The rattail glide 💥 ⁠ Rattails, or macrourids, are common throughout the world’s ocean. Big blue eyes give the rattail an edge at finding food in deep, dark waters. Their keen eyesight reveals prey, like fishes and squid, darting just above the seafloor.

At the 26th annual Roger Revelle Commemorative Lecture, MBARI’s Chris Scholin explored how robotics and AI are revolutionizing marine science and emphasized why developing technology and maintaining a persistent presence are critical to understanding our changing ocean: bit.ly/oceanography...

This week, MBARI President and CEO Antje Boetius joined #ClimateWeekNYC to share how international scientific collaborations can help guide policy to address climate change, especially in polar environments. She attended meetings around future ocean missions that will help achieve the #BBNJ goals.

Dancing with the worms—a compilation of our favorite Alciopid worm dance moves. ⁠🕺🏽⁠ ⁠ Alciopid polychaetes have large, complex eyes with corneas, irises, lenses, and other structures that give them excellent vision. 👀

History made for the ocean: #BBNJ Agreement enters into force, protecting high seas & deep seabed, safeguarding life under water. “Our ocean is the foundation of our very existence. Today we took an important step forward to save our ocean, & to save our future” - ED @ingerandersen.bsky.social

"Oceanography in the age of intelligent robots and a changing climate" tos.org/oceanography... @mbarinews.bsky.social

Collaboration is at the heart of everything we do, both across disciplines and with partners worldwide. 🤝🌎 This week, a team from @ifremer.bsky.social visited MBARI to discuss how our organizations can help each other develop technology to study the ocean and make our work more widely accessible.

MBARI’s Video Lab has developed the first benchmark dataset for multi-object tracking in deep-sea video. 🤖🌊DeepSeaMOT tests machine learning models in real ocean environments. This publicly available tool will help advance AI for ocean exploration. Learn more: arxiv.org/pdf/2509.03499

Can you identify this animal? 🔍️👀 Did you get a kick out of shouting “acorn worm” at your phone? If so, you might enjoy playing @fathomverse.bsky.social. This month, you can find acorn worms by playing FathomVerse and earn a special badge! Learn more about acorn worms: www.mbari.org/animal/acorn...

Microbes are getting a voice in global conservation. 🌍🦠 The new IUCN Microbial Conservation Specialist Group will develop tools to protect threatened microbial communities—bringing in diverse perspectives to shape a more inclusive biodiversity future. Read more: scripps.ucsd.edu/news/new-spe...

Have you heard of worm-like animals that create spirals on the seafloor, are more related to humans than actual worms, and produce super cute larvae? We’re obsessed with #AcornWorms! Play #FathomVerse to find acorn worms and earn a special badge! #AnimalsOfTheDeep @mbarinews.bsky.social

MBARI’s Arctic Expedition continues with cutting-edge technology and research amidst the wonders of the polar environment. From mapping the seafloor to deploying the MiniROV with SLAM navigation, we're unlocking the secrets of Earth’s least-explored frontiers. Dive in: www.mbari.org/expedition/a...

Meet the newest (and cutest) addition to the snailfish family 🐟 MBARI collaborators @sunygeneseo.bsky.social have described three new deep-sea snailfishes, including one first discovered using MBARI’s remotely operated vehicle Doc Ricketts. Learn more: www.mbari.org/news/mbaris-...

That moment when you spot a deep-sea cutie 😍 Deep-sea hatchetfishes cleverly camouflage themselves in the dark depths of the ocean with light-producing organs along their bellies. This allows them to match the daylight filtering from surface waters above and hide from predators lurking below.

We are thrilled to share that National Geographic Magazine’s September issue features @katycroffbell.bsky.social and the development of DORIS, a low-cost deep-sea imaging system created with @bluerobotics.bsky.social. Read the full article: www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...

A neighbourly sort of coral 🪸💕 A resident of rocky environments, the mushroom soft coral (Heteropolypus ritteri) offers a haven for small animals seeking protection. A snailfish may hide near the umbrellas of stinging tentacles, or a shrimp might hang on to weather the storm of strong currents.

The MBARI team aboard the Korea Polar Research Institute’s (KOPRI) ice-breaking research vessel (IVRV) Araon has been hard at work testing instruments and settling into life at sea.

An @mbarinews.bsky.social playlist showing off 5 minutes of #deepsea sea stars and brittle stars! #echinoday youtu.be/m_lneKApowg?...

🎙️ Our latest Beyond the Lab features Dr. @kakanikatija.bsky.social, principal engineer and Bioinspiration Lab lead at @mbarinews.bsky.social. Her team created an underwater optical imaging system that visualizes and measures fluid motion, particles, and living organisms in 3D. Go Beyond the Lab ⤵️

A team of MBARI scientists and engineers has embarked on a month-long journey aboard the Korea Polar Research Institute’s (KOPRI) ice-breaking research vessel (IVRV) Araon. This expedition aims to better understand the dynamics of seafloor permafrost formation and decomposition in the Arctic.

The FathomNet Database has been selected as one of 10 new datasets added to the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource Pilot. We look forward to seeing how this integration can contribute to advances in machine learning and accelerate the analysis of ocean visual data.

Using robots and AI to unlock the secrets of a remote ocean with @soccomproject.bsky.social 🌊🤖🌊 Applying machine learning algorithms to a trove of data collected by robotic floats has improved estimates of ocean productivity and carbon export in the Southern Ocean: www.mbari.org/news/new-ai-...

This little piggy went to the deep sea 🐽😍 ⁠ Sea pigs (Scotoplanes sp.) are one of the most commonly sighted animals on the seafloor off Monterey Bay—but plentiful hardly means boring. Unlike most sea cucumbers, sea pigs use their long, stilt-like tube feet to suspend their bodies above the soft mud.

Meet your new favorite anglerfish—the flowery goosefish (Lophiodes miacanthus). 🎣🩵⁠ ⁠ This anglerfish belongs to the family Lophiidae, also known as the goosefishes. This group of alluring anglers uses their speckled coloration to blend into the sandy seafloor on the continental shelf.⁠

The predatory tunicate snaps up tasty morsels in the deep sea 🍽️ Megalodicopia lives attached to the rocky seafloor, orienting a cavernous mouth into the currents. Their oral siphon has evolved into a large pair of lips that quickly close to engulf larger prey. Watch here: youtu.be/9GtoRBfC4Os?...

"Why mapping the entire seafloor is a daunting task, but key to improving human life" www.npr.org/2025/08/18/n... @npr.org thanks for mentioning @seabed2030.bsky.social and low-cost mapping too! @oceandiscleague.bsky.social 🌊 🧪 🦑 🌎 🌍 🌏

🌊The Southern Ocean is warming, is productivity changing? New paper by Liniger et al. uses the nitrate sensors on 274 SOCCOM/BGC-Argo floats to compute annual NCP. It has increased significantly over the past two decades. @mbarinews.bsky.social @soccomproject.bsky.social @bgc-argo.bsky.social‬

MBARI’s R/V David Packard has completed its first science mission: mapping Oregon’s Rogue Canyon. New high-resolution maps of this underwater canyon will support ongoing research on seafloor geology by MBARI scientists and our USGS collaborators. Learn more: www.mbari.org/news/mbaris-...

Our drone team recently completed offshore drone surveys with colleagues from @mbarinews.bsky.social Conducted as part of the Synchro program the team is testing how emerging marine technologies can be used to study pelagic systems. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwmarinebiology.bsky.social

From our friends at @noaa.gov Office of National Marine Sanctuaries: A new study led by scientists with Scripps Oceanography, NOAA, @mbarinews.bsky.social & the US Navy reveals how fish in West Coast sanctuaries “share” the soundscape. These insights help managers protect vital habitats.

The High Seas Treaty is poised to be ratified, creating a legal instrument for protected areas in the high seas. We see a crucial role for "Collective Science" to provide robust biodiversity data and to help inform protection of this vast 3D space. Read more in Ecology Letters: tinyurl.com/33637jax

The Carbon Flux Ecology team is teaching at #coessing2025 this week at University of Ghana! Who else is here? Let’s connect! We are teaching a marine imaging class, but excited to talk all things ocean science and engineering. @mbarinews.bsky.social

New work from MBARI and our collaborators outlines a strategy for the global scientific community to provide the biodiversity data needed to guide international efforts to protect marine life and ecosystems under the UN High Seas Treaty. #BBNJ Learn more: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Deep-sea raspberry ❤️✨️ The raspberry jelly (Aeginura grimaldii) is part of a small group of jellies called the narcomedusae. Species in this group are are known for having a relatively small number of tentacles that are attached higher to the bell compared to other groups of jellies.

Excited to share that our manuscript "In situ lightfield imaging of octopus locomotion reveals simplified control" has been published in @nature.com. www.nature.com/articles/s41... If you love 🧪🌎🦑🌊, keep reading this thread! 1/n

The EyeRIS camera, developed by @kakanikatija.bsky.social and MBARI’s Bioinspiration Lab, is a game changer for studying the biomechanics of marine life, revealing new insights about octopus locomotion that open the door for future bioinspired technologies. Learn more: www.mbari.org/news/mbari-r...

Our first deployment of a surface-tethered sediment trap in Gulf of Guinea! We are trying to build these arrays using supplies from the Tema canoe fisherman’s market. @mbarinews.bsky.social

MBARI President and CEO Antje Boetius participated in a panel discussion during the “Turning the Tide: Unlocking the Power of the Ocean” event. She emphasized the importance of obtaining stronger baselines for the ocean and affirmed that science offers a clear path to recovery. 📷: Laure Niewendick

Adding a little zest to your day with the lemon jelly—Aegina citrea. 🍋 The lemon jelly is different from other jellyfish because it has only four tentacles extending from its bell. Although jellies in the genus Aegina are relatively well known, they can evolve unusual forms or colors in deep water.

Say hello to your new favorite sharks. 😍🦈♥️⁠ ⁠ Deep-sea catsharks prowl the waters just above the deep seafloor, searching for prey. Scientists have described more than 100 species of deep-sea catshark from waters around the world, making them the largest family of sharks alive today. #SharkWeek

Congratulations to Natalia Llopis Monferrer for being selected as an awardee of the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation 2025 Awards in Field Biology! 🔬 🎉 Learn more about the awards and Natalia's work: www.maxwell-hanrahan.org/award/natali....

Dropping these two beauties in Monterey Bay this week. Both measure carbon sequestration in the deep ocean. Lots of good data to come. @mbarinews.bsky.social

Congratulations to Antje Boetius, one of The Royal Society's new fellows! 👏 MBARI's President and CEO was elected to the fellowship this year, recognizing her meaningful research on polar ecosystems. At MBARI, she is working to advance marine science and engineering to understand our changing ocean.

Dancing deep-sea clams thrive on the seafloor off Southern California 🕺🏽 While exploring the Santa Monica Basin 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) off the coast of Southern California in 2013, MBARI researchers encountered a bustling community of cold seep clams (Ectenagena elongata).

Quality time with a dashing deep-sea floof 〰️⁠ ⁠ The dandelion siphonophore, Dromalia alexandri, is typically found just above the seafloor, where the waters are rich with food. They use long, sticky tentacles to anchor themselves in place while other tiny tentacles grab food from the currents.

Live near Moss Landing, CA? Come see us at the MBARI Open House! www.mbari.org/event/2025-m... 📆 Saturday, July 12, 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm 📍7700 Sandholdt Rd, Moss Landing, CA 🐙 Find us for special FathomVerse stickers and activities! @mbarinews.bsky.social

@mbarinews.bsky.social 's delightful FLOTA! deep-sea polychaete for #worldpolychaeteday ! youtube.com/shorts/4LyTb...

It's #InternationalPolychaeteDay, and we've got something for you to celebrate. ❤️ Flame on: The vibrant red gossamer worm is the race car of the deep sea: youtu.be/PII8AvmEvnE?...

Our newest unofficial video series—deep-sea animals that dance better than you 💃 Most sea cucumbers live a sedentary life on the bottom of the ocean, but some take a break from eating and pooping on the seafloor to go for a quick swim. They may do it as a defensive behavior or to find a mate.

MBARI scientist Aaron Micallef was part of the National Geographic Society and Rolex Perpetual Planet Ocean Expeditions—a trailblazing series of research expeditions of our global ocean aboard R/V Falkor (too) in collaboration with @schmidtocean.bsky.social. 🌎 Learn more: bit.ly/3FGjgjX