Tag

Deep Sea

All articles tagged with #deep sea

science8 days ago•6 min saved

Submarine Reveals 200,000 Nuclear Waste Barrels Lying on the Atlantic Seafloor

During the 2026 NODSSUM campaign, scientists aboard the Pourquoi Pas? used the Nautile submersible to inspect a deep Atlantic dumping site and found more than 200,000 radioactive waste barrels, many corroded and leaking into the sediment. Radionuclides including cobalt-60, niobium-94, cesium-137 and americium-241 were detected, and researchers collected sediment, water and biota samples to study how the contaminants move and affect deep-sea life; further lab analysis is planned to map the spread and ecological impact.

via The Daily Galaxy|

#atlantic-ocean #deep-sea #nautile-submersible

science10 days ago•4 min saved

Ancient Ghost Sharks Dwell Deep, Pack Venomous Spines, and Survive the Abyss

Chimaeras, or ghost sharks, are ancient relatives of sharks that diverged about 400 million years ago; living mostly hundreds to thousands of metres deep, they swim with wing-like fins, sport rodent-like tails and rabbit-like teeth, and have venomous spines for defense. They hunt on the seabed for crabs, worms and urchins using electroreceptors, lay eggs, and males have a retractable tenaculum on their head to grip females during mating. They pose little danger to humans, but many species face extinction threats from overfishing.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#chimaeras #deep-sea #extinction-risk

scienceoceanography11 days ago•13 min saved

A thousand deep-sea vehicles would still need centuries to map Earth's hidden ocean floor

New analysis of 43,681 dives (1958–2024) estimates the deep seabed (~335.7 million sq km) would require about 115,800 years to visually survey with 1,000 current-rate systems, meaning humans have directly seen less than 0.001% of the deep ocean. Mapping via multibeam sonar (about 28.7% mapped) is not equivalent to visual coverage, and observations are heavily biased toward a few countries and regions. The study advocates a strategic, globally representative sampling approach (Global Deep Sea Exploration Goals) and the use of smaller, longer-endurance vehicles and machine-assisted analysis to improve coverage much sooner, rather than pursuing an exhaustive camera sweep that would outlast civilizations.

via Space Daily|

#deep-sea #exploration #oceanography

environment16 days ago•19 min saved

Deep Atlantic finds reveal 200,000 leaking radioactive waste barrels on the seafloor

An international, French-led expedition descended about 15,400 feet into the Northeast Atlantic to directly observe more than 200,000 barrels of largely corroded, low‑level radioactive waste dumped in the latter half of the 20th century, with material spilling onto the seafloor. On-site measurements detected radionuclides such as cobalt-60, niobium-94, cesium-137 and americium-241 above background levels, though scientists caution this is not yet a final ecological verdict. A 2025 mission mapped thousands of barrels with the Ulyx robot to guide 2026 close‑range dives, which also noted deep‑sea life colonizing the waste sites. Researchers say more laboratory work is needed to determine exact concentrations, how radionuclides move through sediment and water, and whether deep‑sea organisms are absorbing them, while international efforts (OSPAR) continue to study historic dumping practices and their ecological implications.

via Earth.com|

#deep-sea #environment #oceans

science18 days ago•7 min saved

Kitefin Shark’s Glow May Be a Sideways Searchlight, Not Just Camouflage

Eight live kitefin sharks show their bluish-green underside glow matches traditional counterillumination in color/brightness, but the emission also spreads sideways, especially from the nose and fins, potentially acting as a searchlight to illuminate prey on the seafloor. This dual-use - concealment plus prey attraction or signaling - challenges the idea that their bioluminescence is for camouflage alone, and suggests the light helps hunting in the deep sea. The study (iScience, 2026) analyzed bycatch sharks off New Zealand, with wild-behavior observations still needed to confirm how this works in nature.

via ScienceAlert|

#bioluminescence #counterillumination #deep-sea

science25 days ago•2 min saved

Ancient nautilus greets deep-sea explorers 365 meters down

Marine researchers exploring Rotuma, Fiji, in a deep-sea submersible at about 365 metres witnessed a nautilus swim up to the vehicle and hover at eye level, a rare encounter with this ancient mollusc that inhabits the twilight zone and relies on gas-filled buoyant chambers. The moment highlights the nautilus’s continued presence in deep-sea ecosystems and underscores the importance of protecting these habitats for deep-sea species.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#deep-sea #marine-biology #nautilus

science28 days ago•14 min saved

Deepest fish survives by chemistry, not armor, at the ocean’s pressure frontier

Two expeditions documented snailfish at record depths (8,336 m via video and 8,022 m via capture), showing survival under about 84 MPa of pressure isn’t about hiding a heavy shell or gas bladder but about chemistry: high TMAO concentrations stabilize proteins, membranes stay fluid, and enzymes and other cellular systems cope with the pressurized, cold water. The species’ soft, low-density tissues and genome-level adaptations help it function deep beneath the surface, with a proposed depth boundary around 8.2–8.3 km that explains why life at Hadal depths is possible but limited.

via Space Daily|

#a-concise-summary-of-the-article-goes-here #deep-sea #note-only-five-tags-allowed-excluding-extra-tag-to-fit

science1 month ago•2 min saved

Rare brooding squid filmed carrying eggs on deep-sea expedition off Chile

Autumn 2024 off Chile, Schmidt Ocean Institute’s underwater robot captured video of a female black-eyed squid (Gonatus_onyx) carrying a large egg mass for months, showcasing rare parental care in squid. The cluster can hold up to about 3,000 eggs, with water pumped over them to provide oxygen for six to nine months; after laying, the mother stops feeding and is likely to die once the hatchlings emerge, highlighting the perilous life of deep-sea brooders.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#brooding #deep-sea #gonatusonyx

science1 month ago•13 min saved

Benin's long-lost deep-sea reef found thriving after decades

A deep-water coral reef off Benin, previously deemed dead from 1960s surveys, has been rediscovered thriving thanks to modern sonar, an underwater drone, and the Deep Sea Camera System. The researchers mapped 11.5 km of seabed, found eight coral types and eight fish species (including golden African snappers and Guinean angelfish), and identified it as a mesophotic ecosystem. Further sampling is needed to confirm coral vitality and historical status, but the find points to an underexplored reef habitat with implications for ocean history and conservation.

via Oceanographic Magazine|

#benin #biodiversity #coral-reef

environment1 month ago•3 min saved

Microplastics Reach Deep-Sea Vents; Indian Ocean Species Harbor 14.7× More Particles

A KRIBB-KIOST study analyzed deep-sea snails and mussels from hydrothermal vents in the North Fiji Basin (Pacific) and Central Indian Ridge, finding microplastics in 92% of the animals (average 3.42 particles per specimen). Polystyrene was most common; grazing snails concentrated plastics in digestive organs, while mussels showed a more even distribution. After adjusting for body weight, Indian Ocean specimens had up to 14.7× higher microplastic concentrations than Pacific specimens, likely due to differences in human activity, river inputs, and circulation. The researchers emphasize that surface plastic pollution has reached remote deep-sea ecosystems and advocate for monitoring and conservation policies.

via The Times of India|

#deep-sea #environment #hydrothermal-vents

science1 month ago•10 min saved

Deep-Sea Giant Extends Fasting to Five Years With Borrowed Microbial Gene

A deep-sea giant isopod survives over five years without eating by expanding its stomach to store food and using a borrowed microbial gene (ND1) to dampen metabolism under cold conditions, slowing energy use and extending starvation tolerance; this suggests horizontal gene transfer can help large animals adapt to nutrient-poor oceans.

via ZME Science|

#deep-sea #horizontalgenetransfer #isopod

environment1 month ago•13 min saved

Deep-sea vents show microplastics infiltration, study finds

A KRIBB–KIOST study found microplastics contaminating over 90% of deep-sea molluscs living on hydrothermal vents deeper than 2,000 metres, with Indian Ocean samples nearly 15 times more polluted than those from the southwestern Pacific; most plastics were polystyrene, suggesting coastal pollution and riverine inputs are delivering microplastics even to Earth's deepest ecosystems and underscoring the need for deep-sea monitoring and conservation policies.

via Oceanographic Magazine|

#deep-sea #environment #hydrothermal-vents

science1 month ago•4 min saved

Atlantic Doldrums Reveal First Hydrothermal Vents, Stoking Awe for Deep-Sea Life

Researchers using the ROV SuBastian uncovered two hydrothermal vent fields in the Doldrums Megatransform and Fracture Zone off Brazil, including a 24‑acre area with 23 vents and 13 active black smokers at about 280°C. The vents host life from anemones to Rimicaris shrimp, powered by chemical energy from vent fluids. The discovery, aided by serpentinisation, shows the Atlantic’s deep ecosystems are more diverse than thought and could offer clues about life on other worlds.

via BBC Wildlife Magazine|

#deep-sea #doldrums-megatransform #hydrothermal-vents

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Remote Atlantic Abyss Reveals Hidden Vents and Rare Deep-Sea Life

Scientists spent 35 days mapping a remote Atlantic region along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, discovering two new hydrothermal vent fields about 4,000 meters deep and documenting vent-dwelling communities. The mission captured first live footage of a barreleye in its natural habitat, plus an isopod carrying sunken seaweed and the deepest-dwelling bigfin squid, highlighting chemosynthesis-based ecosystems that could inform the search for life on other worlds.

via PetaPixel|

#barreleye #bigfin-squid #deep-sea

science1 month ago•13 min saved

Seven Decades of Dives Yet Leaves Most Deep Seafloor Unseen

A Science Advances study compiling 43,681 submersible dives since 1958 finds humans have visually observed less than 0.001% of the deep seafloor, roughly the size of Rhode Island, with observations heavily concentrated near the US, Japan and New Zealand and most regions largely unsampled. The research emphasizes that close visual records complement maps but are uneven and sparse, highlighting the need for cheaper vehicles, shared archives, more open industrial imagery, and broader international participation to establish robust ecological baselines for biodiversity, climate, and resource decisions in the deep ocean.

via Space Daily|

#data-sharing #deep-sea #oceanography