GRAND CHALLENGEThe ocean covers more than two-thirds of our planet yet we have only explored 5% of it.The physical challenges of exploring such an extreme environment inhibit current ocean technologies from reaching and illuminating the mysteries of the deep. We must accelerate innovation to improve the speed, scale and image resolution necessary to better understand our planet’s greatest wonder and resource.

COMPETITIONThe $7M Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE is a global competition challenging teams to advance deep-sea technologies to allow for autonomous, high-speed, and high-resolution ocean exploration.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) $1 million bonus prize will incentivize teams to develop technologies to detect the source of chemical and biological signals under water.

Round 1: Teams must map at least 20% of a 500 km2 area at 2,000 meters depth at a resolution of 5 meters or higher within 8 hours and produce:

• a bathymetric map• a high-definition photograph of a specific named target • 5 high-definition photographs identifying archeological, biological and/or geological features.

Bonus Prize: Teams will detect the point of origin of a specifically selected chemical and biological signal underwater

Round 2: Teams must map at least 50% of a 500 km2 area at 4,000 meters depth at a resolution of 5 meters or higher within 15 hours and produce:• a bathymetric map• a high-definition photograph of a specific named target• 10 high-definition photographs identifying archeological, biological and/or geological features.

PRIZE PURSEThe $7 million prize purse will be awarded as follows:

1) Grand Prize: $4 million

2) Second Prize: $1 million

3) Milestone Prize: $1 million will be split among the top (up to) 10 teams from Round 1 and will be awarded before Round 2

4) NOAA Bonus Prize: $1 million will be awarded in Round 1 to the team that successfully detects and identifies a biological and chemical signal

TIMELINEThe three-year competition will include:

Launch: December 2015

Team Recruitment: December 2015 - September 2016

Round 1: October 2016 - December 2017

Round 2: January 2018 - November 2018

ADVANCING OCEAN EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVEOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE DEEP SEA.

MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE xprize.org

GETTING TO THE BOTTOMOF OUR OCEAN

OceanDiscovery.xprize.org

IMPACTBy accelerating innovation for the rapid and unmanned exploration of the unchartered deep sea, the $7M Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE will catalyze markets in deep ocean exploration, sustainable resource development and protection. Solutions will provide a pathway for discovering new species and underwater life forms, along with safer methods of exploring this challenging environment. In addition, this competition will ignite the public’s imagination by shedding a long over-due light on the most mysterious place on Earth.

SPONSORS

Royal Dutch Shell plc

Shell has been a technology pioneer for more than 100 years, and has come up with many industry-transforming “firsts” to deliver energy its customers and partners need. Since 2007, Shell has spent more than $1 billion annually on research and development. In 2014, our research and development expenditures were $1.2 billion. Shell’s technical and engineering staff amount to more than 43,000.

Shell companies have operations in more than 70 countries and territories with businesses including oil and gas exploration and production; production and marketing of liquefied natural gas and gas to liquids; manufacturing, marketing and shipping of oil products and chemicals and renewable energy projects. Royal Dutch Shell plc is incorporated in England and Wales, has its headquarters in The Hague and is listed on the London, Amsterdam, and New York stock exchanges. For further information, visit www.shell.com

BONUS PRIZE SPONSORNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a science-based federal agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce with regulatory, operational, and information service responsibilities with a presence in every state and our territories. NOAA’s mission touches the lives of every American and their role is to protect life, property and to conserve and protect natural resources.

PRESS CONTACT: Eric Desatnik| eric@xprize.org | 310.741.4880

OceanDiscovery.xprize.org#OceanDiscovered

MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE

XPRIZE is an innovation engine. A facilitator of exponential change. A catalyst for the benefit of humanity.

We provide the thought leadership to identify the Grand Challenges of our time – the national or global crises, market failures and opportunities where solutions are thought to be either out of reach, or just plain impossible. And then we design and operate incentivized prize competitions to solve them.

Our prize competitions inspire innovative solutions in five distinct Grand Challenge areas: Exploration, Global Development, Energy and Environment, Learning, and Life Sciences.

We act as a convening platform, bringing together passionate partners to accelerate a positive future based upon our vision of a preferred state: the sponsors, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, industry, government, academia and innovators who help us make the impossible possible.

We don’t dictate the solution. We ask the right questions. And we provide the platform, global visibility, credibility and opportunity for our partners to take risks that ultimately lead to radical breakthroughs. Together, we create the future. The result? Averted crises. Revitalized markets. Better technologies. New industries. And empowered people.

For information on our active and awarded prizes, go to xprize.org.

MAKING THE IMPOSSIBLE POSSIBLE