Memorial Stone Placed at Grave of Antarctic Pioneer Captain John King Davis
A new memorial stone and plaque have been placed at the grave of Captain John King Davis, one of the mostly highly decorated navigators and mariners in the history of Antarctic exploration.Davis served as Chief Officer under Ernest Shackleton during the British Antarctic Nimrod Expedition in 1907 and captained the SY Aurora during the Australasian Antarctic Expedition in 1911, led by Sir Douglas Mawson.Despite his contributions, Captain Davis’s grave at the Melbourne General Cemetery has remained unmarked since his death in 1967.Earlier this month, members of the ANARE Club, including President
Argentina’s Deep Sea Is More Biodiverse Than Scientists Thought
On an Argentinian-led science expedition aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too), a science team observed stunning biodiversity along the country’s continental shelf. Traveling along the entire length of the coastline, from Buenos Aires in the north to an area offshore from Tierra del Fuego, the team documented the largest known Bathelia candida coral reef in the global ocean, several other rich reef complexes, and 28 suspected new species, including worms, corals, sea urchins, sea snails, and sea anemones.Deep-sea corals are slow-growing and long-lived. They are often classified
IMarEST Journey to Aral Sea Will Uncover Lessons from Central Asia’s Water Crisis
The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) has awarded its David Henderson Inspiring Journey grant to Cadet Mohd Emaad Khan, from the Indian Maritime University in Kolkata. His expedition across Uzbekistan’s Aral Sea basin will uncover the lessons marine professionals can learn from one of the world’s most catastrophic ecological collapses. According to the United Nations, the Aral Sea, once the world’s fourth-largest inland sea, has shrunk to less than half its former size due to climate change and mismanagement. This July, Emaad will set out to
MBARI ROV Completes First Mission from New Research Vessel
The ROV Doc Ricketts has completed its first science mission from the new Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) research vessel David Packard.The three-day expedition last month involved collecting animals for MBARI’s Into the Deep / En lo Profundo exhibition – its newest exhibit and the largest collection of deep-sea animals in North America.The ROV can dive up to 4,000 meters (approximately 2.5 miles) underwater, and aquarium biologists were able to take advantage of the expanded capabilities of the David Packard to explore waters farther offshore at Sur Ridge, a deep-sea
2025: Fascinated with Subsea Discovery
renewables; dredging to subsea cabling; with emerging opportunities including carbon capture and storage.The catastrophic implosion of the Titan submersible that killed five people in 2023 maintained reader attention in 2025. The Titan vanished during a descent to the Titanic wreck on a tourist expedition, losing contact with its support ship. After a tense four-day search, its shattered remains were discovered strewn across the seabed 1,600 feet (488 meters) from the bow of the wreck.It was a tragedy that could have been prevented, a US Coast Guard investigative board found in August, calling out
New Deep-Sea Coral Found on Nodules Targeted for Mining
for the coral via sun-dependent photosynthesis, Deltocyathus zoemetallicus survives in total darkness. This species is an azooxanthellate scleractinian, meaning it lacks an algal partner to provide nutrients, instead feeding on particles that are drifting through the water.Using box corers during three expeditions onboard the OSV Maersk Launcher and one expedition on board the RRS James Cook, scientists carefully collected the new coral specimens and their nodule homes. The team then analyzed the animals using high-resolution imaging and 3D micro-CT scanning to confirm that it represents a species new to
NOAA-Led Expedition Maps Cook Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone
(NOAA) through its Ocean Exploration program and supported by a grant to the Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute (OECI), marks a milestone in strengthening U.S.-Cook Islands partnerships in marine resource management.Guided by priorities set by the Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA), the expedition employed remotely operated vehicles, advanced mapping technology, and telepresence to collect critical data on abyssal plain habitats. Seven Cook Island-based scientists joined the mission, which included imaging and cataloging seabed and biological compositions, providing valuable insights into
Scientists Collect Biodiversity Data in Argentina’s Submarine Canyons
Scientists on an Argentinian-led expedition onboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) deployed an array of technologies to collect the most robust data set available about how the major Malvinas ocean current interacts with submarine canyons and influences Argentina’s renowned marine biodiversity. Their goal was to better understand the region’s plankton blooms, the basis of the food web that sustains the Argentinian fishing industry. These plankton blooms are so large that they can be observed from space. The expedition was led by Dr. Silvia Ines Romero of Argentina
Watch: ROV Exploration of “Freshwater Everest”
the ROV’s ability to operate in challenging, low-light environments.The livestream is hosted aboard the research vessel Blue Heron and brings together award-winning filmmakers Yvonne Drebert and Zach Melnick from Inspired Planet Productions, along with freshwater ecologist Dr. Michael Rennie.The expedition seeks to answer a fundamental ecological question: Is Superior Shoal to freshwater life what seamounts are to ocean life — critical refuges of abundance and biodiversity
February 2026
