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
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
AI to create the largest-ever study of vulnerable deep-sea habitats
Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Published: 4 March 2026
The Deep Vision project will deploy AI to map cold-water coral reefs and sponge fields across the deep Atlantic by analyzing decades of unprocessed deep-sea video footage at unprecedented speed.
Keywords: artificial intelligence, deep sea, vulnerable marine ecosystems, cold-water coral, sponge fields, Atlantic Ocean, machine learning
