Jolee Thirtyacre

VISIONS’24 student and VISIONS’25 RCA Oceanographer

For 27 unforgettable days at sea, the R/V Atlantis became a floating hub of discovery as scientists and engineers embarked on the VISIONS’25 Regional Cabled Array Expedition funded by the National Science Foundation as part of the Ocean Observatories Initiative. Using the deep-diving ROV Jason, the team completed critical maintenance and exploration across one of the most advanced ocean observing systems on Earth—the Regional Cabled Array (RCA).

From just 14 miles off Newport, Oregon, to Axial Seamount more than 300 miles offshore, the expedition covered over 1,600 nautical miles, revisiting sites multiple times in a nonstop effort to keep a real-time window into the deep ocean alive. It was a demanding and productive field season, powered by a dedicated team of 41 University of Washington scientists and engineers, 2 visiting scientists, 17 expert members of the Jason Team, and the exceptional crew of the Atlantis.

Nature was on our side. Favorable weather allowed the team to complete an impressive 48 ROV dives, reaching depths of nearly 9,500 feet. Jason worked in some of the planet’s most extreme environments: navigating fresh lava flows at the summit of Axial Seamount, more than a mile beneath the ocean’s surface, and hovering above hydrothermal vents blasting metal- an gas-rich fluids hotter than 700°F.

The science and engineering tasks were ambitious. The team collected over 500 water samples to validate RCA sensors, recovered and redeployed 102 instruments, and captured thousands of overlapping seafloor images. These images will be combined into a time-series photomosaic of Southern Hydrate Ridge, a methane-rich site on the Cascadia Margin where methane ice is exposed directly on the seafloor—offering rare insight into dynamic geological and biological processes operative at this ever-changing site.

Beyond the data, the expedition delivered extraordinary moments of wonder. At Axial Seamount and Southern Hydrate Ridge, the team witnessed thriving ecosystems fueled not by sunlight, but by gas-rich fluids rising from deep beneath the seafloor. In the ocean’s twilight zone and complete darkness below, an astonishing diversity of life—tiny drifters to otherworldly creatures—floated past Jason’s cameras, surviving pressures nearly 300 times greater than at the surface.

A highlight of VISIONS’25 was the participation of 13 undergraduate students from the University of Washington, Queens College, and Western Washington University. Through the VISIONS at-sea experiential learning program, these students became integral members of the expedition—contributing to operations, science, and shipboard life with enthusiasm, curiosity, and joy.

Together, VISIONS’25 was more than a research cruise. It was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when cutting-edge technology, collaborative science, and the next generation of ocean explorers come together to reveal the hidden world beneath the waves.