Wake Island Seamount Seafloor Mapping Expedition Data

NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer collected oceanographic data in the North Pacific Ocean around the Wake Island Unit of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument. The EX1607 expedition established a baseline for the region, focusing on seafloor mapping over several seamounts during a transit from Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, to Honolulu, Hawaii. This dataset is published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and represents a dedicated 24-hour mapping operation from August 25 to September 11, 2016.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seafloor bathymetry and structure of seamounts within the Wake Island Unit.
• Establishing baseline geological data for future exploration and comparative studies in the PRIMNM region.
• Supporting habitat mapping and marine protected area management decisions using collected geospatial data.
• Studying the geological features along the transit path between the Marshall Islands and Hawaii.

Strengths

• Data collection was conducted 24 hours per day using the ship's deep-water mapping systems, ensuring continuous coverage.
• The expedition provides a dedicated baseline for a specific, protected marine region (Wake Island Unit of PRIMNM).
• Operations utilized a high-bandwidth satellite connection for real-time ship-to-shore communications.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided on any platform, limiting detailed technical assessment.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata, with Data.gov reporting 2026-04-01 and NASA Earthdata reporting 2016-09-11.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected via 24-hour/day operations using NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer's deep water mapping systems during transit.

Time Range

2016-08-25 to 2016-09-11

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:01:44.290976

Geography

North Pacific Ocean, in and around the Wake Island Unit of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, from Kwajalein, Marshall Islands to Honolulu, Hawaii.