R/V Atlantis Archives - Astrobiology

The Alvin is pictured sampling the P hydrothermal vent, which is an underwater volcano that forms at spreading and converging plate boundaries that spews out hot water that’s been heating underneath the earth’s crust. -- University of Delaware

Press Release, Robotics/Rovers/UAVs, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

University of Delaware Robotics Study The Depths Of Earth’s Ocean

by Keith CowingMarch 23, 2026March 23, 2026

From the East Pacific Rise in the Pacific Ocean to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the Atlantic, researchers from the University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean and Environment led the […]

The Alvin submersible is recovered on deck following a seven-hour dive, concluding a successful day of hydrothermal vent sampling. Photo courtesy of Will Carter

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Education and Outreach, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Life Support Systems, Missions & Hardware, People Of Astrobiology, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Tricorders & Sensors, Video, Audio, Webcasts, Podcasts, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ocean Planet Recon: ASU Expedition Finds An Aquatic World Teeming With Life

by Keith CowingMarch 5, 2026March 5, 2026

Imagine descending nearly a mile and a half into a watery abyss, watching the sunlight disappear as the world around you turns completely black. Then suddenly, you find yourself surrounded […]

A sea spider preserved in osmium tetroxide for the purpose of enhancing tissue contrast for electron microscopy. This male sea spider mated with two separate females. This is evident due to the different developmental stages of the offspring within the egg cases being carried. -- Occidental College

Analog Studies, Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Ocean Planet Exploration: Methane-powered Sea Spiders

by Keith CowingJune 22, 2025June 21, 2025

Bianca Dal Bó, a biology major from Berkeley, has spent the last five years delving into the mysteries of deep-sea life. Guided by Professor of Biology Shana Goffredi, she researches […]

The deep-sea hydrothermal vent site known as ‘Crab Spa’ on the East Pacific Rise. (Photo courtesy of Stefan Sievert, WHOI/NSF/HOV Alvin, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

Away Teams & Field Reports, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving

A New Bacterial Species From A Hydrothermal Vent Throws Light On Their Evolution

by Keith CowingJanuary 16, 2024January 16, 2024

Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are hot springs on the ocean floor. Sea water penetrates into the ocean crust, becomes heated, and rises to the seafloor surface carrying dissolved nutrients. Around these […]

An international research team has discovered a new high-temperature hydrothermal vent field that hosts several 10- to 15-meter-tall actively venting chimney clusters. Scientists located the vent field in the Pacific Ocean off the Western Galápagos Islands utilizing state-of-the-art mapping technologies not often used in scientific exploration. Larger image -- Schmidt Ocean Institute

Away Teams & Field Reports, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Away Team Report: Scientists Locate New Hydrothermal Vent Field Using State-of-the-Art Mapping Technology

by Keith CowingDecember 2, 2023December 2, 2023

An international research team has discovered a new high-temperature hydrothermal vent field that hosts several 10- to 15-meter-tall actively venting chimney clusters. Scientists located the vent field in the Pacific […]