Setting sail to a region in rapid transition
Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI)
Published: 6 February 2026
Research vessel Polarstern departs for the Summer Weddell Sea Outflow Study to investigate why Antarctic sea ice has declined sharply and its ecosystem impacts.
Keywords: Weddell Sea, Antarctica, sea ice, Polarstern, SWOS expedition, climate change, Southern Ocean
New WHOI-led study reveals hidden chemical currency fueling the ocean carbon cycle
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Published: 18 March 2026
Researchers identified diverse molecules released by marine phytoplankton that fuel microbial life and drive Earth carbon cycle, representing up to 23% of dissolved organic carbon.
Keywords: phytoplankton, metabolites, carbon cycle, dissolved organic carbon, microbial ecology, ocean chemistry
10 Years of the Casper Octopus
NOAA Ocean Exploration
Published: 27 February 2026
A decade after an ROV spotted a translucent octopod nicknamed Casper at 4,290 meters depth, the species remains unclassified as no specimen has been collected for study.
Keywords: deep-sea octopus, Casper octopus, deep-sea discovery, ROV, marine taxonomy, deep ocean, cephalopods
