submersible Archives

Overview of sampling locations at the Aurora Vent Field (AVF) where DNA was detected. Visual of all sampling sites on the sulfide mound surrounding Hans Tore vent. -- biorxiv.org

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Aurora Vent Field Is A Hotspot For Microbial Hydrogen Oxidation In The Arctic Ocean

by Keith CowingFebruary 27, 2026February 27, 2026

Molecular hydrogen (H2) is a widespread, energetically efficient reductant supporting microbial metabolism across most known ecosystems. Although seafloor hydrothermal vents are major energy providers for H2-oxidizing microorganisms, the diversity of […]

Remotely operated vehicle MiniROV in a simulated environment during the training of the Deployable AI developed as part of the Deployable Artificial Intelligence for Exploration and Discovery in the Deep Sea project. Image courtesy of Deployable Artificial Intelligence for Exploration and Discovery in the Deep Sea/MBARI. Download largest version (jpg, 405 KB).

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Caves, Craters, Mountains, Subsurface, Lava Tubes, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Status Report, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Deployable Artificial Intelligence for Exploration and Discovery in the Deep Sea

by Keith CowingFebruary 18, 2026February 18, 2026

Editor’s note: When we start to mount Astrobiology missions to explore ocean worlds we’ll need ways for our robotic submersibles to observe and interact with whatever life forms they may […]

In December 2025, Brett Baker led a research cruise to collect microbial genomes off the coast of Uruguay. In this photo, Tyler Smith pilots a remotely operated vehicle collecting shallow coastal sediments. Credit: Brett Baker.

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

A Break In A Longstanding Mystery About The Origin Of Complex Life

by Keith CowingFebruary 18, 2026February 18, 2026

The most widely accepted scientific explanation for the arrival of all complex life on Earth has had an unsolved mystery at its heart. According to the theory, all plants, animals […]

It shimmers and sparkles in the deep sea: Under the protruding flange of the hydrothermal vent on the Knipovich Ridge, hot fluids reflect the light due to their optical properties. The image was taken during Expedition MSM131 with the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) MARUM-QUEST 4000. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen.

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Organic Carbon In A Submarine Pressure Cooker

by Keith CowingJanuary 7, 2026January 7, 2026

The mid-ocean ridge runs through the oceans like a suture. Where the Earth’s plates move apart, new oceanic crust is continuously formed. This is often accompanied by magmatism and hydrothermal […]

ROV image of a partially collapsed gas hydrate mound in the Molloy Deep (Freya mounds). The mound hosts frenulate worms and crustaceans. Photo: UiT / Ocean Census / REV Ocean

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Cryobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Microbiology & Virology, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

The Deepest Gas Hydrate Cold Seep Ever Discovered In The Arctic

by Keith CowingDecember 31, 2025December 31, 2025

A multinational scientific team led by UiT has uncovered the deepest known gas hydrate cold seep on the planet. The discovery was made during the Ocean Census Arctic Deep – EXTREME24 expedition […]

Collection of a sea pig crawling across the nodule-covered seafloor in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone. Photo: ROV Isis/SMARTEX

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Missions & Hardware, Nomenclature, Systematics, Natural History, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

New Deep-sea Species Discovered During Mining Test At 4,000 Meters

by Keith CowingDecember 16, 2025December 17, 2025

There is a high demand globally of critical metals, and many countries want to try extracting these sought-after metals from the seabed. An international study, which has discovered large numbers […]

The Investigating Ocean Worlds (InvOW) project will measure organic compounds across three domains: the subseafloor (A), the ocean (B), and the cryosphere (C), with a goal of helping NASA apply what has been learned about the Earth’s oceans to other places in the Solar System. © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Astrochemistry, Astrogeology, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Enceladus, Europa, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Selected By NASA To Investigate Ocean Worlds And Their Organic Carbon Cycles

by Keith CowingDecember 4, 2025December 4, 2025

Ocean worlds such as Jupiter’s icy moon Europa and Saturn’s counterpart, Enceladus, could be among the most favorable places to discover life beyond Earth—and perhaps even a second, independent origin […]

Sampling fluids of 180 degree Celsius at the White Sealhound structure. Photo: MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen

Away Teams & Field Reports, Biochemistry & Organic Chemistry, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Genomics, Proteomics, Bioinformatics, Habitable Zones, Lava / magma ocean / Volcanic Worlds, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Microbiology & Virology, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

Newly Discovered Hydrothermal Fields Off The Island Of Milos

by Keith CowingDecember 2, 2025December 2, 2025

The study identifies three major vent areas — Aghia Kiriaki, Paleochori–Thiorychia, and Vani — all located along active fault zones that run across the Milos shelf.

Close-up view of bacterial communities thriving at the vent site. The distance between the two green laser points is 9 cm, providing a scale for the dense microbial structures visible on the seafloor. (Photo by EXTREME25)

Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Away Teams & Field Reports, Biogeochemical Cycles & Geobiology, Biophysics, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Extremeophiles and Extreme Environments, Habitable Zones, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Origin & Evolution of Life, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

International Research Team Discovers A Potential Source Of Abiotic Methane In The Arctic Ocean

by Keith CowingNovember 25, 2025November 25, 2025

An international team of scientists and students, led by the Arctic University of Norway, and including chemists and engineers from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), has announced a remarkable discovery […]

The Teledyne Marine-Rutgers University Sentinel Redwing autonomous underwater vehicle is embarking on an underwater journey that could be a world first: circumnavigating the globe. -- Teledyne Marine

AI - Data - Apps - Cybernetics, Analog Studies, Arctic / Antarctic / Alpine, Biosignatures & Paleobiology, Exploration Gear & Tech, Habitable Zones, Icy Worlds, Imaging & Spectroscopy, Mapping, Geodesy, Cartography, Bathymetry, Missions & Hardware, Press Release, ROVs/Submersibles/Diving, Sample Return, Tricorders & Sensors, Water/Hycean Worlds & Oceanography

An Autonomous Robotic Glider Will Circle And Explore Our Ocean Planet

by Keith CowingOctober 29, 2025October 29, 2025

Editor’s note: When we start to mount Astrobiology missions to explore ocean worlds we’ll need ways for our robotic submersibles to observe and interact with whatever life forms they may […]