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sea life

seafloor covered with manganese nodules

Environment

Have we found a greener way to do deep-sea mining?

There are widespread concerns that deep-sea mining for metals will damage fragile ecosystems. But if mining ever goes ahead, hydrogen plasma could shrink the carbon footprint of smelting the metal ores

News
Spurilla neapolitana. A 'groundbreaking' sea slug discovery has been made - in a UK first. The nudibranch Spurilla neapolitana, typically found in much warmer climates, has been discovered in Cornwall. The colourful sea slug is a usual resident in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and along the western Atlantic. Until now, its most northerly sighting was in Brest, France, in August 2025.

Life

See the alien-looking sea slug spotted in UK waters for the first time

News
Anonymous (Peruvian). 'Stirrup Vessel in the Form of a Lobster,' AD 4th-6th century. ceramic. Walters Art Museum (2009.20.55): Gift of John Bourne, 2009.

Life

Fascinating artistic depictions of sea life over millennia

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Octopus! Press Images from Amazon Prime

Life

91av recommends Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s documentary Octopus!

Culture

Life

Sea spiders ‘farm’ methane-eating bacteria on their bodies

News
Pacific compass jellyfish (Chrysaora fuscescens) inside a plastic bag. The cultured jellyfish, along with a portion of the water in which they grew, are shipped in plastic bags (and insulating Styrofoam boxes) to various customers, including zoos, aquariums, and research institutions. Jellyfish Farm, Europe's largest jellyfish breeding facility, K??nzell, Germany.

Life

Inside Europe’s largest jellyfish farm

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Sir David Attenborough looks out to sea in Southern England. From National Geographic and Silverback and in association with All3Media International, documentary special OCEAN WITH DAVID ATTENBOROUGH highlights the vital, achievable actions the world can take to restore the ocean and stabilize the climate, debuting in 2025. (Photo by Conor McDonnell)

Life

91av recommends Ocean with David Attenborough

Culture
This is the first confirmed live observation of the colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, in its natural habitat. The team on Schmidt Ocean Institute's Research Vessel Falkor (too) captured footage of the 30-centimeter-long squid (nearly one foot) at a depth of 600 meters (1968 feet) using their remotely operated vehicle SuBastian on March 9 during an Ocean Census flagship expedition searching for new marine life. The expedition took place in the remote South Sandwich Islands in the South Atlantic Ocean. This year (2025) is the 100-year anniversary of the identification of the colossal squid, which are estimated to grow up to seven meters (23 feet) in length.

Life

First ever confirmed image of a colossal squid in the deep ocean

News
Atlantic puffin (Fratercula arctica) perched on Bempton cliffs. Yorkshire, UK. Cute bird portrait in spring.; Shutterstock ID 2162124261; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Environment

A spat over sand eels threatens puffins and other iconic seabirds

Comment
2M2WTDW Islands of floating algae. Seaweed Brown Sargassum floating on surface of the water, sun's rays breaking through the thick grass. Underwater shot

Environment

Could seaweed be the ultimate carbon capture solution?

Our Future Chronicles column explores an imagined history of inventions and developments yet to come. In our latest glimpse into the near future, Rowan Hooper tells how seaweed was a game changer when it came to getting carbon out of the atmosphere in the 2030s

Comment

Life

Richard Powers’s new novel is a beautiful love letter to our oceans

Culture

Life

Striking image lets you see inside a deep-sea anglerfish’s killer jaws

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Life

Photos capture mission to rescue seagrass meadows in the the Baltic

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Earth

Help in the hunt for neutrinos while exploring deep-sea ecosystems

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