Dive into 2025’s most stunning deep-sea wildlife encounters
Many annual summary lists circulate this time of year, but few of them involve the amount of work put in by California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). Over the past year, researchers have guided remotely operated vehicles more than 3,000 feet deep to study the vast biodiversity of some of the deepest, darkest regions of the oceans. The data and images collected during these journeys will help experts fill gaps in understanding the planet’s most difficult-to-access ecosystems.
To celebrate the last 12 months of discoveries, MBARI has released a video highlighting some of the most amazing, strange and mysterious creature sightings of 2025. Glimpses of sea sponges, translucent squid, jet-black fish and even ‘longhorn’ crustaceans have been collected using their underwater robots’ 4K ultra-high definition cameras, some of which have been spotted for the very first time.
Spectacular observations of MBARI’s seabed from 2025, in stunning 4K
“Our observations of life in the deep contain a wealth of important information about ocean health, but more importantly, they help connect the public with our deep-sea neighbors and inspire the next generation of ocean explorers,” MBARI explained in the description accompanying the video. “Together we can find ways to preserve the future health of marine ecosystems. We invite everyone to join us on a journey of exploration, science and stewardship.”
Although not featured in the highlight video, MBARI featured another notable species earlier this month. During a recent expedition to Monterey Bay, oceanographers spotted an extremely rare seven-armed octopus (Halifron atlanticus). This meeting marked MBARI’s fourth encounter with the species in the organization’s nearly 40 years of existence.
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