MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)
New deep-sea sighting: The barreleye fish has a transparent head and tubular eyes
updated
A hungry dinner plate jelly swims with tentacles held forward. Most jellies are passive predators who drag wispy tentacles behind their bells to catch food that gets trapped in their wake. But the dinner plate jelly relies on stealth to capture food. Swimming with those tentacles out in front allows Solmissus to catch their prey by surprise. Before prey can sense the pulses of the approaching predator, the jelly’s crown of tentacles snares a meal. Forward-pointing tentacles also help the dinner plate jelly catch animals with long tentacles or skinny bodies, like raking up twigs in the lawn.
Using underwater robots, we can observe delicate deep-sea drifters without damaging them or disrupting their behaviors. We now know that jellies are some of the dominant predators in the ocean’s inky depths. They are also a food source for many animals and offer shelter in an endless expanse of open water.
Learn more about this and other fascinating animals of the deep: mbari.org/animal/dinner-plate-jelly
Script writer: Raúl Nava
Editor: Ted Blanco
Production team: Larissa Lemon, Raúl Nava, Giovanna Sainz, Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun, Kristine Walz
Music: Relaxinator by Jon Presstone
References:
Choy, C.A., S.H.D. Haddock, and B.H. Robison. 2017. Deep pelagic food web structure as revealed by in situ feeding observations. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 284(1868): 20172116. doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.2116
Raskoff, K.A. 2002. Foraging, prey capture, and gut contents of the mesopelagic narcomedusa Solmissus spp. (Cnidaria: Hydrozoa). Marine Biology, 141: 1099-1107. doi.org/10.1007/s00227-002-0912-8
This bumpy jelly is just one of more than 250 new species that MBARI researchers have found in the depths of Monterey Bay and beyond. Its genus, Stellamedusa, refers to the jelly’s translucent blue-white color and trailing arms, which reminded MBARI scientists of a slow-moving meteor or shooting star. Its species name, ventana, refers to MBARI’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Ventana, a deep-diving submarine robot that first recorded the jelly on video in 1990.
Learn more: mbari.org/news/new-bumpy-jelly-found-in-deep-sea
In a previous MBARI study, researchers observed enormous craters on the seafloor in this area, attributed to the thawing of ancient permafrost submerged underwater. While exploring the flanks of these craters on a subsequent expedition, MBARI researchers and an international team of collaborators observed exposed layers of submarine permafrost ice.
The recently discovered layers of ice are not the same as the ancient permafrost formed during the last ice age, but rather were created under present-day conditions. This ice is produced when deeper layers of ancient submarine permafrost melt, creating brackish groundwater that rises and refreezes as it approaches the colder seafloor. This discovery reveals an unanticipated mechanism for the ongoing formation of submarine permafrost ice.
The complex morphology of the seafloor in this region of the Arctic tells a story that involves both the melting of ancient permafrost that was submerged beneath the sea long ago and the disfiguration of the modern seafloor that occurs when released water refreezes.
Learn more: mbari.org/news/new-mbari-research-reveals-the-dynamic-processes-that-sculpt-the-arctic-seafloor
Research Publication:
Paull, C.K., J.K. Hong, D.W. Caress, R. Gwiazda, J.-H. Kim, E. Lundsten, J.B. Paduan, Y.K. Jin, M.J. Duchesne, T.S. Rhee, V. Brake, J. Obelcz, and M.A.L. Walton. 2024. Massive ice outcrops and thermokarst along the Arctic shelf edge: by-products of ongoing groundwater freezing and thawing in the sub-surfaces. JGR Earth Surface, 129: e2024JF007719
doi.org/10.1029/2024JF007719
Writer and video producer: Marike Pinsonneault
Narrator: Eve Lundsten
Science advisors: Charlie Paull, Roberto Gwiazda, and Eve Lundsten
Production team: Raúl Nava, Kyra Schlining, Susan von Thun
Music: Singing Strings - Background, Classical, Serious
Big Red was first discovered off the central California coast in 1988, by MBARI staff. This jelly has been spotted across the Pacific Ocean, from Baja California to Hawaii to Japan.
Something so big, with such a large range, remaining undiscovered for so long shows just how little we’ve explored the deep sea—and suggests that there is much more out there waiting to be found.
Learn more about this and other remarkable animals of the deep: mbari.co/AnimalsOfTheDeep
This video shows a sperm whale’s echolocation clicks while searching, locating, and capturing its prey. The audio was recorded at MBARI’s cabled underwater observatory, the Monterey Accelerated Research System, at a depth of 891 meters (2,923 feet) on March 10, 2024.
These ocean predators are seldom seen in the Monterey Bay region, but MBARI’s continuous high-quality sound recordings in the deep sea hear sperm whale clicks on almost half of all days. This finding reveals sperm whales spend more time offshore of California than previously believed.
Animal sounds give us a lens into their lives. Sperm whale vocalizations contain rich information about who these animals are and what they are doing. The hydrophone can hear sperm whale clicks from a hundred miles away. Understanding where these animals live can help decision-makers implement protections for these endangered ocean predators and the environments they depend on.
Learn more about sperm whale migrations: mbari.org/news/sound-provides-new-information-about-the-secret-lives-of-sperm-whales
Learn more about the ocean soundscape: mbari.org/project/soundscape-listening-room
Research Publication:
Oestreich, W.K., K.J. Benoit-Bird, B. Abrahms, T. Margolina, J.E. Joseph, Y. Zhang, C.A. Rueda, and J.P. Ryan. 2024. Evidence for seasonal migration by a cryptic top predator of the deep sea. Movement Ecology. doi.org/10.1186/s40462-024-00500-x
Video editing: William Oestreich and Kyra Schlining
Science advisors: William Oestreich and John Ryan
Production team: Lila Luthy, Raúl Nava, Susan von Thun
Sperm whale photo in video thumbnail courtesy of Tim Huntington
The deep ocean is the largest habitat on Earth, but we still have much to learn about its processes and communities. Underwater robots provide us access to the ocean in ways never possible before. Remotely operated and autonomous robots allow scientists to observe the ocean’s chemical, physical, and biological features for longer periods than traditional ship-based observations and over broader spatial scales.
MBARI is committed to continued innovation in marine robotics to bring new insights into the processes that affect ocean health. The ongoing development of new tools for ocean science serves as a shining example of what’s possible when scientists and engineers work together.
Studying the amazing biodiversity of animals in the deep sea is increasingly critical. Overfishing, pollution, and climate change all threaten ocean health. Help us spread the word about protecting the important but rarely seen animals and habitats deep below the ocean’s surface.
Learn more about the amazing animals of the deep: mbari.co/AnimalsOfTheDeep
Producer/editor: Larissa Lemon
Production team: Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
Music: Meditation by juice
Animals in order of appearance:
00:00 Egg yolk jelly (Phacellophora camtschatica) and juvenile red octopus (Octopus rubescens) | 61 meters (199 feet)
00:13 Red siphonophore (Marrus claudanielis) | 1,437 meters (4,713 feet)
00:27 Blacktail snailfish (Careproctus melanurus) on grooved tanner crab (Chionoecetes tanneri) | 911 meters (2,989 feet)
00:41 Red coffinfish (Chaunacops coloratus) | 3,309 meters (10,857 feet)
00:56 Big-finned octopus (Cirroteuthis muelleri) | 2,725 meters (8,940 feet)
01:13 Zoanthid coral (order Zoantharia) | 1,709 meters (5,607 feet)
01:23 Giant vent worm (Riftia pachyptila) | 2,301 meters (7,548 feet)
01:34 Eryoneicus deep-sea lobster larva (family Polychelidae) | 1,219 meters (3,998 feet)
01:45 Lemon jelly (Aegina citrea) | 950 meters (3,118 feet)
01:58 Rosy bone-eating worm (Osedax roseus) | 842 meters (2,761 feet)
02:11 Shortspine thornyhead (Sebastolobus alascanus) | 978 meters (3,209 feet)
02:23 Bloody-belly comb jelly (Lampocteis cruentiventer) | 743 meters (2,437 feet)
02:36 Giant seed shrimp (Gigantocypris agassizii) | 853 meters (2,797 feet)
02:48 Yellow Picasso sponge (Staurocalyptus sp.) | 1,193 meters (3,913 feet)
03:03 Flapjack octopus (Opisthoteuthis sp.) | 331 meters (1,085 feet)
03:14 Cantaloupe comb jelly (Aulacoctena sp.) | 1,389 meters (4,558 feet)
03:28 Ribbon worm (Phallonemertes) | 1,630 meters | 5,348 feet
03:41 Cold seep tubeworm (Lamellibrachia sp.) with deep-sea whelks and eggcases (Neptunea sp.) and lithodid crabs (Paralomis sp) | 1,322 meters (4,337 feet)
03:54 Squat lobster (Munida quadraspina) | 823 meters (2,701 feet)
04:08 Strawberry squid (Histioteuthis heteropsis) | 624 meters (2,046 feet)
04:28 Firework jelly (Halitrephes maasi) | 940 meters (3,084 feet)
04:46 Sea lily (family Bathycrinidae) | 1,993 meters (6,537 feet)
04:58 Brisingid sea star (family Brisingidae) | 1,765 meters (5,791 feet)
05:12 Spiny-tailed shrimp (Systellaspis sp.) | 1,722 meters (5,650 feet)
05:25 Deep-sea crown jelly (Atolla gigantea) | 1,019 meters (3,344 feet)
05:50 Hedgehog nudibranch (Bathydoris aioca) | 3,179 meters (10,430 feet)
06:01 Giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) | 682 meters (2,239 feet)
06:16 Giant phantom jelly (Stygiomedusa gigantea) | 1,013 meters (3,324 feet)
06:41 Octopus squid (Octopoteuthis deletron) | 677 meters (2,220 feet)
06:58 Golden gorgonian (Acanthogorgia sp.) | 914 meters (2,999 feet)
07:13 Five-arm basket star (Asteronyx sp.) | 641 meters (2,103 feet)
07:31 Whalefish (family Cetomimidae) | 1,647 meters (5,404 feet)
07:45 Red paper lantern jelly (Pandea rubra) | 612 meters (2,007 feet)
08:03 California sun star (Rathbunaster californicus) | 366 meters (1,199 feet)
08:13 Abyssal king crab (Paralomis sp.) | 1,332 meters (4,370 feet)
08:25 Broad-belled siphonophore (Bargmannia lata) | 994 meters (3,262 feet)
08:39 Red balloon jelly (Deepstaria reticulum) | 948 meters (3,110 feet)
08:56 Spiny star (Hippasteria sp.) | 1,577 meters (5,173 feet)
09:08 Red sea fan (Callistephanus kofoidi) | 1,244 meters (4,081 feet)
09:22 Warty jelly (Halicreas minimum) | 967 meters (3,172 feet)
09:35 Orange-gut arrow worm (Caecosagitta macrocephala) | 963 meters (3,158 feet)
09:45 Primnoid coral (Narella sp.), black coral (Trissopathes pseudotristicha), and feather star (Florometra serratissima) | 2,668 meters (8,755 feet)
10:00 Basket star (Gorgonocephalus eucnemis) | 1,302 meters (4,271 feet)
10:09 Big red jelly (Tiburonia granrojo) | 1,452 meters (4,765 feet)
10:20 Vampire squid (Vampyroteuthis infernalis) | 558 meters (1,831 feet)
Since 1988, Ventana has explored the depths of Monterey Bay, logging the most science dives of any remotely operated vehicle in the world. It has been critical to MBARI’s mission to advance marine science and engineering to understand our changing ocean. Learn more: mbari.org/news/mbaris-remotely-operated-vehicle-ventana-completes-4500-deep-sea-dives
#dragonfish #DeepSeaFish #ROV #OceanExploration #DeepSea #DeepOcean
The Blue Whale Observatory is a network of acoustic instruments in Monterey Bay that aims to answer this question. The observatory records whale calls, krill swarm activity, and ocean conditions for four months straight every summer and fall. These detailed recordings reveal more about the predator, prey, and environmental dynamics that drive blue whales’ behavior.
Findings from the Blue Whale Observatory can inform efforts to protect these endangered mammals. They also open up possibilities for studying other marine species in a similar way. Learning more about the dynamics of ocean life—from the tiniest krill to the largest whale—can help us become better stewards of our blue planet.
Learn more: youtu.be/mue4UeaStfc?si=iXmmOf9o2WGEoZHD
In the deep sea, food can seem scarce unless you know where to look. Poop, snot, dead plankton, and larger animal carcasses sinking from the ocean’s surface provide a tasty treat for seafloor scavengers. To find a feast in the vast abyss, it helps to follow your nose.
Spectrunculus is just one of the many magnificent animals that thrive on the abyssal seafloor. As society looks to the deep sea for mining rare minerals such as cobalt and nickel, understanding the importance of this spectacular species and other abyssal animals has become especially urgent. Our research is revealing how human actions will affect deep-sea communities. We are providing the information policymakers need to guide their decision-making about the ocean, its inhabitants, and its resources.
Next time you think about the ocean, remember these charming and curious deep-sea neighbors roaming the seafloor. Learn more about this and other fascinating animals of the deep: mbari.org/animal/giant-cusk-eel.
Script writer: Lila Luthy
Editor: Ted Blanco
Narrator: Lila Luthy
Motion graphics: Madeline Go
Production team: Larissa Lemon, Raúl Nava, Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
Music: Classroom by Emi Nishida
In 2013, researchers in MBARI’s Video Lab conducted a comprehensive review of our meticulously-cataloged underwater video looking for observations of ocean trash. The largest proportion of the debris consisted of objects made of plastic. Of these objects, more than half were plastic bags.
Plastic pollution puts deep-sea animals at risk. On the seafloor, bags and other plastic trash can smother marine life. In the midwater, drifting debris can entangle or choke animals or damage their delicate structures.
Rattails, also known as grenadiers, are often attracted to the lights on our remotely operated vehicles. These friendly fish are very curious and will come to investigate any disturbance on or around the seafloor. Presumably, this helps them find food in the darkness of the deep.
The LRAUV was designed to fill the need for a mobile underwater robot to observe upper ocean processes. It has been tested over 36,000 hours offshore across a fleet of eight vehicles and has a unique ultra-low energy transit mode, allowing the vehicle to be operated without a support ship.
MBARI engineers have outfitted the LRAUV with various tools, allowing scientists to track and control the platform remotely and collect real-time ocean data through microbial sampling, bioluminescence, active bio-acoustic imaging, water sampling, plankton imaging, and multibeam mapping.
The ocean is critical to life on Earth, but faces a fragile future and a rising tide of threats. Monitoring ocean health is increasingly urgent, but logistically challenging. Scientists need nimble research tools to scale our observations of the ocean and its inhabitants. We envision a future where robotic platforms, like the MBARI LRAUV, can monitor ocean health 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Learn more about the LRAUV: mbari.org/team/lrauv
Writer, narrator, video editor: Marike Pinsonneault
Production team: Heidi Cullen, Larissa Lemon, Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
Learn more about MBARI’s work: mbari.org
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At MBARI, science, engineering, and marine operations staff work together to develop and maintain technology for ocean monitoring. Below the surface, the M1 buoy is tethered by a 1,500-meter-long (4,900 feet) cable extending down through the water column. Instruments attached to the buoy measure environmental conditions such as salinity, temperature, depth, oxygen, chlorophyll, and currents. Data collected from this buoy is shared with colleagues around the world and is helping inform ocean management and policy.
Less than 25 percent of the seafloor has been mapped at the same level of detail as the Moon or Mars. MBARI’s mission is to advance marine science and technology to understand our changing ocean—from the surface to the seafloor. For nearly four decades, MBARI has explored the deep ocean, recording thousands of hours of video with our remotely operated vehicles and mapping thousands of kilometers of seafloor using advanced robots. Together, these tools are helping to create a clearer picture of the amazing environments hidden in the ocean’s inky depths.
The astonishing communities that live on and around hydrothermal vents have evolved to flourish under extreme temperatures and chemical conditions. The remarkable tubeworms, crabs, clams, and more that thrive here are found nowhere else on Earth. Now, with more companies looking to extract mineral resources from the ocean, it is more important than ever to study the deep sea and the wonders it holds. The maps we create and data we collect can help resource managers make informed decisions about the ocean, its inhabitants, and its resources. Together, we can safeguard these unique biological and geological treasures.
Learn more about how MBARI uses cutting-edge technologies to gain unprecedented access to the deep seafloor: mbari.org/news/mbari-researchers-help-map-and-scout-for-hydrothermal-vents-in-gulf-of-california
Learn more about the fascinating community that thrives at hydrothermal vents: youtu.be/JtV-FP212Uc?si=vCnmhJ7NfY1K7vPq
Video producer/editor: Kristine Walz
Production team: Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
Music: Meditation by TuneWaves (Pond5)
Geological features in order of appearance:
Note: The red dots are lasers 29 cm (11.4 inches) apart used for measurement.
0:00 Venting chimney | 2,225 meters (7,300 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
0:18 Vent with upside down waterfall | 3,666 meters (12,028 feet) | Pescadero Basin, Gulf of California, Mexico
0:33 "Beehive" venting | 2,248 meters (7,375 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
0:41 Inactive castle chimney | 1,512 meters (4,961 feet) | Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge, offshore Oregon
0:57 Cluster of giant tubeworms (Riftia pachyptila) on large chimney | 2,300 meters (7,546 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
1:05 Inactive chimney | 2,343 meters (7,687 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
1:13 Outcrop with tubeworms (Oasisia sp.) | 3,672 meters (12,047 feet) | Pescadero Basin, Gulf of California, Mexico
1:20 Diffuse venting | 3,664 meters (12,021 feet) | Pescadero Basin, Gulf of California, Mexico
1:29 Tall black smoker chimneys | 2,286 meters (7,500 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
1:38 Numerous small chimneys | 3,663 meters (12,018 feet) | Pescadero Basin, Gulf of California, Mexico
1:45 Glitter Lake | 2,300 meters (7,546 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
1:53 Black smoker and giant tubeworms (Riftia pachyptila) | 2,309 meters (7,575 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
2:02 Large chimney surrounded by giant tubeworms (Riftia pachyptila) | 2286 meters (7,500 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
2:25 Inactive chimney with crabs (Bythograea thermydron) and squat lobsters | 2,303 meters (7,556 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
2:35 Small vent chimneys | 1,545 meters (5,069 feet) | Axial Seamount, Juan de Fuca Ridge, offshore Oregon
2:41 "Beehive" venting | 2,248 meters (7,375 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
2:49 Sulfide chimney with alvinellid tubeworm fossils, eelpout (Thermarces cerberus), and crabs (Bythograea thermydron) | 2,300 meters (7,546 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
3:14 Upside-down waterfall with tubeworms (Oasisia sp.) | 3,665 meters (12,024 feet) | Pescadero Basin, Gulf of California, Mexico
3:21 Black smoker chimneys | 2,259 meters (7,411 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
3:37 Black smoker chimney | 2,243 meters (7,359 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
3:45 Glitter Lake | 2,300 meters (7,546 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
3:54 Vent fluid | 2,237 meters (7,339 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
4:02 Large black smoker vents | 2,244 meters (7,362 feet) | Alarcón Rise, Gulf of California, Mexico
To find out, MBARI scientists set up the Blue Whale Observatory, a unique network of acoustic instruments in Monterey Bay. The observatory records whale calls, krill swarm activity, and ocean conditions for four months straight every summer and fall when blue whales are most acoustically active in the area. The observatory's detailed recordings reveal more about the predator, prey, and environmental dynamics that drive blue whales’ behavior.
Findings from the Blue Whale Observatory can inform efforts to protect endangered whales and open up possibilities for studying other marine species in a similar way. Learning more about the dynamics of ocean life—from the tiniest krill to the largest whale—can help us become better stewards of our blue planet.
Learn more about the Blue Whale Observatory at: mbari.org/project/blue-whale-observatory
Senior producer, writer, narrator, deployment footage videographer, video editor, & motion designer: Madeline Go
Science advisors: Will Oestreich and John Ryan
Production team: Heidi Cullen, Larissa Lemon, Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
Special thanks to Jeremy Goldbogen for providing the feeding blue whale footage, Elliott Hazen for the blue whale drone footage, and Monterey Bay Aquarium for additional ocean footage.
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Hagfish also play an important role in the deep-sea as scavengers, devouring carcasses on the seafloor from the inside out.
#creatorsearchinsights #hagfish #hagfishslime #feedingfrenzy #deepsea #deepocean #fypage
Scientists have never collected an adult Magnapinna specimen, making video clips of this remarkable squid even more valuable. In 36 years of deep-sea discoveries, MBARI’s remotely operated vehicles have completed more than 7,300 successful dives and recorded more than 28,500 hours of video. This video archive includes nearly 9 million annotations about what we see on video–these data are invaluable for scientists at MBARI and beyond who are working together to unlock the mysteries of the deep.
#cephalopodweek #magnapinna #bigfinsquid #deepseasquid #squidswimming #deepocean #fypage
Researchers from MBARI, GEOMAR’s Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, and the University of South Florida have learned this individual likely represents an unknown species of the family of Gonatidae and one that broods giant eggs.
The deep sea is the largest living space on Earth, but an environment we still know very little about. Every new discovery we make is a new piece of the puzzle. Learn more about this dazzling denizen of the deep on our website. #MBARI #DeepSea #DeepOcean #fyp #MomLife
Eight arms are not the only thing that stands out about this species. While exploring the midwater, we often encounter octopus squid in a distinctive posture: large fins spread wide, and arms with twinkling tips curled above the head. Light-producing organs called photophores flash with bioluminescence at the end of each arm.
MBARI has spent several decades studying Octopoteuthis. Cameras on our advanced underwater robots have revealed insights into the mysterious lives of octopus squid, from their unique behaviors to their defensive strategies. Octopus squid and their deep-dwelling kin play a vital role in ocean food webs. Despite their ecological importance, we still know very little about the lives of deep-sea squids. MBARI’s work is answering fundamental questions about deep-sea cephalopods and providing vital information that resource managers can use to inform their decision-making about the ocean.
Eight arms are not the only thing that stands out about this species. While exploring the midwater, we often encounter octopus squid in a distinctive posture: large fins spread wide, and arms with twinkling tips curled above the head. Light-producing organs called photophores flash with bioluminescence at the end of each arm.
MBARI has spent several decades studying Octopoteuthis. Cameras on our advanced underwater robots have revealed insights into the mysterious lives of octopus squid, from their unique behaviors to their defensive strategies. Octopus squid and their deep-dwelling kin play a vital role in ocean food webs. Despite their ecological importance, we still know very little about the lives of deep-sea squids. MBARI’s work is answering fundamental questions about deep-sea cephalopods and providing vital information that resource managers can use to inform their decision-making about the ocean.
The deep sea is closer than you think. What we do on land affects the ocean, even the animals and environments deep below the surface. By choosing sustainable seafood, refusing single-use plastic, and reducing our carbon footprint, we can help protect the amazing animals of the deep.
Learn more about the octopus squid and other fascinating animals of the deep at our Animals of the Deep gallery: mbari.org/animal/octopus-squid
Script writer: Megan Bassett
Science advisor: Stephanie Bush
Editor: Ted Blanco
Narrator: Susan von Thun
Production team: Heidi Cullen, Madeline Go, Larissa Lemon, Raúl Nava, Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
Music: Brave Horizon No Drums by Humans Win
References:
Bush, S.L., and B.H. Robison. 2007. Ink utilization by mesopelagic squid. Marine Biology, 152: 485–-494. dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-007-0684-2
Bush, S.L., B.H. Robison, and R.L. Caldwell. 2009. Behaving in the dark: Locomotor, chromatic, postural, and bioluminescent behaviors of the deep-sea squid Octopoteuthis deletron Young 1972. Biological Bulletin, 216: 7–-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/BBLv216n1p7
Hoving, H.J.T., S.L. Bush, and B.H. Robison. 2011. A shot in the dark: same-sex sexual behaviour in a deep-sea squid. Biology Letters, 8(2): 287–-290. doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2011.0680
Researchers from MBARI, GEOMAR’s Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, and the University of South Florida have learned this individual likely represents an unknown species of the family of Gonatidae and one that broods giant eggs.
While maternal care is common among octopuses, brooding has only been observed in a handful of squids. Most squid species leave clumps of eggs attached to the seafloor or release neutrally buoyant egg masses containing thousands of eggs that drift in the water column. These reproductive strategies require relatively low effort compared to providing post-spawning egg care.
The deep sea is the largest living space on Earth, but an environment we still know very little about. Every new discovery we make is a new piece of the puzzle.
Learn more: mbari.org/news/mbaris-advanced-underwater-robots-discover-deep-sea-squid-that-broods-giant-eggs
Research Publication:
Hoving, H.-J.T., S.H.D. Haddock, B.H. Robison, and B.A. Seibel. 2024. Giant eggs in a deep-sea squid. Ecology, e4319. doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4319
Producer/editor: Kyra Schlining
Production team: Raúl Nava, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
Music: Aeon by Theatre of Delays
bensound.com/free-music-for-videos
License code: HT0ODTDX9UJY8ANU
There are over 1,000 species of rattails found worldwide, although MBARI has recorded less than 20 species during our numerous expeditions. Macrourid species are difficult to distinguish on video, so researchers often use species complexes to describe similarly-looking species.
Five days a week, MBARI’s research vessel Rachel Carson leaves Moss Landing Harbor at 6:30 in the morning for a busy day of ocean exploration. From a control room in the heart of the ship, our team of pilots and scientists guide the ROV Ventana as it explores the waters 1,800 meters (a little more than one mile) below. After deploying the vehicle for six to eight hours, the team returns to shore.
ROV Ventana is a versatile robot equipped with cameras to observe the remarkable animals and habitats that thrive in the depths of Monterey Bay. Our engineers use this vehicle to deploy and test cutting-edge technology that is helping us assess and track ocean health. The pilots and crew that work with Ventana take pride in supporting our scientists and engineers in studying our changing ocean. Join us for a look back at some of the highlights from Ventana’s past missions.
Learn more about ROV Ventana’s accomplishments: mbari.org/news/mbaris-remotely-operated-vehicle-ventana-completes-4500-deep-sea-dives
Producer/editor: Kyra Schlining
Production team: Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
Music: Elevation of Dreams by Bruno Frietas (Motion Array)
Scenes in order of appearance (scenes from Monterey Bay unless otherwise mentions):
0:00 Launch of the ROV Ventana | surface
0:03 ROV Ventana launch | surface
0:09 Pyrosome (Pyrosoma sp.) | 30 meters (98 feet) | Sur Ridge
0:12 Giant siphonophore (Praya dubia) | 86 meters (282 feet)
0:15 Transit through midwater with jellies (Colobonema sericeum and Solmissus) | 401 meters (1,316 feet)
0:17 Hula skirt siphonophore (Physophora hydrostatica) | 220 meters (722 feet)
0:19 Barreleye fish (Macropinna microstoma) | 637 meters (2,090 feet)
0:20 Green caterpillar siphonophore (Lilyopsis fluorocantha) | 385 meters (1,263 feet)
0:23 Blue LED lights on ROV | 737 meters (2,418 feet)
0:28 Green caterpillar siphonophore (Lilyopsis fluorocantha) under blue LED lights | 368 meters (1,207 feet) | Morro Bay
0:31 Bumpy jelly (Stellamedusa ventana) | 480 meters (1,575 feet)
0:34 Bumpy jelly (Stellamedusa ventana) collected in detritus sampler | 352 meters (1,155 feet)
0:39 California sun stars (Rathbunaster californicus) | 203 meters (666 feet)
0:42 Collecting deep-sea whelk (Neptunea sp.) with suction sampler | 999 meters (3,278 feet) | Smooth Ridge, Greater Monterey Bay
0:46 Deep-sea whelk (Neptunea sp.) sampled and placed in the Benthic Respirometry Sample chamber | 999 meters (3,278 feet) | Smooth Ridge, Greater Monterey Bay
0:50 Pom-pom anemone (Liponema brevicorne) | 876 meters (2,874 feet)
0:52 Rockfish (Sebastes sp.) | 468 meters (1,535 feet) | Offshore Southern California
0:54 Sand star (Luidia foliolata) | 402 meters (1,319 feet)
0:58 Sand star (Luidia foliolata) collection | 398 meters (1,306 feet)
1:03 ROV Ventana collecting sediment using a push core | 675 meters (2,215 feet)
1:09 Mushroom soft coral (Heteropolypus ritteri) | 393 meters (1,289 feet)
1:11 Broadnose sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus) | 402 meters (1,319 feet)
1:15 Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas) catching rockfish (Sebastes sp.) | 352 meters (1,155 feet)
1:19 Seafloor near Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) | 886 meters (2,907 feet) | Greater Monterey Bay
1:22 Hydrophone plugging into MARS | 880 meters (2,887 feet) | Greater Monterey Bay
1:27 Deploying hydrophone at MARS | 877 meters (2,877 feet) | Greater Monterey Bay
1:31 Basket star (Gorgonocephalus eucnemis) | 206 meters (676 feet)
1:31 Sampling a glass sponge (Hexactinellida) with the DeepPIV | 623 meters (2,044 feet)
1:37 Whale fall “Grady” | 584 meters (1,916 feet)
1:39 Push core near whale bones | 584 meters (1,916 feet)
1:43 ROV Ventana and Pacific sleeper shark (Somniosus pacificus) | 673 meters (2,208 feet)
1:47 Red disk jelly (Poralia rufescens) | 1,917 meters (6,289 feet)
1:49 Juvenile rattail fish (Macrouridae) | 513 meters (1,683 feet)
1:50 Blue-tailed giant larvacean (Bathochordaeus mcnutti) swimming | 903 meters (2,963 feet)
1:53 Robust clubhook squid (Onykia robusta) | 393 meters (1,289 feet)
1:54 Spotted comb jelly (Leucothea pulchra) | 118 meters (387 feet)
1:57 Pacific white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) | 24 meters (79 feet)
1:59 Surface water | Smooth Ridge, Greater Monterey Bay
2:01 ROV Ventana recovery | surface
2:04 ROV Ventana recovery on the back deck of R/V Rachel Carson
MBARI researchers have observed several different dragonfishes in the depths of Monterey Bay. The Pacific blackdragon (Idiacanthus antrostomus) and the longfin dragonfish (Tactostoma macropus) are the most commonly sighted species. Encounters with others are rare treats.
Hyperiid amphipods have evolved remarkably diverse eyes, each with different functional capabilities. Scientists have only discovered about 340 species of hyperiid amphipods, but the diversity of their eyes rivals that seen among the millions of species of terrestrial insects.
Using 3D imaging and computational modeling, the research team compared the structure and function of the eyes of three different deep-sea hyperiids.
Hyperia has evolved eyes that keep watch on a wide field of view, but can only visualize objects nearby. Phronima—commonly known as the barrel amphipod—and Streetsia can see well into the distance, but at the cost of a narrow field of view. Phronima has solved this problem by evolving a second pair of eyes for an expanded, but poor, visual field. Streetsia sees really well in a narrow ring surrounding their body that they use to continuously scan the surrounding water as they swim.
While hyperiid amphipods live in a relatively simple environment—a wide expanse of open water—their individual behaviors and the need for transparent camouflage have driven the diverse eye structures among species in this group.
Understanding the eye structures of these midwater amphipods may one day help us develop new technologies for seeing in dark environments like caves, outer space, and the deep sea.
Jessop, A-L., Z.M. Bagheri, J.C. Partridge, K.J. Osborn, and J.M. Hemmi. 2024. Functional differences between the extraordinary eyes of deep-sea hyperiid amphipods. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 291: 20240239. doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.0239
Learn more about the barrel amphipod: mbari.org/animal/barrel-amphipod
Producer/editor: Kyra Schlining
Science advisor: Karen Osborn
Production team: Raúl Nava, Susan von Thun
Music: Secret Inquiries by Taras Shostukha (Motion Array)
Animals in order of appearance:
0:00 Hyperia sp. (hitchhiker amphipod) hitchhiking on Calycopsis simulans (midwater jelly) | 364 meters (1,194 feet) | Monterey Canyon
0:09 Hyperia sp. (hitchhiker amphipod) hitchhiking on Aegina sp. (golf tee jelly) | 434 meters (1,424 feet) | Soquel Canyon
0:13 Hyperia sp. (hitchhiker amphipod) hitchhiking on Solmissus sp. (dinner plate jelly) | 1,193 meters (3,914 feet) | Monterey Canyon
0:18 Phronima sedentaria (barrel amphipod) brooding eggs inside a salp | 219 meters (719 feet) | Monterey Canyon
0:27 Phronima sedentaria (barrel amphipod) brooding eggs inside a salp | 337 meters (1,106 feet) | Monterey Canyon
0:37 Free-swimming Phronima sedentaria (barrel amphipod) | 458 meters (1,503 feet) | Monterey Canyon
0:46 Free-swimming Phronima sedentaria (barrel amphipod) | 228 meters (748 feet) | Monterey Canyon
0:57 Streetsia sp. (sharp-nosed amphipod) swimming past a green caterpillar siphonophore (Lilyopsis fluoracantha) | 318 meters (1,043 feet) | Monterey Canyon
The deep-sea crown jelly (Atolla sp.) is one of the most common jellies in the ocean’s depths. Most have a distinctive elongated tentacle that can be up to six times the diameter of the jelly’s bell. Scientists suspect that characteristic trailing tentacle helps this jelly capture food. As a hungry Atolla pulses along, that long tentacle snags crustaceans or other prey.
We often encounter skates resting on the sediment or skimming across the seafloor. Along with their expanded pectoral fins, some skates use their pelvic fins like legs to maneuver while hunting along the bottom or to propel themselves off the seafloor when danger approaches.
Our research is filling in the gaps in scientists’ baseline knowledge of rarely-seen deep-sea skate species. These data are especially important as climate change and overfishing continue to threaten biological communities. The more we learn about deep-sea sharks, skates, and rays, the better we can protect them and their habitats.
Learn more about deep-sea skates: mbari.org/animal/deep-sea-skate
Producer/editor: Larissa Lemon
Production team: Kyra Schlining, Susan von Thun
Music: Lucid Dreaming by Dear Gravity (artlist.io)
Animals in order of appearance:
Note: The red dots in many of these clips are lasers used to help us estimate the size of animals and seafloor features. The horizontal lasers are 29 centimeters apart, and the vertical lasers are 2.5 centimeters apart unless otherwise indicated below.
0:00 Bathyraja abyssicola (Abyssal skate) | 1,388 meters (4,553 feet) | Sur Ridge
0:19 Amblyraja hyperborea (Broad skate) | 1,668 meters (5,472 feet) | Juan de Fuca Ridge
0:25 Bathyraja trachura (Roughtail skate) | 834 meters (2,736 feet) | Sur Ridge
0:31 Bathyraja microtrachys (Fine-spined skate) | 2,955 meters (9,694 feet) | Offshore Oregon
0:37 Bathyraja spinosissima (Spiny skate) | 2,199 meters (7,214 feet) | Offshore Oregon
0:50 Bathyraja trachura | 1,219 meters (3,999 feet) | Offshore Oregon
0:56 Tetronarce californica (Pacific electric ray) | 371 meters (1,217 feet) | Monterey Canyon
1:15 Bathyraja trachura | 1,023 meters (3,356 feet) | Sur Ridge
1:22 Caliraja rhina (Longnose skate) | 448 meters (1,469 feet) | Offshore Central California
1:27 Bathyraja abyssicola | 1,367 meters (4,486 feet) | Greater Monterey Bay Area
1:35 Bathyraja trachura | 835 meters (2,739 feet) | Sur Ridge
1:39 Amblyraja hyperborea | 2,320 meters (7,611 feet) | Gulf of California
1:46 Bathyraja trachura | 602 meters (1,974 feet) | Offshore Central California
1:52 Bathyraja spinosissima | 2,168 meters (7,114 feet) | Trinidad Canyon
1:59 Bathyraja trachura | 1,406 meters (4,613f feet) | Juan de Fuca Ridge
2:10 Bathyraja spinosissima | 1,801 meters (5,909 feet) | Juan de Fuca Ridge
2:29 Caliraja rhina | 374 meters (1,227 feet) | Monterey Canyon | lasers 23 cm apart
2:35 Tetronarce californica | 282 meters (925 feet) | Offshore Central California
2:54 Caliraja rhina | 595 meters (1,953 feet) | Greater Monterey Bay Area
3:01 Bathyraja abyssicola | 1,547 meters (5,076 feet) | Gulf of California
3:07 Bathyraja spinosissima | 1,696 meters (5,566 feet) | Astoria Canyon
3:14 Bathyraja trachura | 981 meters (3,217 feet) | Monterey Canyon
3:19 Bathyraja spinosissima | 1,801 meters (5,909 feet) | Juan de Fuca Ridge
3:38 Amblyraja hyperborea | 1,761 meters (5,778 feet) | Monterey Canyon
3:45 Bathyraja trachura | 852 meters (2,795 feet) | Offshore Central California
3:51 Bathyraja spinosissima | 2,125 meters (6,971 feet) | Vance Seamount | lasers 30 cm apart
4:16 Beringraja rhina | 352 meters (1,155 feet) | Monterey Canyon
4:22 Bathyraja trachura | 1,101 meters (3,611 feet) | Sur Ridge
4:29 Tetronarce californica | 403 meters (1,321 feet) | Monterey Canyon | lasers 23 cm apart
4:34 Bathyraja spinosissima | 2,135 meters (7,006 feet) | Cascadia Basin, offshore Washington
4:58 Amblyraja hyperborea | 1,753 meters (5,750 feet) | Juan de Fuca Ridge
5:06 Bathyraja spinosissima | 2,037 meters (6,682 feet) | Cascadia Basin, offshore Washington
5:19 Bathyraja trachura | 852 meters (2,795 feet) | Pioneer Seamount
5:24 Bathyraja spinosissima | 1,531 meters (5,023 feet) | Juan de Fuca Ridge
5:37 Bathyraja abyssicola | 1,234 meters (4,050 feet) | Sur Ridge
5:43 Bathyraja trachura | 1,253 meters (4,109 feet) | Sur Ridge
Scientists have long been curious about the evolution of bioluminescence. To tackle the larger question of why bioluminescence evolved, we needed to know when this ability first appeared in animals. In search of the trait’s earliest origins, the team decided to peer back into the evolutionary history of octocorals, an ancient and frequently bioluminescent group of animals that includes soft corals, sea fans, and sea pens.
Mapping out the branches of the evolutionary tree from fossil records, genetics, and bioluminescent behaviors revealed that some 540 million years ago, the common ancestor of all octocorals was very likely bioluminescent. That is 273 million years earlier than the glowing ostracod crustaceans that previously held the title of earliest evolution of bioluminescence in animals.
MBARI’s Biodiversity and Biooptics Team is working to understand how and why animals produce their stunning luminescence.
Ultra-black fishes have unique structures in their skin that very efficiently trap and absorb light. Melanin—the same pigment found in human skin—is densely packed into super thin layers on the outermost surface of their skin. While most light photons are immediately absorbed, the specific shape, size, and configuration of these melanin layers scatters any missed photons into neighboring skin cells, where they are subsequently absorbed. Ultimately, ultra-black skin absorbs 99.5 percent (or more) of the visible light with virtually none reflected.
Dive into the deep with MBARI’s Animals of the Deep gallery: mbari.co/AnimalsOfTheDeep
Over time plastic trash breaks down into smaller and smaller bits and pieces called microplastic. Microplastics have been found throughout the ocean, from the surface to the seafloor. We still don't understand how microplastics are impacting marine communities. MBARI research is revealing our close connection to the ocean—how it sustains us and how human actions affect marine animals and environments.
To protect the amazing animals of the deep, we need to stem the tide of plastic pollution. Single-use plastic items—like water bottles, takeout containers, coffee lids, straws, and shopping bags—make up a large percent of plastic waste. By refusing plastic packaging and choosing reusable alternatives, we can make a significant dent in ocean plastic pollution.
Learn more about trash in the deep sea: mbari.org/know-your-ocean/plastic-pollution-in-the-deep-sea
Learn how you can help from MBARI’s education and conservation partner, the Monterey Bay Aquarium: montereybayaquarium.org/act-for-the-ocean/plastic-pollution/what-you-can-do
Editor: Kris Walz
Script: Raúl Nava
Narrator: Megan Bassett
Animation: Madeline Go
Science advisors: Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun (MBARI); Margaret Spring (Monterey Bay Aquarium)
Production team: Madeline Go, Larissa Lemon, Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
Music: Snowfall by Adi Goldstein (Artlist.io)
References:
Choy, C.A., B.H. Robison, T.O. Gagne, B. Erwin, E. Firl, R.U. Halden, J.A. Hamilton, K. Katija, S.E. Lisin, C. Rolsky, and K.S. Van Houtan. 2019. The vertical distribution and biological transport of marine microplastics across the epipelagic and mesopelagic water column. Scientific Reports, 9: 7843. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-44117-2
Katija, K., C.A. Choy, R.E. Sherlock, A.D. Sherman, and B.H. Robison. 2017. From the surface to the seafloor: How giant larvaceans transport microplastics into the deep sea. Science Advances, 3(8): e1700715. doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700715
Schlining, K., S. von Thun, L. Kuhnz, B. Schlining, L. Lundsten, N. Jacobsen Stout, L. Chaney, and J. Connor. 2013. Debris in the deep: Using a 22-year video annotation database to survey marine litter in Monterey Canyon, Central California, USA. Deep-Sea Research I, 79: 96-105. doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2013.05.006
Dive into our Animals of the Deep Gallery: mbari.co/AnimalsOfTheDeep
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As El Niño cycles affect productivity off of the California coast, scientists and fishermen will be watching squid populations closely. And as climate change begins to shift patterns of upwelling and other ocean conditions, Litvin hopes that research on the interactions between currents, krill, and squid will help people predict what might happen to this lucrative and vital species.⠀
While some corals have evolved protective stinging sweeper tentacles to deter hungry predators, spiny stars are determined in their quest for a nutritious feast. They use tiny tube feet to scale a towering coral. When they find a good spot to stop, they wrap their arms around the stalk to hang on tight, then extrude their stomach out of their mouth to devour the juicy coral polyps.
Hippasteria are important in restructuring the habitats where they live. As they leave dead coral skeletons behind, homes for new animals are created. This natural turnover keeps the community healthy and helps foster diversity among the fishes and invertebrates that live there.
Animals that live deep in the ocean thrive in cold water and high salinity. Changes in climate at the surface ripple down to the depths below. Warmer and more acidic waters put deep-sea corals—and the animals that depend on them for food and shelter—at risk.
Studying the animals of the deep is increasingly urgent. Overfishing, pollution, and climate change all threaten the deep ocean. What we learn in the field and in the lab improves our baseline understanding of deep-sea communities so we can assess and track ongoing human impacts on the animals and habitats far beneath the ocean’s surface.
Learn more about the spiny star and other fascinating animals of the deep at our Animals of the Deep gallery: mbari.org/animal/spiny-star
Script writer: Larissa Lemon
Science advisor: Chris Mah
Editor: Ted Blanco
Narrator: Madeline Go
Production team: Heidi Cullen, Madeline Go, Larissa Lemon, Raúl Nava, Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
Music: A Beautiful New World by Jon Presstone
References:
Mah, C., M. Nizinski, and L. Lundsten. 2010. Phylogenetic revision of the Hippasterinae (Goniasteridae; Asteroidea): systematics of deep sea corallivores, including one new genus and three new species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 160(2): 266-301. doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2010.00638.x
The Octopus Garden is the largest known aggregation of octopus on the planet—using an innovative sensor suite designed by engineers in MBARI’s Seafloor Mapping Lab we counted more than 6,000 octopus in a portion of the site and expect there may be 20,000 or more at this nursery.
Learn more: mbari.org/project/the-octopus-garden
Video credits:
Producer/editor: Kyra Schlining
Production team: Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
Music: Octopus Garden by Catechism (cccatechism.bandcamp.com)
These fascinating finds underscore the dazzling diversity of life in the deep. As we continue to study the largest and least known habitat on our planet—the ocean—we promise to share our discoveries with you. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Video is a powerful tool for studying the ocean. Cameras on MBARI’s advanced underwater robots help our scientists discover remarkable new species, describe communities, and assess ocean health. We’ve amassed a unique archive of deep-sea video that’s essential for research groups across the institute and beyond. The Video Lab’s deep-sea experts comb through thousands of hours of footage with eagle eyes to identify and label animals and objects we film.
Recently MBARI has been piloting exciting new AI technology that will transform ocean exploration. The Video Lab is leveraging this visual data to train machine learning models to identify deep-sea animals with very promising results to date. Eventually, AI will support our team with more efficiently analyzing the ever-increasing stream of video collected by MBARI’s fleet of underwater robots.
MBARI’s video library is a rich repository for education and outreach too. The Video Lab works closely with the Science Communication Team to produce videos and create other content that utilizes these invaluable archives to tell compelling stories about our research.
We’re spotlighting various teams at MBARI to showcase the different ways we’re studying the largest environment on Earth. We hope this series inspires a new generation of ocean explorers. Dive in: mbari.co/MeetMBARI
Learn more about the Video lab on their team page: mbari.org/team/video-lab
Video producer/editor: Dave Timko
Production team: Heidi Cullen, Madeline Go, Larissa Lemon, Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
This deep-sea anglerfish is Chaunacops coloratus, related to one of the new species recently found in Chile on Schmidt Ocean Institute's #SEPacificSeamounts expedition. In 2012 MBARI researchers were the first to publish observations of these rare fish in their natural, deep-sea habitat. In addition to documenting these fish walking on the seafloor and fishing with their built-in lures, the researchers discovered that the fish change color from blue to red as they get older.
Over the last two decades, these worms have only been observed in Monterey Bay and a few near the Channel Islands off the southern California coast. This little worm is about the size of a hazelnut, and even using our high-resolution cameras, it took the eagle eyes of our expert biologists to spot these miniature orbs in the massive ocean. Our skilled submersible pilots were able to gently sample them and transport them back to the ship alive for detailed examination.
Observing these animals up close in the lab also revealed more aspects about their natural history that we were unable to see in the wild. We learned that these incredible worms are bioluminescent, producing blue light in their body tissues as well as green glowing mucous secretions, an adaptation that may be used to deter predators.
Chaetopterus pugaporcinus casts out a web of snot to capture bits of organic material called marine snow to eat. Mucus is a useful substance for snaring food in the deep sea where it may be sparse. Numerous other animals get their nutrition this way too. Animals of all shapes and sizes in the ocean perform an essential climate service by taking up excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and transporting it deep in the ocean. These assorted midwater mucous-feeders help repackage carbon to sink more rapidly to hungry seafloor communities.
The pigbutt worm is just one of more than 200 new species described and named by our team and collaborators. We are working to catalog deep-sea animals and environments so we can predict how threats like climate change and mining will affect them.
Learn more at our Animals of the Deep gallery: mbari.org/animal/pigbutt-worm
Script writers: Kyra Schlining, Raúl Nava
Science advisor: Karen Osborn
Editor: Ted Blanco
Narrator: Kristine Walz
Motion graphics: Madeline Go
Production team: Heidi Cullen, Madeline Go, Larissa Lemon, Raúl Nava, Kyra Schlining, Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Susan von Thun
Music: Dramatic Documentary Background by MoodMode
Reference:
Osborn, K.J., G.W. Rouse, S.K. Goffredi, and B.H. Robison (2007). Description and relationships of Chaetopterus pugaporcinus, an unusual pelagic polychaete (Annelida, Chaetopteridae). Biological Bulletin, 212: 40-54. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/25066579
During a recent deployment, Piscivore observed a large female white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). We spotted several diving seabirds on camera, including common murres (Uria aalge) and cormorants (Phalacrocorax sp.). Piscivore also gathers visual data about the “neighbors” that live alongside ocean predators like sea nettles (Chrysaora fuscescens).
Piscivore has already shown great promise as a platform for observing marine life. In 2023, MBARI had 10 Piscivore deployments, sampling an estimated 1,800 kilometers (about 1,100 miles) in the Monterey Bay area and encountering 10 species of fish, four species of marine mammals, and six species of seabirds.
MBARI researchers envision Piscivore joining a fleet of advanced robotic technologies that work together to study the ocean and report real-time data so resource managers can assess and track ocean health.
Learn more: mbari.org/news/innovative-camera-system-provides-a-closer-look-at-elusive-ocean-predators
Watch a video about the Piscivore system and the team that works on it: youtu.be/sW7s55JACSc?si=9YFQpmHEcLh_Mtt_
Video producer/editor: Kyra Schlining
Science advisor: Jared Figurski
Video production team: Lonny Lundsten, Raúl Nava, Susan von Thun
Music: Saturate by Dimitrix (Artlist.io)
The amphipod uses its sharp claws to snag a salp, then rips out the soft tissues inside. But that salp is more than a meal—Phronima carries around the carved-out carcass as its home. It even “remodels” its shelter by reshaping the barrel and secreting chemicals to toughen the structure. Female barrel amphipods release their young inside the salp, and their hatchlings feast on the salp’s tissues.
Snailfishes (family Liparidae) are a diverse and thriving group of fishes with over 400 described species. Their pelvic fins are modified to form a suction cup allowing them to fasten onto rocks, corals, or research equipment, and hold tight in strong currents. MBARI's remotely operated vehicle got a great view of this snailfish's suction cup.
These deep-sea snailfish are found at depths between 1,900 and 3,334 meters (6,230 and 10,940 feet) and measure up to 15 centimeters (about six inches long).
Learn more about these fabulous fishes: youtu.be/C0vo2taQcfo?si=HHCSqUUnSFPtSUHU