 Photos by Nova West.
"Thousands of meters below the surface of the ocean, in complete darkness, exists a world teeming with thick bacterial mats resembling shag carpets and unique animal life found nowhere else on our planet. Here, the scene is mesmerizingly otherworldly. Hydrothermal vents, like chimneys of an underwater city, create oases of life in an otherwise desolate expanse..." Read More.  Photos by Nova West.
"Now in her final year of graduate studies at the University of Victoria, Harris has spent more than 150 days at sea, using submersibles to take samples from hydrothermal vents around the world and in B.C. These are heated geysers on the sea bed, up to 4,000 metres below sea level, located in areas of heavy volcanic activity..." Read More.  "Nova West (They/Them) is an up-and-coming filmmaker, photographer, and visual artist. Nova’s career has been working in the oceanography/marine sciences industry as an expedition documentarian and an independent filmmaker focusing on LGBTQIA representation in science and marine science advocacy topics through beautifully compelling imagery that is sure to inspire..."
Listen Here.  Photos by Nova West.
"During the E Mamana Ou Gataifale I expedition, we were delighted to have Magdalene Augafa-Leauanae, Program Director at the American Samoa Department of Education Department of Curriculum and Instruction, sail as our Guest Educator. We were also thrilled to host three passionate interns from OET NOAA National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa: Talofa Fe’a, Liualevaiosina Le'iato, and Ella Ashford. At the end of the expedition, Communications Lead Marley Parker sat down with these four vibrant women to discuss what they learned, what surprised them, and what memories they will take with them after sailing on Nautilus for the first time..." Read More.  Photos by Nova West.
"During our first expedition in American Samoa this year, we utilized multiple autonomous vehicles to collect valuable data at Vailulu'u Seamount. Over the last three years, the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI) has been advancing the integration of multiple exploration technologies aboard E/V Nautilus, but this expedition marked the first time these tools have been directed at an active seamount..." Read More.  Photos by Nova West.
"On one of my first days here on the E/V Nautilus, one of my shipmates said to me, “Remember, normal people don’t work on ships.” It seems to me it wouldn’t be possible to do this work any other way. By nature, it requires people who embrace a bizarre and challenging existence, doing our best to rewire our bodies to work against the way they always have..." Read More.  "The International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) is proud to announce the induction of new Emerging League members into our prestigious community of photographers dedicated to conservation. This year's cohort reflects the global reach of conservation photography and filmmaking, with members hailing from multiple regions including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United States, Australia, India, Germany and Hong Kong. These individuals have demonstrated exceptional talent and a deep commitment to using photography as a powerful tool for conservation advocacy..."
Read More.  Photos by Nova West.
"The Ocean Exploration Trust (OET)'s fifth expedition of 2024 is E Mamana Ou Gataifale I (NA164): a multi-vehicle exploration of midwater ecosystems across American Samoan waters... The purpose of this expedition is to cooperatively explore this zone in priority areas identified by the American Samoan management and science community. The expedition, funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI), will visit Vailuluʻu Seamount in the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa (NMSAS), as well as other unexplored seamounts, to learn more about how open ocean and seafloor habitats interact..." Read More.  "I grew up in a small farm town in Minnesota, hundreds of miles from the ocean. I was a water kid at heart, but didn’t get to visit the ocean until I was well into middle school. It wasn’t until I got my start at National Geographic following the completion of my college degree in Environmental and Outdoor Education that I was able to begin learning to understand the ocean. This journey ignited my career in the field of underwater cinematography, and has led me to the world of deep-sea exploration..."
Read More.  A year-end summary of Ocean Exploration Trust's 2023 field season, featuring Nova's expedition photography on pages 3, 12, 18, 23, 26, 27, 29, 30, 65, and 69.
"This annual report marks the fifteenth year anniversary of Ocean Exploration Trust’s (OET) E/V Nautilus exploring poorly known parts of our global ocean in search of new discoveries. Since its first season in 2009, E/V Nautilus has conducted a total of 158 expeditions that explored our ocean throughout the Black Sea, Mediterranean, Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific for a total of 1,970 days at sea (~5.5 years)..." Read More. |
