On March 19, 2014, the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer will sail out of Galveston, Texas, to conduct exploratory seafloor and water column mapping in the areas south and southeast of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS), located in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Seafloor bathymetry, acoustic backscatter, and sub-bottom stratigraphic data will be collected continuously throughout the duration of the cruise. On April 4, 2014, the Okeanos Explorer will return to port in to Pascagoula, Mississippi |