ROVs/Submersibles/Diving Archives

MAGs and metabolic potential in and on carbonates with low, intermediate and high AOM activity. We sequenced the surface and the interior of R1, R9 and Chimlet with low, intermediate and high AOM activity, respectively, and binned MAGs from these six metagenomes to investigate taxonomy and metabolic potential. MAGs shown were selected based on relative abundance, shown in parenthesis, with a focus on Proteobacteria on the rock surface because of their higher abundance compared to the interior (Fig. 2c). Find a full list of MAGs in supplementary table 3. Anaerobic methane oxidizing archaea dominated the rock interiors, Ca. Methanophaga, in particular, and Ca. Desulfaltia was the most abundant interior SRB suggesting it may be an ANME partner bacterium. In contrast, the surface communities and their metabolic potentials differed between rocks along with the AOM activity of the carbonate, methane supply strength, and oxygen concentrations. We indicated the difference in methane supply to the rocks estimated based on the in situ observations with arrow size. Further, oxygen concentrations were higher at the Del Mar (22 µM) vs. SMM800 (8 µM) seep. -- biorxiv.org

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Fossils & Paleontology, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Distinct Microbial Communities Within and On Seep Carbonates Support Long-term Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane and Novel pMMO Diversity

by Keith CowingFebruary 10, 2025February 10, 2025

At methane seeps worldwide, syntrophic anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria (ANME-SRB) promote carbonate precipitation and rock formation, acting as methane and carbon sink.

A mud volcano at the seafloor where methane-rich fluids from the subsurface are emitted to the water column. These ecosystems are at the interface between the subsurface and surface realms and are often oases of life in the deep ocean. Credit Mandy Joye/UGA

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Insights From The First Global Appraisal Of Microbiomes In Earth’s Subsurface Environments

by Keith CowingFebruary 5, 2025February 4, 2025

Which microbes thrive below us in darkness – in gold mines, in aquifers, in deep boreholes in the seafloor – and how do they compare to the microbiomes that envelop […]

High-resolution seismic image of the subsurface beneath seafloor craters (A) Seismic line crossing the field of craters in a SW-NE direction as shown Fig. 2E. Circle insets show details of the reflective polarity of the main bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs) identified at regional scale in the study area. BSR-1 is characterized by a reverse polarity with respect to the seafloor polarity whereas BSR-2 has the same polarity as the seafloor. Both are breached and collapsed by fluid escape pipes beneath the crater fields A and B. (B) Detail of subsurface beneath the craters showing a fluid escape pipe breaching the two BSRs. HAR: High Amplitude Reflector within the pipes. -- Science Reports via PubMed

Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Giant Pit Craters On The Seafloor Above Magma-induced Hydrothermal Vent Complexes

by Keith CowingFebruary 3, 2025February 2, 2025

Massive injection of 13C depleted carbon to the ocean and atmosphere coincided with major environmental upheaval multiple times in the geological record. For several events, the source of carbon has […]

At depth, the team utilized modified push cores, or injector cores, to collect sediment samples covered with a white bacterial mat. (Photo Credit: Ocean Exploration Trust, NOAA Ocean Exploration, and NASA)

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Insight Into How Some Species Thrive In Dark, Oxygen-free Environments

by Keith CowingFebruary 3, 2025February 2, 2025

Most life on Earth relies on the sun’s energy for survival, but what about organisms in the deep sea that live beyond the reach of its rays? A new study […]

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Space Physiology & Medicine, Space Stations, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Submarines For Space Exploration

by Keith CowingFebruary 2, 2025February 2, 2025

Submarines are emerging as a unique research platform to study human adaption to extreme environments – from ocean depths to outer space.

The underwater volcano Borealis Mud Volcano was discovered in the summer of 2023. Last year, the researchers were back at the volcano. Credit Jørn Berger-Nyvoll / UiT

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Underwater Mud Volcanos Are A Haven For Marine Organisms

by Keith CowingJanuary 28, 2025January 28, 2025

The underwater volcano Borealis Mud Volcano is located in the Barents Sea and was first discovered by researchers at UiT The Arctic University of Norway in 2023. The discovery received […]

ROV Hercules collecting a specimen during a dive. Image by Ocean Exploration Trust

Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ocean World Expeditions: Remote Science At Sea With Remotely Operated Vehicles, Frontiers in Robotics and AI

by Keith CowingJanuary 22, 2025January 22, 2025

Conducting sea-going ocean science no longer needs to be limited to the number of berths on a ship given that telecommunications, computing, and networking technologies onboard ships have become familiar […]

Lake Enigma, Antarctica -- Copernicus EU larger image

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Icy Worlds, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Microbial Diversity Discovered In Lake Enigma, Antarctica

by Keith CowingJanuary 20, 2025January 19, 2025

Scientists have discovered a thriving microbial ecosystem beneath 14 metres of ice covering Antarctica’s Lake Enigma, a previously thought-to-be entirely frozen lake.

At depth, the team utilized modified push cores, or injector cores, to infuse a portion of the samples with a preservative (visible with red dye). These were then brought to the surface for gene-expression analyses to determine their metabolic pathways. Credit Ocean Exploration Trust, NOAA Ocean Exploration, and NASA

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Insight Into How Some Species Thrive In Dark, Oxygen-free Environments

by Keith CowingJanuary 17, 2025January 17, 2025

Most life on Earth relies on the sun’s energy for survival, but what about organisms in the deep sea that live beyond the reach of its rays?

Overview maps illustrating Arctic Ocean bathymetry and source data for the compilation of IBCAO 5.0. (a) Bathymetry based on IBCAO 5.0. Two versions are available: one with under-ice topography of Greenland (shown), and another with the ice-sheet surface topography, both based on BedMachine Version 5 DMT180. The bold black line shows the Seabed 2030 Arctic region, for which a geographic DTM is produced and contributed to the global GEBCO DTM. The square region shown in brighter colours represents the more limited extent of the IBCAO DTM. White stars show the locations of detailed comparison between IBCAO 5.0 and 4.0 in Fig. 9. (b) Source data displayed based on the mapping method (MB = Multibeam; SB = Singlebeam). (c) Close-up of the East Siberian Sea depicting soundings from charts (in black) and digitised contours (in white). The nodes of the digitised contours, utilised in the gridding process, may be challenging to discern due to their sparse density. To enhance visibility, several contours are presented as polygons in white. (d) Close-up of North Greenland showing a part of the least mapped area of the Arctic Ocean. (e) Source data displayed as individual data sets using different colours. Note that the high resolution of the IBCAO 5.0 gridded products precludes displaying fine details in overview figures. For detailed information, readers are referred to the downloadable grids. -- PNAS via PubMed

Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Atmospheres, Climate, Weather, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ocean World Cartography: The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean Version 5.0

by Keith CowingJanuary 12, 2025January 11, 2025

Knowledge about seafloor depth, or bathymetry, is crucial for various marine activities, including scientific research, offshore industry, safety of navigation, and ocean exploration.

ROVs/Submersibles/Diving

Distinct Microbial Communities Within and On Seep Carbonates Support Long-term Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane and Novel pMMO Diversity

Insights From The First Global Appraisal Of Microbiomes In Earth’s Subsurface Environments

Giant Pit Craters On The Seafloor Above Magma-induced Hydrothermal Vent Complexes

Insight Into How Some Species Thrive In Dark, Oxygen-free Environments

Submarines For Space Exploration

Underwater Mud Volcanos Are A Haven For Marine Organisms

Ocean World Expeditions: Remote Science At Sea With Remotely Operated Vehicles, Frontiers in Robotics and AI

Microbial Diversity Discovered In Lake Enigma, Antarctica

Insight Into How Some Species Thrive In Dark, Oxygen-free Environments

Ocean World Cartography: The International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean Version 5.0

Mystery Surrounding The Formation Of Asteroid Bennu Solved

Scientists Uncover Gravity’s Impact On The Human Genome

Discovery Of Radio Emission From The Exoplanet β Pictoris b

Could Earth’s Magnetic Field Influence How Earth Life Ages?

Is A Nearby Advanced Alien Civilization Out There Waiting To Pounce On Earth? Unlikely, Says New Study