The NOAA research vessel Okeanos has been surveying abyssal plains near the Cook Islands since July 19, and several dives are available to watch via livestream. On August 3 at about 5:30 p.m. EDT an ROV will begin a three‑hour descent to nearly 3.5 miles (≈5.6 km) depth to map and sample about 0.6 miles from the American Samoa boundary. Instruments on the dive include CTD sensors, an acoustic Doppler current profiler, and data from Argo floats. Findings will inform future exploration and Cook Islands planning; NOAA says the mission does not authorize seabed mining. Additional streams are planned nearly daily through August 13, weather permitting.
Watch NOAA’s Live Deep‑Sea Exploration Near the Cook Islands Tonight
This carnivorous sponge was one of several seen during Dive 09 of the 2026 Cook Islands ROV Exploration cruise. Unlike fitler feeding sponges, carnivorous sponges prey on animals such as small crustaceans that they capture from the water column.
Most reports about deep‑sea discoveries arrive days or weeks after they happen, but you don’t need to be aboard a research ship to witness new finds in real time. Since July 19, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) vessel Okeanos has been surveying the abyssal plains near the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. The public can watch many of those dives livestreamed from the ship.
When to Tune In: On August 3 at about 5:30 p.m. EDT, the expedition’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is scheduled to begin its descent. The drop to the seafloor will take roughly three hours. At nearly 3.5 miles (about 5.6 km) below the surface, the pitch‑black abyss will require the ROV’s lights to reveal its inhabitants and terrain.
Over an expected four‑hour dive, the ROV will map and inspect the seafloor and water column roughly 0.6 miles (about 1 km) from the boundary with American Samoa. The vehicle will collect oceanographic data using onboard instruments, including CTD sensors (conductivity, temperature, depth), an acoustic Doppler current profiler, and measurements informed by already deployed Argo floats. Scientists will use the new data to improve maps, refine future exploration targets, and better understand the region’s environmental health.
"The cruise is a scientific exploration and mapping activity that supports the Cook Islands' understanding of its deep ocean. It will help build baseline knowledge of areas that remain difficult to access and not well understood," reads the expedition's website.
The Cook Islands have limited terrestrial natural resources, and deep‑ocean mineral deposits are of growing interest. NOAA says its surveys are intended to help Cook Islands officials develop more informed plans for sustainable economic growth. NOAA also confirmed that this expedition does not authorize any immediate commercial seabed harvesting.
Additional livestreams from the Okeanos are planned nearly daily through the mission’s scheduled end on August 13, though each dive is dependent on local weather and sea conditions.
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