The world’s largest superyacht, REV Ocean, stretching nearly 640 feet, is preparing for its maiden scientific campaign rather than a luxury voyage. Florida International University research assistant professor Mark Bond has been selected as a lead scientist for one of the flagship expeditions. Bond will oversee the Heart of the Caribbean expedition, a mission to gather data from one of the least explored marine regions in the Caribbean to support plans for what could become the Atlantic Ocean’s first multinational marine protected area. The vessel’s first operational phase will be an 18-month scientific campaign from approximately May 2027 through September 2028, featuring 10 partner-led missions spanning the South Atlantic, Caribbean, and Eastern Tropical Pacific. The official public launch is expected in Rio de Janeiro during the UN Ocean Decade Conference in April 2027. Bond’s expedition is scheduled for May and June 2028 and will investigate deep-sea ecosystems, biodiversity, oceanographic processes, and ecological connectivity, with findings intended to support marine spatial planning and conservation efforts.