NOAA releases first images of nodules from waters near American Samoa
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Published: 17 April 2026
NOAA released first images of presumed polymetallic nodules from the seafloor off American Samoa at 5,498m depth, collected via box core as part of a 30,000 sq. nautical mile mapping survey of the U.S. EEZ.
Keywords: polymetallic nodules, deep-sea minerals, seafloor mapping, American Samoa, marine geology, ocean exploration, critical minerals
Researchers uncover a treasure trove of bioactive molecules in coral reefs
University of California, Santa Barbara
Published: 16 April 2026
Scientists analyzed Tara Pacific expedition samples across 32 archipelagos, reconstructing 13,000 microbial genomes from coral and discovering 90% of the bioactive metabolites found had never been seen before, including 3,700 new bacterial species.
Keywords: coral reefs, bioactive molecules, microbial genomics, Tara Pacific, marine biology, metabolites, coral microbiome
New AI Approach Reveals Ocean Currents in Unprecedented Detail
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Published: 15 April 2026
Scripps researchers developed GOFLOW, a deep learning framework using geostationary satellite thermal images to map ocean surface currents at submesoscale resolution, revealing eddies and boundary layers invisible to previous methods.
Keywords: ocean currents, artificial intelligence, deep learning, satellite oceanography, submesoscale, GOFLOW, remote sensing
