Thousands of meters below the ocean's surface lurk some gigantic creatures, much larger than their shallow-water brethren. Scientists have a few hunches for why this happens, but the debate continues.

So many places on Earth still remain a mystery to us, even after all this time — but researchers are often discovering new species. Better access to genetic testing, as well as technological advances ...

MBARI's advanced underwater technology is revealing the remarkable species that thrive in the deep sea. In 2019, MBARI researchers encountered an unfamiliar pink snailfish swimming just above the ...

Scientists found a bioluminescent deep-sea animal with a “gelatinous” body and discovered a new species, a study said. Photo from MBARI From a research vessel off the coast of California, a team of ...

After an initial sighting almost a quarter century ago, scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute have revealed a deep-sea discovery for the ages. On Monday, MBARI researchers ...

One of the biggest quests in biology is understanding how every cell in an animal's body carries an identical genome yet still gives rise to a kaleidoscope of different cell types and tissues. A ...

Deep-sea isopods found in markets and restaurants turned out to be a species new to science. Ng PKL, Sidabalok CM, Nguyen TS (2025) ZooKeys Along the coast of the South China Sea in Vietnam, bọ biển ...

This secretive native of both sides of the Caribbean—from Belize to the British Virgin Islands—hides out on ledges and in caves of reefs up to 140 feet below the surface of the sea. Although not being ...

Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work covers anything from archaeology and the environment to technology and culture. Tom has a Master's degree in Journalism. His editorial work ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. The bottom of the ocean is cold, dark, and under extreme pressure. It is not a place suited to the physiology of us surface dwellers: At ...