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Earth BioGenome Project begins genome sequencing in earnest

tube worms

WHOI to co-lead Deep-Ocean Genome Project with University of Connecticut as part of global effort.

from AAAS

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These new robots will plunge into the ocean’s most alien depths

orpheus on deck

The Orpheus submersibles are designed to explore an extreme zone of the Earth’s seas—and could help pave the way for science on distant worlds.

From Popular Science

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Scientists explore seamounts in Phoenix Islands Archipelago, gaining new insights into deep water diversity and ecology

glass octopus

Building off a groundbreaking 2017 expedition, a follow-up expedition in the Phoenix Islands Archipelago enabled the largest collection of microbial cultures from the central Pacific Ocean and the most comprehensive study of deep sea coral and sponge ecosystems in this part of the world.

from Schmidt Ocean Institute

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Executive Report Released to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean

Though near to some of the busiest ports and coastal waters in the world, the deep-sea canyons of the Mid-Atlantic Ocean are little-explored. Over the last few decades, scientists have discovered that these mysterious marine canyons are home to an impressive array of corals, sponges and fishes.

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NASA eyes the ocean: How the deep could unlock outer space

It should be a lifeless wasteland. Temperatures are barely above freezing, miles of water apply crushing pressure, and no sunlight reaches there. But the deepest parts of the ocean are actually rife with outlandish lifeforms.

Read the full story in Christian Science Monitor

History’s Largest Mining Operation Is About to Begin

It’s underwater—and the consequences are unimaginable.

Read the story from The Atlantic

The Rise of Orpheus

Orpheus

WHOI’s new hadal robot moves one step closer to exploring the limits of life on Earth and beyond.

from Oceanus magazine

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Dr. Seuss’s Garden’ Yields a Deep-Sea Discovery, but It Already Faces Threats

From the New York Times: Researchers announced on Tuesday that they had found two new species of cold-water coral in undersea canyons off New England, a discovery that highlighted concerns about the effects of global warming on the world’s oceans.
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Exclusive photos show deep-sea canyon in U.S. waters teeming with life

View amazing photos from a recent Shank Lab expedition to the Northeast US Canyons and Seamounts Monument with OceanX

Read more from National Geographic

Phone Call Links Inner and Outer Space

tim shank and suni williams

Tim Shank and Sunita Williams placed one of the most unusual long-distance phone calls of all time on Jan. 26, 2007. It traveled over a few time zones and through the ocean, the atmosphere, and outer space.

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