NOAA established the Ocean Exploration Advisory Board (OEAB) under the Federal Advisory Committee Act and legislation that gives NOAA statutory authority to operate an ocean exploration program and to coordinate a national program of ocean exploration. The OEAB advises NOAA leadership on:

• priority areas for survey, discovery, and opportunities for extramural collaboration and partnerships;
• development of a 5-year strategic plan for the fields of ocean, marine, and Great Lakes science, exploration, and discovery;
• the quality and effectiveness of the proposal review process;
• market barriers to development or commercialization of novel ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization products, processes, and tools;
• best practices to improve data management, processing, storage, and archiving standards; and
• other matters as requested by the Administrator.

The Committee is composed of experts in relevant fields, including representatives from academic, commercial, nonprofit, philanthropic, policy, and Tribal entities.