Southeast U.S. Deep-Sea ROV Dive And Multibeam Sonar Mapping Expedition 2021

NOAA Ocean Exploration conducted a 21-day expedition in October-November 2021, focusing on the Blake Plateau and Florida Straits. The mission completed 14 remotely operated vehicle dives, totaling 47 hours of bottom time, and mapped 15,800 square kilometers of seafloor. Data from this expedition is archived and publicly available through NOAA.

Use Cases

• Classifying seafloor structures like bioherms, mounds, and ridges using dive location and depth data from 300 to 3650 meters.
• Analyzing the spatial distribution of explored features such as the Blake Escarpment and sinkholes using mapped area coordinates.
• Correlating ROV dive observations with multibeam sonar bathymetry data for specific dive sites.
• Studying water column exploration data from the two dedicated dives conducted during the expedition.

Strengths

• 14 ROV dives provide multiple observation points across different deep-sea features.
• Seafloor mapping covers a 15,800 square kilometer area using EM 304 multibeam sonar.
• Dives spanned a significant depth range from 300 to 3650 meters.

Limitations

• Specific data formats and available variables are not detailed in the description.
• The expedition's temporal scope is limited to a 21-day period in late 2021.
• Geographic focus is primarily the Blake Plateau, with only three dives in the Florida Straits.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.

Collection Method

Combined mapping and remotely operated vehicle operations from a sea expedition.

Time Range

October 26 to November 15, 2021.

Freshness

Data is from a 2021 expedition, but the record was last updated in April 2026.

Geography

Blake Plateau off the Southeast U.S. coast and the western/central Florida Straits.