Sustained data for a changing ocean

The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) is a science-driven ocean observing network that delivers real-time data from more than 900 instruments to address critical science questions regarding the world's oceans.

Funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation to encourage scientific investigation, OOI data are freely available online to anyone with an Internet connection.

Our Mission

The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), funded by the National Science Foundation, advances understanding of the ocean’s complexity by operating and maintaining cutting-edge instrumentation in some of the most challenging marine environments. Through the delivery of openly accessible, long-term oceanographic data the OOI empowers researchers, decision-makers, educators, students, and the public to better understand the inner workings of the ocean. The initiative fosters innovation by supporting new technology integration, offering infrastructure for collaborative deployments, and providing tools for education and outreach anywhere in the world.

A Visual journey

A Window into the Changing Planet is a short documentary that shows the beauty and fragility of the ocean and explains how scientists, students, and policymakers are using OOI data to determine how the ocean is changing, at what speed, and what it means for the planet.

OOI Updates

Learn about the latest OOI activities and how OOI data are changing the shape of classroom instruction and advancing ocean research.

OOI In The News July 25, 2025

Seismologists tapped into the fiber optic cable network to study offshore faults

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News June 30, 2025

OOIFB Focus Group Highlights the Power of the Imaging FlowCytobot

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News June 30, 2025

Ocean Observatories Initiative: Budget Information and Impacts (FY26)

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News June 27, 2025

CC-CREW Students Tour OOI’s LOSOS Facility at WHOI

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Latest Expeditions

Learn about the latest OOI expeditions that keep the OOI arrays continuously gathering so you have access to real-time ocean data around the clock from your laptop.

OOI Events

Mask Group 30
Upcoming Event
Aug 09 2025 - Aug 09 2025 @ 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

WHOI Science Stroll

How to participate

OOI brings data to your doorstep, without ever having to go to sea.

Opportunities exist to customize OOI data by adding instruments or platforms to the existing infrastructure, proposing additional or modified sampling, participating in cruises, borrowing OOI equipment, or simply exploring real-time data to answer scientific questions. Explore the ways you can participate in the OOI.