Schmidt Ocean Institute

Our latest Science Story is live. This recurring series focuses on the humans behind the science, and this one dives into what inspired and motivates Dr. Gilberto Bergamo Neto. Check it out! youtu.be/csIrMyZyW64?...

The #SamplingGap team recorded this wily crustacean more than 4,300 m beneath the ocean surface. During this expedition, scientists are documenting biodiversity along the Romanche Fracture Zone, an active transform fault that serves as a vital corridor between the eastern & western Atlantic basins.

Alright ocean 🌊 lovers, I could really use your help right now. FathomVerse, a citizen science 🧪 app for discovering ocean life 🦑, has been nominated for the Anthem Impact Awards (Sustainability, Environment, Climate). Please vote and help us win! celebrate.anthemawards.com/PublicVoting...

The latest #SamplingGap expedition video shares how scientists are documenting biodiversity along the Romanche Fracture Zone, an active transform fault that serves as a vital corridor between the eastern and western Atlantic basins. Check it out! youtu.be/m5-QPN_VJVI?...

This year we're shining a spotlight on moments of growth and events that amplified the Ocean far and wide. Enjoy highlights & snapshots of our work to extend the impact of our seagoing science. Thank you for exploring with us! schmidt-ocean-institute.shorthandstories.com/2025-impact-...

Sometimes the best home is . . . another animal! Corals and taller animals extend up into the water column where the food is, so they make great lodging. A tiny crustacean that lives in the upper branches of a coral has access to a steady stream of nutritious marine snow. #SamplingGap

In the midwater, between about 200 & 1000m, hunting comes naturally for animals that live in these dark waters. This comb jelly possesses long filaments w/ sticky cells called colloblasts that extend out into the edgeless realm, allowing them to ensnare unsuspecting snacks. #SamplingGap, 275 m

🦑 Meet Planctoteuthis sp.! 🦑 According to #SamplingGap Co-chief sci Dr. Perez: “Images have finally enabled the description of this tail, but no one knows what it is used for. It looks like a siphonophore from a distance, and one hypothesis is that it could be used for siphonophore mimicry.”

In celebration of World Octopus Day, we wanted to revisit one of our favorite cephalopod sightings, the glass octopus — Vitreledonella richardi filmed during a month-long #PhoenixIslandsCoral expedition in 2021.

57 new species discovered by scientists from the Ocean Census Science Network, in partnership with @schmidtocean.bsky.social, CONICET Dialoga and Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales. Read the press release: oceancensus.org/press-releas...

Join us on 28 Sept. for a rich discussion about seamount ecology, what scientists have learned so far, and what remains to be understood about underwater mountains in our Ocean. Register: https://schmidtocean-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RTc6c9dORl6xqdk07FQogw

Join us on 28 Sept. for a rich discussion about seamount ecology, what scientists have learned so far, and what remains to be understood about underwater mountains in our Ocean. Register: https://schmidtocean-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RTc6c9dORl6xqdk07FQogw

Siphonophore — the grizzly bear of squishy things. ROV pilots recorded this footage at 1589 meters during the 2025 #AsgardArchaea expedition in the deep waters of Uruguay. (Sound on to learn more.)

A newly discovered deep-sea coral solves 100-year-old mystery! Meet Paragorgia quitinosa, a bubblegum coral that can grow taller than a 2-story building — w/NO internal skeleton. Scientists have wondered for over a century: how? The answer: chitin. Read the paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Fishy Friday: Bathypterois sp., a tripod fish. Solitary and stationary, these deep-sea denizens perch above the seafloor using specialized fin rays and face into the current. When an unsuspecting copepod or other tiny crustacean drifts by, this animal is set to snack. #Doldrums, 2,040 meters

Squid vibes: #DeepWonders science team encountered this cutie at 1,045 m. They marveled at the specialized cells in their skin, chromatophores — these tiny sacs that contain pigment. As a squid relaxes & contracts its muscles, it reveals or hides pigment for camouflage or communication.

In this latest Science Story — a recurring series that focuses on the people behind the science — #SaltyStaircases Co-Chief Sci Dr. Selden shares what it is like to go to sea for the first time as a chief scientist and as a new mother. youtu.be/AlO1r7dNSko?...

🚨 Deep-sea fellowship opportunity! 🚨 This fellowship offers training for early career researchers in deep-sea expedition planning from start to finish. ⌛ Complete the online application form by 1 Oct 2026. https://cobra.bigelow.org/master-class-and-fellowship/

#DeepWonders science team, led by @divaamon.bsky.social located 25 cold seep ecosystems and discovered 20 suspected new species. They also encountered abandoned fishing gear and trash — an important reminder that humans have an impact in places they’ve never seen or visited before.

Our latest expedition video is out. Watch and learn about #SaltyStaircases from the expedition team who've been working about 300 miles east of Barbados for the last 25 days. youtu.be/Mzcn9ixsPOk?...

This chimaera is ready for their close-up. The runway is ready, and this deep-sea beauty is cleared for takeoff. Nothing screams confidence like slowing down for a large robot and letting ROV pilots zoom right in for a visual inspection. #DeepWonders of Trinidad & Tobago, 1,246 m

A midweek montage from the July 2026 #DeepWonders expedition to Trinidad & Tobago w/ @divaamon.bsky.social. The team located over 25 active cold seeps, discovered 20 suspected new species, and mapped approximately 13% of the country’s marine territory.

Read about our recent #DeepWonders expedition w/ @divaamon.bsky.social (SpeSeas) — the team discovered 25 cold seep ecosystems, 20 suspected new species, and mapped 13% of the country’s uncharted seafloor. www.linkedin.com/pulse/first-...

Backward-swimming Bathyopsurus — a rare deep-sea isopod that lives between 4,000 and 11,000 m. They use two pairs of enlarged, paddle-like legs to swim; scientists have observed the animal moving backward and even upside down. #DeepWonders, Trinidad & Tobago, 3,923 m

A chemosynthetic ecosystem — cold seeps fueling life here at 1,655 meters was discovered by the #DeepWonders science team, led by @divaamon.bsky.social, in Trinidad & Tobago. Read more about how they found it in the caption: youtube.com/shorts/waLnV...

The month-long #DeepWonders expedition, led by @divaamon.bsky.social, documented rare ecosystems and awe-inspiring wildlife in the deep waters of Trinidad & Tobago; their work will inform future ocean stewardship in the Caribbean & beyond. Read more about this seafloor scene: bit.ly/3Szw2ap

This is a false catshark, Pseudotriakis microdon, named for catlike eyes. A bit soft around the middle — some might even say these ground sharks are flabby — and they move rather slowly, which led to another common name: “sofa shark.” #DeepWonders, 1,086 m

Tomopteris spp. — AKA gossamer worm — these midwater marvels live entire lives in the water column. Their fluid, dance-like moves are mesmerizing to observe! The #DeepWonders team recorded this footage at 819 meters while exploring near Trinidad and Tobago. https://youtube.com/shorts/TH02wq7sw8M

Allyuh look ting! 🇹🇹 Dr. Diva Amon and a team of primarily Trinbagonian scientists explored the deep waters of Trinidad & Tobago, providing 1st holistic & systematic look at the territory. #DeepWonders will inform future ocean stewardship in the region & beyond.

#DeepWonders seeps 🫧 ROV SuBastian's cameras revealed an oasis of thriving deep-sea mussels & critters — the mussels host symbiotic bacteria that convert gases escaping from the seafloor into usable chemical energy & carbon that fuel the mussels’ survival. https://youtube.com/shorts/VPsk2TeUaxw

Alleviate any Monday-ness you might be experiencing with this highlight reel of the wild and wondrous life observed in the deep waters of Trinidad & Tobago during the #DeepWonders expedition, led by @divaamon.bsky.social https://youtu.be/G6krlmxdWRQ

In our latest #ArtistAtSea video from the #DeepWonders expedition in Trinidad & Tobago, award-winning media artist Marco Barotti discusses how he hopes to translate hard science into a more tangible & accessible experience for all. #SciArt https://youtu.be/r-62AeBWITM?si=3Q8kTqk-_qYO0dxt

Enypniastes eximia, a deep-sea sea cucumber recorded at 1095 m during #DeepWonders expedition. We see how this graceful gelatinous gem earned the nickname Spanish dancer. Look how their tubefeet glide across the seafloor, scooping up nutritious marine snow as the animal swoops up into the water.

Watch our latest #DeepWonders expedition video! @divaamon.bsky.social and a largely Trinbagonian science team conducted the first systematic and holistic exploration of the island nation's deep waters. youtu.be/4sk9U00uOa4?...

These echinoderms are related to sea stars, urchins, and sand dollars. Some, called sea lilies, live on stems attached to the seafloor, while others can move about (and are called feather stars like this one). Recorded at 1,092 m during the #DeepWonders expedition led by @divaamon.bsky.social

How do we sustain the ocean observations needed to understand a changing planet? Read a new @nationalacademies.org report on the future of global network of #BGCArgoautonomous profiling floats advancing ocean & climate research. www.nationalacademies.org/projects/CHP...

The #DeepWonders science team was thrilled to happen upon these animals thriving 1,143 meters beneath the ocean surface. In the deep sea, a single coral colony can support a small ecosystem, hosting squat lobsters, deep-sea spiders, and more!

Opisthoteuthis, or flapjack, a genus of cirrate octopuses observed at 1,040 meters during the #DeepWonders expedition with @divaamon.bsky.social. Using their umbrella-like body shape, they coast through the water. Their fins help guide their way (despite looking like large floppy ears).

Our latest #DeepWonders video is out — watch and learn about how @divaamon.bsky.social and a Trinbagonian team of scientists are exploring the waters surrounding Trinidad & Tobago and the adjacent high seas. youtu.be/X-AqBIQdfAY?...

We have a duty to preserve the intricate and painstaking work of science—to keep the endless frontier open for exploration. Read my latest op-ed, co-written with my husband Eric, here: time.com/article/2026...

Congratulations Dr. Matsumoto!

Black swallower fish — swell dining in the deep! During a recent ROV dive near Trinidad & Tobago, the #DeepWonders science team — led by @divaamon.bsky.social — collected spectacular footage of a black swallower fish (Chiasmodon sp.) at a depth of 1259 meters.

In the deep sea, you can’t actually see red. Read more about this red-iculous squid sighting at 762 m from #DeepWonders expedition with @divaamon.bsky.social & a team of Trinbagonian scientists here: youtube.com/shorts/KSe7z...

Species discovery is underway in Argentina. Find out more about the latest workshop, bringing together international teams of scientists to discover new species from the South Atlantic oceancensus.org/revealing-th... Thank you to workshop partners @schmidtocean.bsky.social.

The #DeepWonders team, led by @divaamon.bsky.social, encountered this curious grenadier fr the genus Coryphaenoides at 1,900m — 2.3 times as deep as the height of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Also known as rattails, most are smaller; this individual was nearly 1m long.

The #DeepWonders science team, led by @divaamon.bsky.social, of SpeSeas, is seeing many sea cucumbers, including these rhythmic water dancers that could be Benthothuria sp. They are part of the deep-sea cleanup crew, ingesting decaying detritus and pooping clean sand along the seafloor.

The #DeepWonders science team filmed this chimaera or ghost shark at 1,027 m. @divaamon.bsky.social and a primarily Trinbagonian team of scientists are leading this expedition in Trinidad & Tobago. (Read #PoetryInOcean version here: www.instagram.com/reel/DalKGJZ...)

A sea urchin fr the genus Phormosoma, recorded at 2,011 m (or 5x around a running track if watching this little guy makes you feel the need for speed!) According to @echinoblog.bsky.social this urchin speed-walks along the sea bottom with spines that are modified with little "shoes." #Doldrums