The overlapping missions of the NASA Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite and NASA Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite provide the opportunity to observe oceanic biophysical interactions from space at unprecedented spatiotemporal scales. We use provisional datasets from these two cutting-edge missions to investigate subseasonal to seasonal variability in the microbial community compositions of subtropical mesoscale eddies. The results highlight the capacity of mesoscale eddies to act as transient ecological niches that restructure the surface marine microbial community. For the first time, the combination of SWOT and PACE enables space-based observations of plankton community composition alongside the physical processes that structure it.

Micronekton consist of crustaceans, cephalopods, gelatinous organisms, and fishes that are 2–20 cm in size (Figure 1). These organisms have unique functional traits that impact their vertical migration patterns and ecosystem processes (Aparecido et al., 2023). Our understanding of their potential carbon transport and sequestration from the epipelagic (upper 200 m) to mesopelagic zones (200–1,000 m) or deeper (e.g., Boyd et al., 2019; Le Moigne, 2019; Cavan et al., 2019) is limited by the tools traditionally used to assess their biomass, diversity, and varied migration patterns (e.g., Annasawmy et al., 2019, 2024; Barbin et al., 2024; Eduardo et al., 2024). These knowledge gaps are notable considering that micronekton are ubiquitous throughout the world ocean.

During the 2024 Ocean Sciences Meeting (OSM24), The Oceanography Society’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee hosted a town hall on “Scientific Societies’ Roles in Building Inclusive Communities.” The town hall aimed to assess ongoing efforts to improve belonging, accessibility, justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (BAJEDI) within ocean sciences, promote community building and discussions surrounding BAJEDI topics, and highlight the role of scientific societies in equity efforts. Here, we summarize the resultant communal discussions, which focused on effective models for increasing participation in ocean sciences, how to make ocean science careers more accessible, and strategies to build a more equitable community culture. Discussions highlighted several professional societies working to increase BAJEDI within the field and offered tangible action items to increase accessibility and equity at all career stages. An optional survey was distributed to OSM24 attendees to assess their lived experiences. Survey results highlighted that although knowledge of BAJEDI issues and training opportunities have increased, bullying and discrimination are still common. We recommend action items, including increased standardization and public accessibility of demographic data, to continue improving BAJEDI within ocean sciences.

The advent of robotic and artificial intelligence technologies has transformed ocean exploration, overcoming many, but not all, of the challenges posed by the sea’s depth, vastness, and inaccessibility. From data collection and long-term monitoring to real-time communications, data sharing, and public engagement, hybrid human-machine and fully autonomous systems are revealing an unprecedented perspective on the interplay between marine chemistry, physics, geology, and biology in ways that humans cannot match. This paper examines a number of exemplary decades-long interdisciplinary science and engineering pursuits that have fueled that progress. More recent advancements in microelectronics, biopharma, aerospace, manufacturing, materials and computer sciences, and social media—foundations of multibillion dollar industries that generally have nothing to do with marine science—are accelerating our ability to explore the ocean and share our findings with a global audience. Every time we return to the sea with open minds, a willingness to attempt something that has never been done before, and new technologies in hand, we learn something new, more often than not serendipitously. The ocean is undergoing increasingly rapid change due to human activities, and we are in a race to learn more about its inner workings, reveal its incredible diversity of life, and visualize its submerged landscapes. A sustained commitment to technology development is integral to competing in that race. No doubt, there is still much to learn about the largest and least explored habitat on Earth and the vital role it plays in sustaining the health of our planet and the well-being of society.

Mangrove forests are increasingly recognized as a natural bulwark against the impacts of climate change. They provide an array of ecosystem services, including coastal protection, fishery enhancement, and carbon storage. Yet, over one million hectares have been lost since 1990 (FAO, 2020). To reverse this decline, mangrove restoration and conservation are key.

Interferometric synthetic aperture sonar (InSAS) is an emerging sonar technology for high-resolution mapping and imaging of the seafloor. This technology is increasingly utilized for defense- and commercial-related applications. However, its application for scientific and environmental purposes remains limited. In this article, we describe the development of InSAS as a tool for seafloor characterization. We discuss the potential applications for InSAS that extend its use beyond traditional defense and offshore infrastructure related surveys to applications for habitat classification, environmental monitoring, and seafloor geological characterization.

A critical part of launching an intensive physical oceanography field campaign is identifying the appropriate patch of ocean—the area where the process you wish to study dependably occurs and has maximum impact. Early explorations and publications helped establish the region off Iceland as the ideal candidate for the US Office of Naval Research Departmental Research Initiative, the Near-Inertial Shear and Kinetic Energy in the North Atlantic Experiment (NISKINe). As we organized the experiment, the local Icelandic marine science community’s expertise was of principal importance in formulating specifics of its timing, location, and component interactions.