It is owned and operated by the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) in coordination with and as a part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet.

Atlantic Explorer is in compliance with US Coast Guard, UNOLS and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) regulations as an uninspected oceanographic research vessel and is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

[2] Ready access from Bermuda to the deep ocean makes Atlantic Explorer ideal for short and extended cruises, for repetitive sampling and time series at the same station, and for all projects requiring analytical and other sophisticated shore facilities.

Atlantic Explorer is equipped with navigational, laboratory and mechanical facilities to support biological, geological, chemical and physical oceanographic research.

Deploying and recovering deep ocean instrumentation moorings, conducting CTD casts, chemical sampling, and gear testing are among the number of operations within the ship's capabilities.