Until recently the fields of oceanography and planetary science have developed relatively separately. But in the last 20 years, they’ve started to come together around a shared goal: exploring oceans on other worlds. Space missions like Galileo, Cassini, Juno, JUICE, and Europa Clipper are helping scientists study ocean worlds such as Europa (a moon of Jupiter) and Enceladus (a moon of Saturn). These moons have oceans beneath thick ice shells, sitting on rocky seafloors—similar in some ways to Earth’s deep oceans, but with major differences in chemistry, geology, and the potential for ocean-biosphere interactions.

Because we can’t directly reach these planetary oceans yet, we rely on models, surface data, and Earth-based comparisons to understand them. In the future, we’ll need new missions that can actually access these oceans. Doing so will require new technologies—not just in space, but also in oceanography. This talk will explore how future partnerships and technology sharing could help us better understand the deep oceans on both Earth and other planetary bodies.