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BLOG POST Tagging and Tracking Animals Underwater How do we know where ocean animals swim day and night? Scientists are getting snapshots into the daily lives of whales, sharks, and even fish by tagging the animals to track their movements....MORE STORIES


	ARTICLE MORE STORIES Scientists Use Bioacoustics to Protect Marine Mammals In the late 1990's, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHO...
	VIDEO MORE VIDEOS Ship Under a Bridge Ocean conditions change every hour of every day. Tides, currents, and winds are...
	VIDEO MORE VIDEOS Submersible Collects Deep-Sea Corals Come along as scientist Dr. Brendan Roark narrates a submersible dive to collect...

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					From Sea Sponge to HIV Medicine Mar 26, 2013 - 9:40AMTectitethya crypta (formerly known as Cryptotheca crypta) is a large, shallow-water sponge found in the Caribbean. It was first studied for medical purposes in the 1950s when few scientists or doctors thought to look for...

A Bryozoan's Medical Endosymbiont

Mar 14, 2013 - 10:40AM

The spiral-tufted bryozoan (Bugula neritina) is being studied for a...

Giant Squid Caught Live On Screen

Jan 25, 2013 - 11:21AM

In 2012, the long-elusive giant squid was finally filmed live in its natural...

SPOTLIGHT


Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) The TOPP program brought together scientists from seven countries to explore the lives of large mid-water animals such as...

Buoy Collects Data on the Open Ocean Mar 25 2010 - 11:32am Sponsored by the United Nations, the Global Ocean Observing System is committed to sharing observations about the ocean to all nations. Some of the data they collect comes from buoys like the one shown here. The buoys help scientists investigate a host of environmental questions and issues,...	From Sea Sponge to HIV Medicine Mar 26 2013 - 9:40am Tectitethya crypta (formerly known as Cryptotheca crypta) is a large, shallow-water sponge found in the Caribbean. It was first studied for medical purposes in the 1950s when few scientists or doctors thought to look for medicines in the ocean. But in the sponge, scientists isolated two chemicals--...
Deploying ARMS in the Deep Reef Aug 16 2012 - 1:45pm Deploying ARMS (Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures) is tricky in the deep sea, where SCUBA divers can't place and secure them to the floor with their hands and a hammer. Researchers with DROP (Deep Reef Observation Project) had to redesign the methods for deploying and retreiving ARMS, using...	Ocean Trash: Marine Debris From Shore to Sea Jul 27 2011 - 3:28pm We drove down a long dirt road on the northern side of Curaçao looking for a remote place to snorkel and sample. After a 30-minute bumpy ride, our team stepped out of the car into a breeze and the sounds of wind and crashing waves. It’s a moment I will never forget; although no one was in sight for...
Coral Scientist Brendan Roark: On an Urgent Mission Jul 27 2011 - 11:25am Deep-sea coral beds are true biodiversity hotspots. It’s urgent that we study these extreme environments because we know so little about them, because they are important communities for so many deep-sea creatures, and because they are so susceptible to human activities.	Alvin, Gulf of Alaska Seamount Expedition Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am Alvin, a human occupied vehicle (HOV), returns to the ship after a deep ocean dive to a seamount.
Curasub Sets Off Aug 17 2012 - 1:28pm The Curasub departs for a deep sea dive, up to 1,000 feet off the island of Curaçao, where this sub is located. Smithsonian's Deep Sea Observation Project (DROP) is exploring these waters and using ARMS to better understand deep sea biodiversity.	Whale Tracking Device Jan 26 2010 - 11:45am This radio device is used to track North Atlantic right whales. Suction cups hold the device to a whale's back, where it records data such as depth, water, temperature, and underwater sounds. Read more about right whales and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Ocean Portal's 'A...
Deep Ocean Explorers Dec 8 2009 - 10:05pm The submersible Alvin carries scientists to the deep ocean, where they encounter amazing creatures and views of deep ocean life. Explore more in the Deep Ocean Exploration section.	From Submarines to Robots: Exploring the Deep Ocean Dec 8 2009 - 3:19pm Filmmaker and National Geographic Explorer James Cameron on March 25, 2012, became the first human to complete a solo submarine dive to Challenger Deep, an undersea valley in the Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean known as the deepest surveyed spot on the planet. Cameron piloted the one-person...
Map of Oceana's 2011 Baltic Expedition Nov 30 2011 - 2:08pm In 2011, Oceana researchers spent two months surveying life and conditions in the Baltic Sea. The team covered more than 7,000 nautical miles and completed more than 130 dives. The data, samples, video, and photos they gathered may inform the expansion of marine protected areas. See some of the...	Collecting Deep-Sea Crabs Jun 7 2011 - 9:42am A robotic arm on the Johnson-Sea-Link submersible retrieves Galatheid crabs for research. Growing in the background is a species of the deep-sea coral Lophelia. Explore more in the multimedia feature "Coral Gardens of the Deep Sea."
Brian Skerry's Photography Gear May 25 2012 - 1:37pm Brian Skerry warily stares down his photography equipment on board the vessel Nai'a on an expedition to the Phoenix Islands. Read about the patience it takes as a traveling photographer and the work that goes into preparing for expeditions like the one pictured here.	Tracking Tsunamis Jan 14 2011 - 1:16pm Tsunamis, giant waves caused by underwater earthquakes, speed across the ocean at 400 miles per hour. Early warning systems, such as NOAA’s DART systems, are key to saving lives. Today, 47 DART stations are positioned all around the world ready to detect and warn coastal communities about the next...
ROV Video of Stunning Creatures Jan 7 2011 - 3:53pm Using an ROV (Remotely-Operated Vehicle) equipped with a high-definition video camera, scientists can observe the life that flourishes beneath the Arctic ice. On this expedition, they discovered creatures, like this Narcomedusa jelly, that were previously unknown.	Summer in a Sub: DROP Down to Discovery Jul 5 2011 - 2:15pm You never know where following your passions can take you. I came to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) two years ago as a research intern after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in biology. I never expected, two years later, to spend a summer working with scientists, sub...