Ocean Discovery League’s Low-Cost Deep-Sea Technology Featured in New National Geographic Film

Expedition: Saving Our Seas

 

Maka Niu and DORIS imaging systems, developed to make deep-ocean exploration accessible to more scientists worldwide, appear in a documentary highlighting the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions

 

(Saunderstown, RI — November 10, 2026) Ocean Discovery League (ODL) and its founder and president, National Geographic Explorer Dr. Katy Croff Bell, are featured in the upcoming film Expedition: Saving Our Seas, premiering Friday, November 13 at 9 p.m. EST on National Geographic and streaming November 14 on Disney+ and Hulu.

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Narrated by Auliʻi Cravalho, the documentary showcases discoveries from the multi-year National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions across all five ocean basins. The film highlights how pairing advanced technology with coastal community knowledge can deliver vital scientific discoveries and solutions to protect the global ocean.

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As part of these expeditions, National Geographic Explorer Maiyai Taal Hocheimy and marine biogeochemist Dr. Kristina Brown deployed Maka Niu, an early-concept, low-cost camera developed at the MIT Media Lab, in The Gambia and in Gjoa Haven, Nunavut, in the Arctic. During the Nunavut expedition, Maka Niu captured some of the first seafloor images from this region. Lessons from Maka Niu shaped its successor, DORIS (Deep Ocean Research and Imaging System), a low-cost camera lander rated to 6,000 meters that ODL first test-deployed in Monterey, California. DORIS gives researchers around the world the ability to collect high-quality deep-sea imagery without the expense of large research vessels or remotely operated vehicles.

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Funded in part by NOAA's Ocean Technology Transition program and the National Geographic Society and Rolex Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions, DORIS is developed in partnership with Blue Robotics, leveraging their expertise in designing, prototyping, and manufacturing advanced low-cost deep-sea systems. Additional grant partners supporting module development and training include the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. 

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DORIS and Maka Niu address a fundamental gap in ocean science. ODL’s 2025 study, The study, "How Little We've Seen: A Visual Coverage Estimate of the Deep Seafloor," published in Science Advances, found that scientists have visually observed only 0.001% of the deep seafloor, despite covering more than half of the planet’s surface. Expanding access to deep-sea imaging is central to ODL’s Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals, an international effort to systematically explore 10,000 representative locations across the deep seafloor, also featured in the documentary.

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“More than 99.999% of the deep seafloor has never been seen, and one reason is that the tools to see it have been out of reach for most of the world’s scientists,” said Dr. Bell. “Previously with Maka Niu and now with DORIS, we’re putting deep-sea cameras into the hands of researchers and coastal communities, so the people closest to these ecosystems can lead exploration.”​

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Broadcast & Streaming Details

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• Television Premiere: Friday, November 13 at 9:00 p.m. EST on National Geographic Channel

• Streaming Availability: Saturday, November 14 on Disney+ and Hulu

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About Ocean Discovery League
Founded by deep-sea explorer Dr. Katy Croff Bell, Ocean Discovery League’s mission is to accelerate deep-ocean exploration by developing accessible systems to broaden the community of those who explore and understand the deep sea. ODL is developing a strategic approach to expand the area of the seafloor that is explored, mapped, and characterized while reducing expenses by creating lower-cost, easier-to-use tools, technology, and training. These actions, combined with a more targeted approach to selecting exploration locations, will expand deep-sea exploration to a broader community of researchers and explorers.

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About Blue Robotics

Blue Robotics’ mission is to make affordable, high-quality components and systems for marine robotics. They design and manufacture over 350 unique products—including thrusters, sensors, electronics, and two flagship systems: the BlueROV2 underwater vehicle and BlueBoat surface vessel. With a team of 65 people based in California, British Columbia, Santa Cantarina, and other locations around the world, the company combines global manufacturing of machined, molded, and electronic parts with in-house assembly, rigorous quality control, and rapid order fulfillment from their Torrance, California facility. Blue Robotics actively supports marine robotics education through comprehensive online guides, annually processes over 8,000 orders, and provides worldwide shipping.

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Media Contact
Susan Poulton, Vice President, Strategy and Communications
Ocean Discovery League
Email: susan@oceandiscoveryleague.org
Mobile: +1-703-568-6117
Bluesky & Instagram: @oceandiscleague
Facebook: Ocean Discovery League
URL: www.oceandiscoveryleague.org