The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is soliciting proposals for ocean exploration-related projects under two themes: Ocean Exploration and Maritime Heritage. The opportunity aims to advance the understanding of the unknown ocean by supporting exploration of unknown or poorly known ocean areas, processes, or resources. Proposed projects must support priorities in the NOAA Ocean Exploration Strategic Plan and should consider the Strategic Priorities for Ocean Exploration and Characterization of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone. • The opportunity is open to U.S.-based institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, U.S. state, tribal, territory, and local governments, for-profit organizations, and federal agencies that possess the statutory authority to accept funding for this type of work. • Applicants must submit pre-proposals and full proposals, which will be evaluated based on their relevance to the opportunity's themes and priorities. • The opportunity provides funding for projects that explore the physical, chemical, and biological environments and processes in the deep oceanic water column and projects that will improve genetic libraries for species-level environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis of deep-sea species. • The opportunity also supports maritime heritage projects that address the exploration for significant maritime heritage resources that improve our understanding of the past and inform decisions about management and preservation.