Agencies meet to discuss exploration of deep-water areas off U.S. West Coast
Core players in “Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems” (EXPRESS) held a planning workshop at the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, November 29–30.
Core players in “Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems” (EXPRESS) held a planning workshop at the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center in Santa Cruz, California, November 29–30. EXPRESS is an interagency effort to study deep-water areas off California, Oregon, and Washington. NOAA, USGS, and BOEM initiated the project, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) has joined the effort. Information they collect will guide decisions about managing fisheries and offshore energy and mineral resources, and inform offshore earthquake, landslide, tsunami, and nautical hazard assessment. Participants discussed objectives, refined priorities for future work, and reviewed accomplishments to date. These accomplishments include a month-long cruise that surveyed deep-water habitats off Oregon and California, mapping off central California for proposed offshore wind-energy development, and mapping off the Pacific Northwest to document seafloor movement associated with earthquakes and submarine landslides.
Workshop participants in the lobby of the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, November 29th, 2019.
Photo by Rex Sanders, USGS
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EXPRESS: Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems
EXPRESS is a multi-year, multi-institution cooperative research campaign in deep sea areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, including the continental shelf and slope. EXPRESS data and information are intended to guide wise use of living marine resources and habitats, inform ocean energy and mineral resource decisions, and improve offshore hazard assessments.
Ecosystems: EXPRESS
The continental shelf and slope offshore California, Oregon, and Washington are home to deep-sea corals, chemosynthetic communities, and other sensitive habitats that could be impacted by the development of energy and mineral resources. The EXPRESS campaign will map and...
Resources: EXPRESS
Along the U.S. west coast, the Pacific Ocean, ocean floor, and winds above contain potentially vast energy and mineral resources. Developing these resources safely and wisely requires detailed information for each area of interest. One goal of EXPRESS is to inform ocean...
Hazards: EXPRESS
Marine geohazards including earthquakes, landslides, and tsunamis lie offshore of densely populated areas of California, Oregon, and Washington. One goal of EXPRESS is to improve assessments of these hazards.
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