Comprehensive Study Measures How Salt Finger Mixing Feeds Marine Life
to take centimeter-scale measurements before returning to the surface. © Alex Ingle / Schmidt Ocean Institute“Measuring fine-scale ocean mixing is like measuring a whisper,” said Dr. Joseph Gradone, an assistant research professor at Rutgers University and co-chief scientist for the expedition. “The fine-scale ocean mixing we are interested in is as difficult to measure, but if we can capture just how many whispers there are, we might learn how truly widespread it is.”A Vertical Microstructure Profiler 5500 is recovered aboard the R/V Falkor (too). The instrument profiles
57 New Marine Species Discovered in Argentinian Submarine Canyons
most biologically dynamic regions in the South Atlantic Ocean.The workshop brought together 20 taxonomists and early-career researchers from across Latin America and Europe to examine deep-sea biological samples, primarily from the Schmidt Ocean Institute Underwater Oasis of the Mar del Plata Canyon expedition in August 2025 onboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s research vessel Falkor (too), using the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SuBastian. Hosted at the Universidad Maimónides in Buenos Aires July 13-24, 2026, the team utilized integrated taxonomy techniques to rapidly identify specimens
MOL to Operate Japan's Arctic Research Vessel Mirai II
Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) to operate the Arctic research vessel Mirai II, with operations scheduled to start in December 2026.The Mirai II will serve as an international research platform and will be the first Japanese research vessel equipped with icebreaking capability. Its first Arctic Ocean expedition is scheduled for around summer 2027.MOL has been preparing to establish the vessel's operational framework since it was selected in 2023 as its prospective operator, alongside wholly owned subsidiaries MOL Global Ship Management and MOL Maritex.As part of the preparations, MOL conducted polar
Antarctic Krill Discovered Living in Deepsea Hydrothermal Vents
feet below the ocean’s surface. These findings have significant implications for Southern Ocean marine policy. The paper’s lead author, National Geographic Explorer and biological oceanographer Kim Bernard, made this discovery during the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Ocean Expedition "Into the Southern Ocean," conducted in collaboration with the Schmidt Ocean Institute.Every single krill Bernard and her expedition teammate, marine ecologist Rachel Kaplan, sampled from the vent was an egg-bearing female, representing the deepest collection of reproductive krill researchers
Caribbean-Led Expedition Explores Deep Sea Offshore Trinidad and Tobago
Marine scientists from Trinidad and Tobago recently conducted the first locally led and most comprehensive deep-sea survey of the islands’ surrounding ocean during an expedition aboard Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too). During the month-long expedition in July, the team located over 25 active cold seeps, discovered 20 suspected new species, and mapped approximately 13% of the country’s marine territory.The potential new species include an octopus first discovered during a 2014 expedition, in which the expedition’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Diva Amon, participated. The
Snow Problem Too Big: A floating polar laboratory tackles Arctic research
On July 19, the Tara Polar Station, a drifting laboratory, departed from its homeport in Lorient, France to commence an 18-month Arctic expedition. As a year-round mission, the Tara Polaris I expedition was designed to explore the interconnectivity and seasonality of five components of the Arctic Ocean: atmosphere, snow, ice, biodiversity and the ocean itself. Tara Polaris I is just the first of multiple missions ongoing until 2046.The Tara Ocean Foundation was launched in 2003 by Agnès Troublé and son Étienne Bourgois to support marine research, educate on its importance, and
NOAA, Partners to Explore and Map Waters Around American Samoa
NOAA Ocean Exploration and its partners will conduct two expeditions in waters around American Samoa this summer and fall to map and characterize the deep seafloor in the nation’s highest-priority region for offshore critical mineral exploration. The expeditions will generate publicly available data and information to increase understanding of mineral potential, guide future exploration, and support federal and local decision-making.These expeditions will take place aboard NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer. The first will take place August through September 2026 using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
Neste Supplies Diesel for Tara Ocean Foundation’s Central Arctic Ocean Expedition
The Tara Ocean Foundation, a French foundation dedicated to ocean conservation, will embark on the Tara Polaris 1 scientific expedition to the Arctic to continue its work of monitoring climate change and researching its impact on the ocean. The Tara Polar Station, the foundation’s drifting laboratory and observatory station, will be at sea for its first 18-month expedition during 2026-2027, starting a 20-year-long program in partnership with 30 renowned research institutes.Neste supports the Tara Ocean Foundation’s important work by supplying Neste MY Renewable Diesel to help reduce the
UKSR to Embark on 4th Mission to Survey Deep Sea Minerals
Minerals continues to build the integrated dataset required to advance toward commercial recovery and bring polymetallic nodules to market. The environmental data collected will contribute to ongoing efforts to understand and minimize the potential impacts of future nodule recovery. Findings from this expedition will be shared through peer-reviewed publications and public databases.In May 2026, Glomar Minerals announced Project Infinity, a consortium agreement with Cobalt Blue Holdings Limited to build a domestic critical minerals processing facility in the United States. Project Infinity, which has narrowed
August 2026
