EXPRESS: An eastern Pacific science and exploration campaign to inform the Blue Economy

The Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged System (EXPRESS) is the latest evolution of the campaign-style initiative originally developed and implemented by NOAA. Little did anyone imagine that a small opportunistic multibeam survey by NOAA Ship Rainier would lead to an unprecedented level of federal cooperation and collaboration along the west coast. Now two years, six vessels, five UxS, and more than 260 days-at-sea and counting; the tri-agency (NOAA, BOEM, USGS) mapping and habitat characterization effort has far exceeded all initial expectations. Not only is it the first campaign co-led by multiple federal agencies, but early and continued engagement by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) - as well as partial support through the National Oceanographic Partnership Program - has expanded the partnership far beyond federal agencies. 2018 activities included a competitive mapping internship for graduate students organized through University of Southern California Sea Grant. 2019 plans include use of a new fly-away telepresence capability to expand campaign engagement and science opportunities. This multiyear, multi-platform, and multi-agency campaign is already providing cost-effective and valuable data for multiple pillars of Administration’s Blue Economy Initiative. The EXPRESS Team explicitly designed exploration and research activities to inform management decisions related to 1) guiding wise use of living marine resources; 2) informing potential offshore energy and mineral resource decisions; and 3) improving offshore earthquake, landslide, tsunami and nautical hazard assessment.