SAMS Oceanographic Array Will Aid Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation Observations
Ellett Line time series, as well as Argo floats drifting in the Atlantic. Data from the new array, which stretches from Scotland to Canada, also pre-dates OSNAP (established in 2014) by 10 years, giving observations from 2004-2024.The findings have been published in a new paper in the journal Ocean Science.Oceanographers across the world have long hypothesized that the AMOC could be weakening because of climate change, a view partly supported by a sub-tropical array of moorings known as RAPID, which has been in place since 2004. Because AMOC transports heat northwards from the tropics, a weakening
Mysterious "Golden Orb" Identified by NOAA Scientists
that the mysterious golden mass, discovered at a depth of 3,250 meters (over 2 miles) in the Gulf of Alaska, is a remnant of the dead cells that formed at the base of a giant deep-sea anemone, Relicanthus daphneae. It was the part of the anemone that attached to the rock substrate.During NOAA Ocean Exploration expeditions on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, it’s common for scientists to find organisms they don't immediately recognize. Most of the time, these mysteries are solved quickly as members of the scientific community chat and pool their knowledge. However, some discoveries turn
Nortek ADCP Deployment During Tsunami Provides Key Insights
A recent collaboration between San Diego State University, Chilean aquaculture technology company Innovex, and the Valdivia Yacht Club in Valdivia, Chile took the rare opportunity to study the effects of a tsunami on rivers affected by tides. They used a Nortek Eco ADCP to gather in-situ data after a powerful earthquake across the Pacific, which will inform models and future tsunami forecasts.On July 29, 2025, a powerful earthquake struck the Kamchatka peninsula in eastern Russia. The event generated widespread concern across the Pacific Basin, prompting tsunami warnings in several countries, including
Retiring the R/V Endeavor: Celebrating a Lifetime of Accomplishments and Memories
a close. Rhonda Moniz, host of the DEEP DIVE podcast, sat down with Endeavor's Port Captain Brendan Thornton and Scientific Service Manager Erich Gruebel to celebrate the vessel's accomplishments and talk about what's next.Built and rebuilt to serveEndeavor joined URI's Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) in 1976 as one of the first purpose-built research vessels in the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) fleet. She succeeded URI's previous research vessel, Trident, which was a converted 1945-era Army freighter. Endeavor served on various environmental studies
Artificial Reef Installation Completed by Fugro Offshore Australia
Fugro has successfully installed an artificial reef off the coast of Dampier, Western Australia, on behalf of Woodside Energy and Recfishwest, creating a new habitat to support local fish species and enhance recreational fishing opportunities for the community.The project involved the deployment of 48 concrete reef modules which were installed on the seabed from Fugro’s multipurpose vessel, the Fugro Etive. The reef structure spans approximately 16,000 m² and is designed to promote marine biodiversity. Over time, the concrete modules will attract marine growth and a variety of fish species
URI Computer Simulations Show How Strong Ocean Currents Reduce Size of Surface Waves
Using advanced computer simulations, researchers from the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) have concluded how and why strong ocean currents modify surface waves.“Our primary finding is that hurricane-generated ocean currents can substantially reduce both the height and the dominant period of hurricane waves,” said Isaac Ginis, URI professor of oceanography. “The magnitude of wave reduction depends strongly on how accurately ocean currents are predicted. This highlights the importance of using fully coupled wave-ocean models when forecasting
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
New Study Reveals How Greenland’s Seaweed Stores Carbon in the Deep Ocean
An interdisciplinary study confirms, for the first time, the oceanographic pathways that transport floating macroalgae from the coastal waters of Southwest Greenland to deep-sea carbon reservoirs, potentially playing a previously underappreciated role in global carbon storage. Macroalgae, or seaweeds (including kelp), are highly productive coastal habitats capable of absorbing significant quantities of atmospheric carbon (CO₂). Previous studies have estimated that globally, 4–44 teragrams (1Tg = one million metric tons) per year of macroalgal-derived carbon may reach depths of 200m, where
Deep Ocean Landers Help Scientists Explore Dark Oxygen Mystery
Two world-first landers that can withstand 1,200 times the pressure on earth’s surface will help answer one of the ocean’s deepest mysteries – where does Dark Oxygen come from?Professor Andrew Sweetman of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) made waves in 2024 when his team discovered metallic nodules in the deep sea appeared to be producing oxygen. These nodules, which contain highly sought-after metals, could clarify how animal life is distributed thousands of meters beneath the waves, where sunlight cannot penetrate, calling into question the prevailing scientific
February 2026
