ON BOARD AN OCEAN RESEARCH VESSEL

The OceanXplorer is one of the world's most advanced research vessels, sailing the seas in the name of scientific discovery

- WORDS SCOTT DUTFIELD

If the Starship Enterprise was an ocean research vessel instead of a spacecraft, it might look something like the OceanXplorer. Created by ocean research pioneers OceanX, this swiss-army knife of science is packed with everything needed to fulfil OceanX's mission to “explore the ocean and bring it back to the world.” Before it became the OceanXplorer, the ship started life as an oil and gas survey vessel, which was launched in 2010. However, in 2018, it received a technological glow-up and was refitted with state-of-the-art ocean exploration equipment. From research essentials such as microscopes to advanced genetic sequencers, this floating laboratory has everything a marine biologist needs to study the waters around the