MBARI sustained our commitment to ocean exploration and discovery in 2021. The year brought more challenges, but exploring our big, blue backyard always inspires awe and wonder—and curiosity about the life we find there. From rare deepsea fishes and giant jellies to adorable octopuses and twinkling squid, MBARI's remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) encountered some captivating and extraordinary moments in the deep. These fascinating finds underscore the dazzling diversity of life in the deep sea. As we continue to explore the largest and least known habitat on our planet—the ocean—we promise to share our discoveries with you. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Featured in this video (in order of appearance):

String siphonophore, Apolemia sp.
Barreleye fish, Macropinna microstoma
Oven mitt comb jelly, Beroe forskalii
Octopus squid, Octopoteuthis deletron
Crystal amphipod, Cystisoma magna
Whalefish, family Cetomimidae
Shining bomber worm, Swima fulgida
Whiptail gulper eel, Saccopharynx lavenbergi
Lampshade jelly, Botrynema brucei
Silky jelly, Colobonema sericeum
Blackeyed squid, Gonatus onyx
Pacific spiny dogfish, Squalus suckleyi
Kingofthesalmon or ribbonfish, Trachipterus altivelis
Vampire squid, Vampyroteuthis infernalis
Fourtentacle jelly, Tetrorchis erythrogaster
Paralomis crab on bubblegum coral, Paragorgia arborea
Deepwater bigeye shrimp, Pandalus amplus, on mushroom soft coral, Heteropolypus ritteri
Rattail fish, family Macrouridae, and shaggy bamboo coral, Isidella tentaculum
Dumbo octopus, Grimpoteuthis sp.
Black smoker
Little red jelly Benthocodon sp.
School of juvenile rockfish, Sebastes sp.
Giant sea spider, Colossendeis sp., with hydroid hitchhikers
Spiny red star, Hippasteria sp., on bamboo coral, family Isididae
School of Pacific hake, Merluccius productus
Sea anemone, Sicyonis sp.
Shortspine thornyhead, Sebastolobus alascanus
Eggyolk jelly, Phacellophora camtschatica, with pelagic goose barnacles, Alepus pacifica
Ocean sunfish, Mola mola, and school of fish
Bunnyeared amphipod, family Scinidae
Giant phantom jelly, Stygiomedusa gigantea
Threadfin slickhead fish, Talismania bifurcata

Video editor: Kyra Schlining
Music: Velvet Clouds by DHDMusic (Motion Array)


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