From April 21 – May 22, 2024, 10 CSSF team members supported the Korean Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) aboard the R/V Isabu for their INDEX2024 Expedition. Participants included scientists from the University of Washington (UW) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (NOAA, PMEL). [Add: Science Team objectives]. ROPOS was required to operate specialised water- and gas-tight samplers in deep-sea environments.

Read more: KIOST’s 2024 Indian Ocean Expedition

From November 8 – December 4, 2025, 9 CSSF team members supported the Korean Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) aboard the R/V Isabu for their 2024 Pacific Ocean Expedition, which is part of a continuing program to survey remote seamounts for rare earth minerals in the Western Pacific Ocean. [Add: More context from the science team]. Our team’s objectives were to both conduct video transects and execute crust coring at the seamounts of interest using our Korean Remotely Operated Coring System (KROCS).

From May 3 – June 13, 2025, 8 CSSF team members supported the Korean Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) aboard the R/V Isabu for their 2025 Indian Ocean Expedition. The scientific objective was to detect mineral resources beneath the seafloor. [Add: Science Team objectives, expedition participants, work that required the use of an ROV].

Read more: KIOST’s 2025 Indian Ocean Expedition

From August 14 – September 9, 2025, 8 CSSF team members supported the Korean Institute of Ocean Science and Technology (KIOST) aboard the R/V Isabu for their MIRAE 2025 Expedition. The science team’s objectives were to implement their new drilling program for subsea crust. [Add: More context from the science team]. Our team’s main objective was to drill as many crust core samples as possible.