Schmidt Ocean

🦈 Whale shark aggregation 🦈 In 2020, a team on R/V Falkor mapped a remote area of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Through subsequent work that used this mapping data, scientists confirmed it is a whale shark aggregation area. Full paper here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ec…

When @seabed2030 began in 2017, only 6% of the ocean was mapped at an adequate resolution. Today, 27% has been mapped, helping to close one of the largest data gaps in ocean science & @SchmidtOcean has contributed ~1.2 million square km of mapping data, w/ more on the way.

Underway! R/V Falkor (too) left port for our first expedition in Argentine waters. Stay tuned for livestreamed ROV dives from the #MarDelPlataCanyon and learn more about the expedition here: schmidtocean.org/cruise/underwa… #TaludContinental4

#TechTuesday ~ @hydro_intl is sharing stories that have informed, inspired, and sparked discussions within the hydrographic community during their well-deserved summer break — including this 2024 piece by @SchmidtOcean Exec Dir @JyovianStorm hydro-international.com/content/articl…

In the deep ocean & Antarctic waters, sponges grow at a rate of fewer than 2cm/yr. While life on land seems to move at an oft dizzying pace, the size of this sponge suggests this animal may have been alive for hundreds of years. #AntarcticClimateConnections

#SouthSandwichIslands with @oceancensus ~ Gorgonocephalus chilensis (brittle star or Ophiuroid distantly related to sea stars), w/amphipods and Sterecchinus neumayeri (urchin) hanging on a coral. Special thanks to @echinoblog for species IDs!

"...though the ocean surrounds us ... there comes a moment when a civilization, if it is to grow wise, must turn its instruments not only outward to the stars but inward, toward the depths of our planet." Read more: nautil.us/charting-the-b…

Moroteuthopsis longimana, #SouthSandwichIslands, 1207 m ~ The 35-day deep-sea expedition w/ @oceancensus to one of the most remote island chains in the world observed thriving polar ecosystems, discovered new hydrothermal vents, coral gardens, and many suspected new species.

Geology rocks. During #salasygomez expedition, ROV pilots collected this footage on the western flank of an unnamed seamount. It shows how vital seamounts & rocky surfaces are in the deep Ocean, providing a habitat for animals to cling to in water column & access to nutrients.

🌊 Bridging the Ocean with Data at #OSM26 The session will bring together global experts in ocean data services to tackle key challenges in building a resilient, FAIR & interoperable ocean digital ecosystem. Learn more and submit your abstract here: agu.confex.com/agu/osm26/prel…

#SciArtFriday ~ 2025 Artist-at-Aea Brodie Neill was featured in this piece by Stephen Todd, about his time on R/V Falkor (too) during #AntarcticClimateConnections. Read the full article: afr.com/life-and-luxur… #SciArt #ArtistAtSea

During recent Antarctic expeditions, scientists examined seafloor features carved by glaciers & revealed glimpses of the intricate ecosystems living at the interface between ice & sea. Penguins, footage & wonder filmed by @alexinglephoto #SouthSandwichIslands, 2025.

Imagine a life spent riding currents, never touching solid earth. @MBARI Senior Scientist Bruce Robison is a midwater ecologist; he suspects this pelagic octopus is Japetella diaphana. ROV pilots collected this footage during the 2023 #OctopusOdyssey expedition at 1,047 meters.

🎶… I get by with a little help from my friends…”🎶 Remoras & rays have a mutualistic relationship, meaning both animals benefit from each other. We hope you find some good friends to hang with this weekend! 🌊 #VentUnderworld, 101m

Benthic beauty! ROV pilots filmed this deep-sea coral during the #OctopusOdyssey expedition off the coast of Costa Rica in 2023 at 2,843 meters.

More fish, please! Australia’s Coral Sea Marine Park is among the largest marine protected areas globally. In 2020 & 2021, Schmidt Ocean Institute expeditions w/, helped scientists discover new species! Read more: link.springer.com/article/10.100…

🌊 An important op-ed by Dona Bertarelli & Wendy Schmidt 🌊 "...we’ve made a lot of progress. The ocean is the center of the world economy, providing food, labor, transportation, tourism, and so much more . . ." time.com/7298700/why-we…

🎶 It's just another mollusk Monday! 🎶 New peltospirid snails from two recently discovered vent fields on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge described w/samples collected by ROV SuBastian pilots during 2023 #LostCityVents expedition. academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/art…

At seamounts, cold seawater is drawn into the crust, picking up heat & chemicals as it circulates, before discharging back into the Ocean loaded w/microbes & minerals at another seamount. Watch Dr. Rachel Lauer's TEDx Talk: youtu.be/x15Um3xKyV8?fe… #OctopusOdyssey

For #SciArtFriday, 2023 Artist-at-Sea Max Hooper Schneider will present new work, site-specific sand crater installations at 12th SITE Santa Fe International, "Once Within a Time," opening 6/27 and running through 1/12/26, in Santa Fe, NM, U.S. sitesantafe.org/en/