New DNA probes allow for efficient surveying of the hidden lives of squids and octopuses in the deep sea. This development by Kobe University provides an effective tool for marine […]
The deep sea, covering approximately 65% of Earth’s surface, has long been considered a biological desert. In this extreme environment—particularly in the hadal zone at depths greater than 6,000 meters—organisms […]
Serpentinization, the collective set of geochemical reactions initiated by the hydration of ultramafic rock, has occurred throughout Earth history and is inferred to occur on several planets and moons in […]
Previous studies have documented the presence of phosphite, a reduced and highly soluble form of phosphorus, in serpentinites, which has led to the hypothesis that serpentinizing hydrothermal vents could have […]
Scientists don’t call it the “Great Dying” for nothing. About 252 million years ago, upward of 80% of all marine species vanished during the end-Permian mass extinction – the most […]
An international team on board Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor (too) working in the Bellingshausen Sea rapidly pivoted their research plans to study an area that was, until last month, […]
![Location of sediment sampling and pictures of resurrected species S. marinoi. (A) Map of the Baltic Sea (northern Europe) with the location of sediment core sampling (EMB262/6; 240 m water depth) in the eastern Gotland Basin (triangle). Additional sampling points of stratigraphy reference cores (points): M86-1a/36 [35], MSM62–60 [36], and P435-2-1 [34]. (B) Pictures of different Lugol-stained strains of S. marinoi. Strain SM_EGB_382_11 from 6871 ± 140 years of dormancy, SM_EGB_1_5 from 3 ± 2 years of dormancy, SM_EGB_107_1 from 1131 ± 110 years of dormancy, SM_EGB_20_4 from 58 ± 5 years of dormancy, and SM_EGB_232_2 from 3411 ± 120 years of dormancy. Scale bars = 20 μm. -- The ISME Journal](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Resurrection-Of-A-Diatom-After.png?resize=1200%2C717&ssl=1)
Dormancy is a widespread key life history trait observed across the tree of life. Many plankton species form dormant cell stages that accumulate in aquatic sediments and, under anoxic conditions, […]
Scientists find evidence that our oceans used to be green, suggesting that this may be a sign of primitive life, including that on alien worlds.
Woods Hole, Mass. (September 27, 2024) – The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has received complementary awards from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric […]
Future missions to icy ocean worlds (OW) such as Europa and Enceladus will evaluate the habitability and potential for biosignatures on these worlds.
