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Expedition Team Set to Explore Palau’s Vast Ocean Space

An expedition team from Palau has been assembled for Lebuu’s Voyage, the name for the upcoming scientific research expedition to the Palau National Marine Sanctuary (PNMS), scheduled to start in late October. The team will work alongside other scientists, engineers, and ocean explorers in an expedition onboard the exploration vessel E/V Nautilus, in partnership with the Ocean Exploration Trust (OET) and with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Ocean Exploration. This unique opportunity is based on a commitment made by the United States at the 7th Our Ocean Conference to support the exploration of the PNMS.

OET has worked closely with the Palau International Coral Reef Center (PICRC) to actively engage with the Office of the President, the Council of Chiefs, the Ministry of Education, and other key partners to ensure that the expedition is designed to address Palau’s priority needs, including areas for mapping and exploration. Equally significant in this collaborative opportunity is the representation of Palauans onboard, facilitated through an application process that gives expedition participants a platform to bring excitement to ocean exploration in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

The selection of the expedition team members was completed after a call for applications that started last year and closed in January and was based on the applicants’ expertise, dedication to marine science and conservation, and understanding of Palau’s traditional value system. Members of the expedition team will be engaging with the community and key partners and stakeholders in the coming weeks, leading up to the expeditions on October 29 to November 8 and November 11 to November 22.

Lebuu’s Voyage will be streamed live at www.NautilusLive.org, offering the public a front-row seat to these groundbreaking explorations. Join us as we uncover the mysteries of the deep and celebrate the enduring spirit of Palauan exploration.

Meet the Palauan-based expedition team!