Exploration

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Searching for Crustaceans in the Deep Sea

Searching for Crustaceans in the Deep Sea

May 16, 2013 - 9:04AMIn this video Smithsonian research zoologist Dr. Martha Nizinski takes viewers with her as she searches for crustaceans in the deep sea. She's particularly interested in finding squat lobsters, which despite their name, are...

Counting the Ocean's Diversity
Feb 28, 2013 - 10:18AM
How many animals swim in the sea? It's not easy to count them all. To get a...

Cooks Bay, Moorea
Jan 29, 2013 - 11:19AM
Cooks Bay in Moorea is one of the places that researchers are scouring in...

SPOTLIGHT

Biodiversity in the Baltic Sea

In the spring of 2011, a research crew from Oceana spent two months in the brackish Baltic Sea. The Baltic faces... 		The Baltic Sea faces challenges from pollution, algae blooms, over fishing, and invasive species.
Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV) Alvin
Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
The research submersible Alvin uses bright lights to illuminate the dark seafloor. Built in 1964, it has made more than 4,400 dives. It can carry two scientists and a pilot as deep as 4,500 meters (14,764 feet).
Quest for the Giant Squid
Quest for the Giant Squid
Nov 20 2009 - 5:17pm
Watch a Discovery video on Smithsonian squid expert Clyde Roper’s search for giant squid in Kaikoura Canyon off the coast of New Zealand. More about giant squid can be found in our Giant Squid featured story.
One-Person Submersible
Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am
Dr. Clyde Roper prepares to dive thousands of feet to a giant squid habitat off the coast of New Zealand in a one-person submersible.
Pirates Ply the Ocean
Jul 23 2010 - 4:15pm
The ocean was the world's highway, and ships brimming with precious cargoes plied the waters. These merchant ships were tempting targets for pirates, who prowled the seas' major trade routes in search of treasure. Ever since the first oceangoing ships set sail centuries ago, pirates have been...
Expedition to the Line Islands
Nov 17 2009 - 4:46pm
Remotely located in the central Pacific Ocean, south of Hawaii, the Line Islands provide a remarkable research opportunity. The archipelago includes coral reefs reflecting the whole spectrum of environmental conditions—from degraded to pristine. Some islands are heavily populated, with reefs...
Searching for Crustaceans in the Deep Sea
Searching for Crustaceans in the Deep Sea
May 16 2013 - 9:04am
In this video Smithsonian research zoologist Dr. Martha Nizinski takes viewers with her as she searches for crustaceans in the deep sea. She's particularly interested in finding squat lobsters, which despite their name, are actually crabs. On this dive in the waters off Curaçao, she discovers some...
A Squalodontid Success
Jun 22 2011 - 5:47pm
On a beach in Piña, Panama the tide is rolling out. Faint outlines of skeletal remains rise above the sand. Smithsonian scientists Nicholas Pyenson and Aaron O'Dea along with a team of students descend upon the beach. Their mission: to excavate the remains of a whale from the extinct group...
FLIP: The FLoating Instrument Platform
Jul 2 2012 - 2:38pm
You’re out to sea on a 355 foot platform, and suddenly one end begins to slowly tip underwater. Should there be a call for evacuation? Are you sinking? Not if you’re on FLIP – the FLoating Instrument Platform – owned by the Office of Naval Research and operated by Scripps Institution of...
The Baltic Sea faces challenges from pollution, algae blooms, over fishing, and invasive species.
Biodiversity in the Baltic Sea
Oct 12 2011 - 4:56pm
In the spring of 2011, a research crew from Oceana spent two months in the brackish Baltic Sea. The Baltic faces challenges from pollution, algae blooms, over fishing, and invasive species. Oceana researchers gathered data, samples, photographs, and videos with the goal of proposing an...
Searching for Cancer Drugs in the Ocean
Aug 9 2011 - 12:00pm
Ever since fourth grade I’ve wanted to explore the creatures and landscapes of the deep ocean in a submersible. It took awhile, but I finally got my chance this summer as part of the Deep Reef Observation Project (DROP).
Welcome to the Moorea Biocode Project
Welcome to the Moorea Biocode Project
Apr 21 2010 - 11:28am
Scientists journey to the isolated island of Moorea on a quest to catalog every life form big enough to pick up with tweezers—from mountaintop to seafloor. Get up close and personal with researchers in the field and see how they combine high-tech equipment and old-fashioned elbow grease to tackle...
Diving Deeper
Jan 6 2011 - 11:05am
Scientists use remotely operated vehicles, ROVs, equipped with collection devices and cameras to aid in deep-sea ocean exploration in the Arctic and in other regions of the world.  It is unoccupied and is maneuvered by a pilot aboard the vessel at the surface of the water.
Cyprus Shipwreck Discovery
Feb 17 2011 - 1:20pm
This over 2,000-year-old shipwreck in Mazotas, Cyprus, was discovered in 2007. The ship was loaded with wine from Chios, one of the most expensive and sought-after Greek wines in antiquity. The University of Cyprus, in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus and the THETIS...
Deep Ocean Census of Marine Life
Dec 8 2009 - 3:21pm
Taxonomic studies
Jul 26 2010 - 6:21pm
Melissa Frey, Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) Rubenstein Fellow, examines a Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) on a chilly day in Sidney, British Columbia. In addition to holding an EOL Fellowship, Melissa is a Research Associate at the Royal BC Museum, where she continues to engage in taxonomic studies.
Diving for Crabs in the Deep Sea
Jul 14 2011 - 12:30pm
Last week, Smithsonian research zoologists Dr. Jerry Harasewych and Dr. Martha Nizinski were in Curaçao looking for deep-sea marine gastropods and decapod crustaceans, respectively.