New study highlights importance of deep-sea habitats to California commercial fisheries
NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Published: 15 February 2026
Research finds about 30% of California commercially-landed species are associated with cold-water coral and sponge habitats, underscoring the ecological and economic value of deep-sea ecosystems.
Keywords: deep-sea coral, sponge habitats, California fisheries, marine sanctuaries, cold-water coral, rockfish, commercial fisheries
Bacteria hitching a ride on marine snow may slow the ocean's carbon sink
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Published: 11 March 2026
Study reveals microbes dissolving calcium carbonate on sinking marine particles, reducing the ocean's carbon sequestration capacity at shallower depths than previously expected.
Keywords: marine snow, carbon sink, calcium carbonate, microbes, ocean carbon, biological pump, deep sea
The many eyes of the MiniROV: Inside the mapping system
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Published: 11 March 2026
MBARI engineers equipped the MiniROV with stereo cameras, laser projectors, and acoustic sonar systems to create detailed 3D maps of deep-sea terrain for the Deep Sea 3D expedition.
Keywords: MiniROV, seafloor mapping, deep-sea robotics, stereo cameras, sonar, ocean technology, Sur Ridge
