversity and distribution of deep-sea habitats and associated marine communities in the Gulf of Mexico basin.

The 23-day expedition focused on acquiring data on priority exploration areas identified by ocean management and scientific communities. This is the first of three expeditions planned to increase our understanding of the Gulf, with two additional cruises scheduled for Spring 2018. Read to the end to find out how you can get involved, but before that, enjoy learning about the science behind the latest amazing discoveries from NOAA’s always-fascinating Ocean Explorer program.

To read the full article in ECO's Jan/Feb issue, click here.