OceanX’s extraordinary vessel aptly named OceanXplorer is equipped with technologies that include two 1,000-metre manned submersibles, 6,000-metre remote operated vehicle (ROV) and wet and dry research laboratories. It is also capable of next-gen DNA sequencing, full acoustic mapping, and conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) analysis. 

Citing an example in simpler terms to demonstrate what OceanX can do, Mark explains that they have the facility that allows scientists “to see and understand what fish or marine life are [present] in the water without actually seeing them” just by sampling the ocean waters. He continues, “With the technology we have on the boat, we can get a full genome sequence, understand and determine the health of fish stock in a given region. That’s one of the ways that we can get full fisheries and biodiversity assessments of the waters of an area or country.” With this technology alone, OceanX can create a comprehensive database that the government can use as a basis for making policies, economic decisions and sustainability efforts. 

OceanX is not the only one with this  technology in the world, according to Mark. “But we  are the only one that I know of who  has done a whole genome sequencing on a moving vessel,” he adds. This means they can perform these research methodologies anywhere in the world. “We’ve done explorations in Palau, the Micronesia Atolls, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Chile, the Galapagos and a lot more,” he shares. 

Besides scientific research, OceanX is also capable of capturing underwater footage from thousands of feet deep, which they can translate into an informative media content that can also be used to better understand the oceans. Equipped with the world’s most advanced underwater cameras and onboard Hollywood-level production capabilities, OceanX brings nature cinematography to a whole new level. For example, in the summer of 2012, OceanX made history as it was the very first to capture the first live images of a 60-foot giant squid in the depths of Japan’s Ogasawara archipelago. “It was one of our first missions and it took a lot of coordination between Japanese scientists and the NHK. But it was very memorable because we filmed a giant squid for the first time, in its natural habitat,” he enthuses. 

According to research, for more than 50 years, scientists have been attempting to document the giant squid; however, these attempts failed because the remotely operated vehicles used in the explorations were brightly lit and drove the giant squid away. On the other hand, OceanX used manned submersibles that descended more than 900 metres deep into the ocean. The submersibles were guided only by infrared light which is invisible to many sea creatures including the giant squid. A novel optical lure developed by Dr Edith Widder was also deployed, mimicking the distress call of a common jellyfish. The team patiently waited for the giant squid to take the bait and finally, after six weeks of dives, their efforts paid off. “That [coverage] captivated audiences around the world,” Mark says. Besides the giant squid, OceanX is also the first to explore and document the depths of Antarctica.

In 2016, OceanX together with a team from the BBC’s Blue Planet II, descended hundreds of metres into the Gulf of Mexico to study another unique undersea phenomena–the brine pools–which are known to be lethal to most sea creatures because of its high salinity combined with heavy concentrations of hydrogen sulphide and methane gases. And yet, scientists believe that further studies on the brine pools and the microorganisms that can thrive in them could possibly lead to medical breakthroughs–including a potential cure for cancer. 

While OceanX’s plans for the Philippine mission is still in its early stages, Mark is very enthusiastic about it. “We are aiming to reach out to the various universities and science organisations in the Philippines. We don’t have [the exact] locations [to be explored] yet but the good news is that there’s an abundance of very exciting locations [to explore] in the Philippines,” he says. “The focus [of the mission] that we would be targeting is around biodiversity assessments.”

In addition, OceanX Education will also introduce new on-ship experiences and educational programmes towards the end of the year in partnership with universities and nonprofits in Southeast Asia to develop and nurture the next generation of marine scientists, engineers and storytellers. 

“We hope to be a beacon of collaboration with all of the scientists in Southeast Asia—from the Philippines to Indonesia, to Malaysia, to even other locations beyond that, like Thailand. On top of that, I think there’s a huge potential for education-related work within the region where we can hone ocean engineers, scientists, marine biologists and storytellers,” Mark says. “We’re also going to teach undergraduate students how to communicate the science of learning by being able to livestream [informative media content] into the classrooms within the region.” As he explained, it would be wonderful to bring Filipino students onboard, teach them to livestream underwater footage from the Philippines, which students from all over the world can watch and learn from. Likewise, students from Indonesia and Malaysia, for example, can do the same. “I see the education programme as a way to bring cross collaborations between various countries around such an important [area of knowledge].”

Working in collaboration with Dalio Philanthropies, OceanX is currently in active discussions with governments throughout the Southeast Asian region to organise additional expeditions. Steadfast with its mission to explore the ocean and bring it back to the world, OceanX hopes to make significant contributions to resolving issues in the environment, whether through science or education or both.  

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