Using ROVs to Explore WWII Wreck USS Astoria | Nautilus Live

In the summer of 2025, the Corps of Exploration aboard E/V Nautilus explored the shipwreck USS Astoria with remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The USS Astoria was lost during the Battle of Savo Island on August 9, 1942, during World War II. After a three-part NORBIT multibeam sonar survey, we flew our ROVs over the 175-meter-long New Orleans-class heavy cruiser that suffered an estimated 65 projectile hits within 30 minutes during the battle. Visual surveys observed broken aircraft catapult systems, shell artillery and casings, and a highly damaged deck, forward superstructure, and bridge.  During the Maritime Archaeology of Guadalcanal: Iron Bottom Sound (NA173) expedition, our international team utilized the remotely operated vehicle and telepresence systems of E/V Nautilus, in combination with the mapping capabilities of uncrewed surface vehicle DriX, to conduct non-invasive archaeological surveys of cultural heritage sites in the Iron Bottom Sound. This expedition is supported by NOAA Ocean Exploration via the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute. This exploration is made possible by the expertise, support, and collaboration of many partners, including NOAA Ocean Exploration, U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command, Solomon Islands government, University of New Hampshire Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping/Joint Hydrographic Center, University of Rhode Island, and Japanese, Australian, and New Zealand archaeological colleagues. Exploration Vessel Nautilus is exploring unknown regions of the ocean seeking out new discoveries while pushing the boundaries of STEAM education and technological innovation. Join us 24/7 for live video from the seafloor and the ship. To engage with our explorers at-sea aboard E/V Nautilus visit www.NautilusLive.org. Follow us on social media for dive updates, expedition highlights, and more: Subscribe on YouTube: ⁨@EVNautilus⁩ TikTok:   / nautiluslive   Instagram: www.instagram.com/nautiluslive Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/nautiluslive... Facebook: www.facebook.com/nautiluslive X: www.twitter.com/evnautilus LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ocean-exploration-trust/