Argentina's Deep Sea Is More Biodiverse Than Scientists Thought
Schmidt Ocean Institute
Published: 5 February 2026
An expedition aboard R/V Falkor discovered 28 suspected new species, the largest known Bathelia candida coral reef nearly the size of Vatican City, and a rare phantom jellyfish along Argentina's continental shelf.
Keywords: deep sea, biodiversity, coral reef, new species, Argentina, ROV, Falkor, cold seep
New study sheds light on the threat of marine darkwaves to ocean life
University of Waikato
Published: 21 January 2026
Scientists created the first framework to identify marine darkwaves - sudden episodes of underwater darkness lasting days to months that threaten kelp forests, seagrass, and coral. Published in Communications Earth.
Keywords: marine darkwaves, underwater light, kelp forests, seagrass, coastal ecology, ocean monitoring
Marine Geoscientists Link Warming with Ancient Ocean Salty Blob
Rutgers University
Published: 13 January 2026
Researchers found evidence linking the end of the last ice age to the emergence of trapped salty water from the deep ocean, suggesting deep-ocean salinity controls atmospheric CO2. Published in Nature Geoscience.
Keywords: paleoceanography, ocean salinity, carbon dioxide, ice age, deep ocean, foraminifera, Nature Geoscience
