New autonomous catamaran is perfect fit to ramp up AIMS marine monitoring
Australian Institute of Marine Science
Published: 5 March 2026
AIMS deployed its world-first ReefCat autonomous surface vehicle to survey coral reefs near Cairns, using machine learning to identify optimal locations for large-scale coral restoration seeding.
Keywords: autonomous vehicle, coral reef, marine monitoring, artificial intelligence, Great Barrier Reef, reef restoration, robotics
Deep-sea microbes get unexpected energy boost
University of Essex
Published: 10 February 2026
Research in Science Advances reveals that extreme deep-sea pressure squeezes dissolved carbon and nitrogen from sinking marine snow particles, feeding microbes at depths of 2-6 km and reshaping carbon cycle estimates.
Keywords: marine snow, deep sea, hydrostatic pressure, dissolved organic matter, microbes, carbon cycle, ocean biogeochemistry
Sea turtle shells reveal hidden records of ocean change
University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science
Published: 19 March 2026
A study in Marine Biology shows that sea turtle shell plates preserve chemical signals reflecting ocean conditions, enabling scientists to track foraging patterns and environmental stress events.
Keywords: sea turtles, radiocarbon, marine biology, ocean monitoring, loggerhead turtle, green turtle, scutes, biogeochemistry
