There are plenty of annual recap lists circulating around 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 guided remotely operated vehicles more than 3,000 feet down to survey the vast biodiversity within some of the oceans’ deepest and darkest regions. The data and footage collected during these trips will help experts fill in the gaps towards understanding the planet’s hardest-to-reach ecosystems.
To celebrate the past 12 months of discoveries, MBARI released a video highlighting some of 2025’s most stunning, strange, and mysterious creature sightings. The glimpses of sea sponges, translucent squid, jet-black fish, and even “longhorn” crustaceans were collected using their underwater robots’ ultra high-definition 4K cameras—some of which were spotted for the very first time.
MBARI's spectacular deep-sea sightings from 2025—in stunning 4K
“Our observations of life in the deep contain a trove of important information about ocean health, but more importantly, help connect audiences with our deep-sea neighbors and inspire the next generation of ocean explorers,” MBARI explained in the video’s accompanying description. “Together, we can find ways to safeguard the future health of marine ecosystems. We invite everyone to join us on a journey of exploration, science, and stewardship.”
Although it doesn’t make an appearance in the highlight video, MBARI showcased another remarkable species earlier this month. During a recent expedition into Monterey Bay, oceanographers spotted an extremely rare seven-armed octopus (Haliphron atlanticus). The run-in marked MBARI’s fourth encounter with the species in the organization’s nearly 40 years of existence.
