University of Hawaii researchers partner with Schmidt Ocean Institute to map 11,000 square kilometers of the ocean floor, creating detailed images of major seamounts. HONOLULU, HAWAII – In a recent research expedition sponsored by Schmidt Ocean Institute (SOI) and led by University of Hawaii scientist Dr. John R. Smith, over 11,000 square kilometers of the ocean floor were mapped in high-resolution for the first time. Smith, working with Jonathan Tree, University of Hawaii, and Joyce Miller, used multibeam sonar on SOI’s research vessel Falkor to generate detailed maps of portions of the remote Johnston Atoll Unit (JAU) of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (PRIMNM).