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 energy and mineral resource decisions.
Expanding Pacific Exploration and Research
Learn how our multi-agency team is mapping uncharted waters and exploring deep-sea ecosystems off the west coast of the United States.
The EXPRESS Campaign
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.
In southern California, the offshore areas between Morro Bay and Santa Barbara include a diverse array of complementary and sometimes competing uses including commercial and recreational fishing, tourism, oil and gas extraction, multiple defense installations, and major shipping routes. With growing state and national interest in both offshore renewable energy development and sand and gravel resources, the patchwork of ocean uses in the area is growing even more complex.
Far offshore of northern California, Oregon, and Washington lie scattered deposits of seafloor massive sulfides. These are mineral-laden mounds and chimneys that form when hot water from beneath the ocean floor vents and mixes with cold seawater, creating deposits with high concentrations of copper, zinc, iron, gold, and silver.
There is a critical need for seismic fault, seafloor mapping, and site characterization data to evaluate the structural integrity of proposed energy projects and the environmental impacts to seafloor habitats. In order to make environmentally sound decisions about managing energy activities and developing mitigation measures, the potential direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of offshore development on the human, coastal, and marine environments must be evaluated.
EXPRESS priorities that contribute to resource assessments include:
- Investigate selected deep-sea mineral resources of potential industry interest
- Extend bathymetry and backscatter coverage to high priority areas
- Create a seamless map with benthic habitat classifications for targeted regions
This resources study is part of EXPRESS (Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems). All studies of the EXPRESS project and other related projects are listed below.
EXPRESS: Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems
Global Marine Mineral Resources
Ecosystems: EXPRESS
Hazards: EXPRESS
Resources: EXPRESS
- Overview
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 energy and mineral resource decisions.
Expanding Pacific Exploration and Research
Learn how our multi-agency team is mapping uncharted waters and exploring deep-sea ecosystems off the west coast of the United States.
The EXPRESS CampaignEXPRESS is a multi-year, multi-institution cooperative research campaign in deep sea areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, including the continental shelf and slope.
In southern California, the offshore areas between Morro Bay and Santa Barbara include a diverse array of complementary and sometimes competing uses including commercial and recreational fishing, tourism, oil and gas extraction, multiple defense installations, and major shipping routes. With growing state and national interest in both offshore renewable energy development and sand and gravel resources, the patchwork of ocean uses in the area is growing even more complex.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Amy Gartman waits for an X-ray diffractometer to analyze samples of hydrothermal sulfide minerals. Far offshore of northern California, Oregon, and Washington lie scattered deposits of seafloor massive sulfides. These are mineral-laden mounds and chimneys that form when hot water from beneath the ocean floor vents and mixes with cold seawater, creating deposits with high concentrations of copper, zinc, iron, gold, and silver.
There is a critical need for seismic fault, seafloor mapping, and site characterization data to evaluate the structural integrity of proposed energy projects and the environmental impacts to seafloor habitats. In order to make environmentally sound decisions about managing energy activities and developing mitigation measures, the potential direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of offshore development on the human, coastal, and marine environments must be evaluated.
EXPRESS priorities that contribute to resource assessments include:
- Investigate selected deep-sea mineral resources of potential industry interest
- Extend bathymetry and backscatter coverage to high priority areas
- Create a seamless map with benthic habitat classifications for targeted regions
- Science
This resources study is part of EXPRESS (Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems). All studies of the EXPRESS project and other related projects are listed below.
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.ByCoastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, 3-D CT Core Imaging Laboratory, Core Preparation and Analysis Laboratory and Sample Repositories, Multi-Sensor Core Logger Laboratory, Organic Geochemistry Laboratory, Deep Sea Exploration, Mapping and CharacterizationGlobal Marine Mineral Resources
Researching seafloor mineral resources that occur within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone and areas beyond national jurisdictions.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 (Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems) campaign will map and characterize these special areas to help guide ocean management...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.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 energy and mineral resource decisions. - Data
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