Through several years of development and testing during joint expeditions, and through the installation of Exploration Command Centers (ECC's) on shore, NOAA OE is now preparing to initiate a major scientific and public outreach program from their new dedicated research vessel, the Okeanos Explorer that will include the use of telepresence technology.
Currently, prototype ECCs reside at URI GSO, IFE in Mystic, CT, the NOAA/University of New Hampshire (UNH) Center for Ocean and Coastal Mapping (CCOM) Joint Hydrographic Center, the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) in Seattle, and at a NOAA facility in Silver Spring, MD.
The latest expedition to the Aegean and Black Sea will last from August 1 to August 31, 2007