The FathomVerse mobile game invites ocean enthusiasts to help train AI to recognize marine life. The collective efforts of FathomVerse players worldwide are enhancing the AI models researchers rely on to deepen our understanding of marine ecosystems and ocean health.

A new research publication, led by the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, used MBARI’s advanced technology to map the distribution of deposits left on the abyssal seafloor after an earthquake. These findings will help geologists reconstruct the seismic history along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, so coastal communities can assess the risk of future quakes.

Dive in and meet some of the most stunning deep-sea animals that MBARI encountered in 2025. From ultra-black fishes and sinuous siphonophores to curious crabs and spectacular sponges, these fascinating finds underscore the remarkable diversity of life in the ocean’s inky depths.

This month marked a major milestone for MBARI’s new flagship research vessel David Packard. After months of complex work to integrate the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Doc Ricketts, MBARI’s marine operations team conducted the ship’s first ROV science dives during an expedition with biologists from our education and conservation partner, the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

During a recent research expedition in Monterey Bay, scientists from MBARI’s Biodiversity and Biooptics Team happened upon a rare sight: a seven-arm octopus (Haliphron atlanticus). In nearly four decades of ocean exploration, MBARI has encountered this large deep-sea octopus just four times.