50 reactions | As things continue to ramp up for ocean exploration in 2023, we'd like to take a moment to reflect back on all of the activities, discoveries, partnerships, and outreach that made 2022 such a great year: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/about/annual-reports/annual-report22/annual-report-2022.html. Onward and downward! | NOAA Ocean Exploration | Facebook

Despite its importance, the majority of our ocean is largely unknown. Through exploration, we’re learning more about the ocean's biological, chemical, physical, geological, and archaeological aspects every day. But before we can truly explore, we must map. Learn more about seafloor mapping through our curated education theme: https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/themes/seafloor-mapping/welcome.html | NOAA Ocean Exploration

Where is the deepest point of the ocean? It’s in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific. The Mariana Trench is a deep trench located where two tectonic plates meet, and its deepest point is called Challenger Deep. The bottom of Challenger Deep is over ten thousand meters below sea level. That’s nearly seven miles deep - enough to fit Mount Everest with over a mile to spare. Challenger Deep was first discovered in 1875, but it took nearly a hundred years for it to be explored underwater - at that dept