with the private sector and academia. While the themes
of more recent forums have varied, they have been based
on recommendations from the forward-looking inaugural
Forum held in 2013: Ocean Exploration 2020. Forums have
emphasized the importance of using varied exploration
platforms, developing new technologies, creating citizen
science opportunities, increasing and fostering partner-
ships, improving low to no cost near-real-time data accessi-
bility, and enhancing and expanding ways to communicate
about ocean exploration.
The 2018 National Ocean Exploration Forum: All Hands
on Deck yielded community recommendations to be
captured in a formal report for release in 2019, revealing
how the themes of Play, Imagine, Immerse, Create, Explore,
and Connect can increase public engagement with and
excitement about ocean exploration. Archived video,
images, transcripts, and other information can be found at
https://www.allhandsondeck.community/.
to think of ocean exploration beyond the screen and the
current aquarium experience—using technology and
immersive environments, how can we create more excit-
ing, impactful experiences?
The final themes of Explore and Connect focused on
how to link a global community of ocean explorers with
the ocean and with each other. Hands-on workshops
illustrated how new tools and technologies can now allow
everyone to explore their backyard ocean and how pop-up
labs and crowd computing can entrain a new generation
of ocean explorers. Through innovative technologies,
like telepresence, anyone can join in and be a part of the
exploration journey.
All Hands on Deck included Boston Ocean Day, held
on November 10 in the Simons IMAX Theater at the New
England Aquarium. Paired with the animated series
The Deep, experts in the field of ocean exploration discussed
topics ranging from underwater volcanoes to ocean acous-
tics to the twilight zone, capturing the imagination of all
audiences. A concluding panel on ocean exploration gave
the public an opportunity to dive deep into the world of
ocean exploration with experts in the field and to ask ques-
tions live with scientists on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer as
they investigated the deep waters off Puerto Rico.
While continuing the efforts of the 2017 National Ocean
Exploration Forum to encourage a balance among partic-
ipants, across disciplines, career stage, and gender, with a
focus on an inclusive community, the 2018 Forum also took
a different approach for attendance. It invited interested
people across the globe to apply to attend and provided
need-based small travel grants to Ocean Discovery Fellows.
Of the 300 attendees, 42 Ocean Discovery Fellows came
from 11 US states and 17 countries around the world;
these Fellows were innovators with experience in science,
technology, design, recreation, entertainment, storytelling,
and community building. With participants that included
scientists, artists, songwriters, engineers, and even surfers,
attendance was the most diverse of any forum thus far.
Since 2013, the annual National Ocean Exploration
Forums have brought together leaders in ocean explora-
tion to discuss the goals of a national ocean exploration
program—a NOAA-led, multi-agency federal collaboration
Participants attending the Play LEGO underwater robot workshop
at the MIT Sailing Pavilion. Image credit: Jon Tadiello
Pau Anta and Kathleen Cantner explore ocean-inspired
hand-blown glass by Whitney Cornforth from the MIT
Glass Lab. Image credit: Jon Tadiello