Into the unknown: scientists' first drilling mission on Thwaites Glacier
British Antarctic Survey
Published: 29 January 2026
BAS and Korean researchers drilled 1,000m through Thwaites Glacier to observe how warm ocean water melts the 'Doomsday Glacier' from below, capturing the first measurements from beneath its main trunk.
Keywords: Thwaites Glacier, West Antarctica, ice sheet, ocean warming, hot-water drilling, sea level rise, grounding line
Deployable Artificial Intelligence for Exploration and Discovery in the Deep Sea
NOAA Ocean Exploration
Published: 18 February 2026
NOAA developed AI-driven underwater vehicles that autonomously detect, follow, and identify deep-sea animals like siphonophores and jellyfish in real time during extended autonomous deployments.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, deep sea, autonomous underwater vehicle, ROV, ocean exploration, siphonophores, machine learning
Declining sea-ice is altering Antarctic food webs
New Zealand National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research
Published: 11 September 2025
A Nature Climate Change study shows declining Antarctic sea ice is causing diatoms to be outcompeted by smaller phytoplankton, with cascading effects on the marine food web and ocean carbon uptake.
Keywords: Antarctic, sea ice, phytoplankton, diatoms, food webs, Southern Ocean, carbon sink, climate change
