On the cusp of October, the tranquil waters of Honolulu bore witness to the sails of E/V Nautilus fluttering with a promise of uncharted discoveries, as Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) and its partners embarked on a technological collaboration expedition. The voyage, cradled in the warm embrace of Hawai’i waters, cradles a dream of harmonizing autonomous and remotely operated platforms. Aboard the ship, the synergy of three distinct undersea vehicles is a page turned towards evolving strategies for ocean exploration. This ballet of technologies is not just a spectacle but a testament to the leaps of efficiency and force multipliers in unveiling the mysteries that lie in the depths below. The expedition is a sojourn that transcends the individual capabilities of the autonomous technologies, diving into the exploration of seamounts and the water column around the Geologist Seamounts south of the Main Hawaiian Islands.

As the expedition sails through time, the reminiscent waves tell tales of last year's endeavor aboard E/V Nautilus, which sowed the seeds of collaborative exploration. This year's quest, however, unfurls a broader horizon by integrating the prowess of University of New Hampshire’s uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) DriX, University of Rhode Island’s Deep Autonomous Profiler (DAP) Lander, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s hybrid remotely-operated vehicle (HROV) Mesobot. The expedition is also enriched with new autonomous eDNA samplers, akin to technological seashells collecting the whispers of the marine world. Supported by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI), this venture is a ripple in the vast ocean of exploration technologies, each ripple resonating with the potential to unveil a layer of the abyss.

In the heart of the exploration, lies the essence of understanding the eloquence of the Geologist Seamounts, a narrative told through the collaborative gaze of autonomous systems. The dance of USV DriX, HROV Mesobot, and DAP Lander through the water column is like a poetic verse narrating the story of the unexplored. The expedition is a telepresence-enabled narrative allowing a glimpse into the unknown, an endeavor to map the uncharted. As Dr. Aurora Elmore from NOAA Ocean Exploration puts it, the pace of exploration has been a slow waltz, yet the ambition is to quicken the rhythm, to unveil the secrets that half of the U.S.’s exclusive economic zone holds, a realm yet to be mapped and characterized.

As the expedition navigates through the marine narrative, it carries along a message for the world, a message echoed through NautilusLive.org, transcending the physical boundaries and reaching out to curious minds globally. The expedition is not just a quest for knowledge, but a beacon of engagement, illuminating the path for an ocean-literate society. Through the lens of OET, the expedition is a bridge connecting the realms of scientific knowledge, public outreach, and the spark of curiosity among the historically marginalized groups. The expedition, as it sails through the vast expanse, is a journey towards nurturing a generation inquisitive and respectful of the mysteries the ocean holds, a journey that OET hopes would resonate through its future explorations, each voyage a ripple of knowledge in the boundless ocean of discovery.