Lara Maleen Beckmann

Examples of indicator species: (A) PD08 (undet. sponge), (B, C) CAO11 (Chrysogorgia sp. A), (D, E) CAO28 (Acanella sp.), (F) PH70 (Hyalonema (Corynema) sp.) and (G) CAH23 (Abyssopathes sp.). Scale bars = 10 cm (Only shown if laser points were visible in corresponding video segments). Image credit: NOAA Ocean Exploration (EX2104). Reproduced under CC0 1.0 license.

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Hotspots beyond borders: quantitative assessment of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems on the Corner Rise seamounts with implications for conservation planning

"depth and water mass structure are key drivers of coral and sponge biogeography on the CRS. "
doi.org/10.3389/fmar...

This week in our Deep Sea Round Up:
🔹️Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems at seamounts,
🔹️How scientific practices at sea influence ocean management,
🔹️Nutrient cycling sponge hotspots

👉 www.dosi-project.org/dosi-deep-se...

📷 Oblong Dermechinus urchins by ROV SuBastian / Schmidt Ocean Institute.

Cover image for "Science Spotlight" by the deep sea conservation coalition. Features text about deep-sea coral and sponge communities at the Corner Rise Seamounts in the Atlantic Ocean. Background shows an underwater view with corals.

Science Spotlight

New research shows that depth and water masses shape coral and sponge communities of the Corner Rise Seamounts. Six habitats meet criteria for Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems, evidence which strengthens the case for continued protection.

Join us on February 12th at 9:30 a.m. PST for our next Reef Chat: Baby Deep-Sea Creatures!

Register here: bit.ly/3KiPxzM

Yeah baby!! Will we see you at the opening on Friday?

Getting ready for our show in Juneau! All the work arrived safe and sound, look at all that fab art together, like a perfect deep sea family 😍😍😍 #sciart #deepsea #deepseart #alaska #artshow 🦑🐡

Not long now! Just under two weeks until our show opening in Juneau Alaska- will we see you there? #deepsea #sciart #womeninstem #womenartists #alaska 🦑🐡 #artshow

Ooooo yeah, one more piece for our upcoming show in Juneau Alaska! A deep-sea octopus, titled “Living the Kaleidoscope Life” this 16x20” acrylic on canvas is based on deep sea footage taken by NOAA off the coast of Alaska in 2023 #deepsea #deepseacreatures #octopus 🦑🐡 #sciart #womenartists #painting

Working away on this #deepsea carnivorous sponge, crinoid and brittle star painting. It’s getting there, probably 75% done now, adding all the details and rainbow colors is my fav part! #deepseacreatures #coldwatersponges 🐡🦑 #invertebrates #acrylicpainting #marinebiology #art #painting #artist

On this fine fall day, we have some little baby deep-sea octopus 🐙

#deepseaoctopus #babyoctopus #deep-sea #unseenoceancollective #deepseacreatures #🐙

Representing the carnivorous sponges for our shows in 2026!

One more painting for the @unseenocean.bsky.social shows completed! Titled “Nibbles and Cuddles” this 24x24” acrylic on canvas is a Chondrocladia carnivorous sponge, several varieties of brittle stars, and even a little rainbow polychaete too! #deepsea #deepseacreatures #deepocean 🐡🦑 #acrylicpainter

So honored to be working with this incredible group of women! @planulara.bsky.social @gsstudios907.bsky.social @highseas-sculpture.bsky.social

Welcome to the Unseen Ocean! #deepsea #deepseacreatures #sciart #womeninstem #unseenoceancollective 🦑🐡

A 24x24 inch acrylic on canvas painting of a deep-sea blob sculpin photographed off the coast of Alaska. Titled “Not the Blob You’re Looking For” this painting will be exhibited in Juneau Alaska in February of 2026, Spokane WA in April of 2026 and Newport Oregon in July of 2026. #deepsea #deepseacreatures #blobfish #acrylicpainting #art 🐡🦑

I’m back to share what I’ve been working on for the @unseenocean.bsky.social collective! Here we have the noble Blob sculpin, not the hot melted mess in the most famous blobfish photo, but a true and beautiful deep-sea beauty! #deepsea #deepseacreatures #blobfish #acrylicpainting #art 🐡🦑

Our show in Juneau Alaska is coming up next month! We hope you can join us and see this new Blob Sculpin painting in person! #deepsea #deepseacreatures #blobfish #acrylicpainting #art 🐡🦑

#spongethursday

Getting closer and closer on this one, almost to the details stage where everything really snaps into place. This piece is for shows with the @unseenocean.bsky.social #deepsea #deepseacreatures #deepocean #deepseaart 🐡🦑 #art #acryliconcanvas #brittlestars

A green and orange carnivorous sponge covered in brittle stars, 24x24” acrylic on canvas painting. #deepsea #deepseacreatures 🐡🦑 #deepseaart #unseenocean #art #acryliconcanvas

Friends- this carnivorous sponge is basically the COOLEST thing ever! Semi-transparent bulbous knobs, and totally covered in brittle stars *swoon* def new boyfriend material. Oh and I started another painting 😁 #deepsea #deepseacreatures 🐡🦑 #deepseaart #unseenocean #art #acryliconcanvas

This new fav sponge is either Chondrocladia grandis or Chondrocladia concrescens, as both species occur in Alaskan waters! #deepsea #deepseacreaturea 🐡🦑 #deepseaart

www.dosi-project.org/wp-content/u...

Feeling pretty awesome today with my painting being featured on the cover of the latest issue of Deep-Sea Life from @dsbsoc.bsky.social and DOSI, you can read the whole issue here, make sure to read the feature on @unseenocean.bsky.social #deepsea #deepseacreatures 🐡🦑 #deepseaart #acrylicpainting

The team behind artsea matchmaking. Upper half: Delphine Mestdagh and an artwork of hers showing a deep-sea squid. Lower half: Lara Beckmann, and an environment that she studies: deep-sea coral and sponge gardens.

Meet the team behind #ArtSeaMatchmaking! We are artist @delphine-art.bsky.social on a mission to share the beauty of the deep sea, and biologist @planulara.bsky.social studying deep-sea corals and sponges. We started this initiative to bring artists and scientists together to collaborate and create.

Another beautiful piece for our shows in Juneau Alaska and Spokane Washington!

A stalked carnivorous sponge is being hugged by pink brittle stars on a rocky deep ocean outcrop beside a golden crinoid. 24x36” acrylic on canvas, #deepsea #deepseaart #deepocean #carnivoroussponge #sciart

It’s been a crazy family health crisis kind of month, but I finally made it back into the studio to finish up this 24x36” acrylic on canvas painting titled ‘Huggies and Snackies’. A beautiful stalked carnivorous sponge is joined by pink brittle stars and a golden crinoid. Cuties 😍 #deepsea 🐡🦑 #art

3rd Bergen Bathysphere Science Symposium 2025 – Summary 4-5 November 2025, Marine Biological Station, Espegrend The symposium brought together 36 deep-sea scientists and professionals from various institutes and consultancies for a workshop-oriented, ha…

This week's Bergen Bathysphere Science Symposium brought together deep-sea scientists and professionals for hands-on workshops on QGIS (maps), BIIGLE (underwater footage), data management and platforms, standardization, cruise planning, as well as group discussions, and time to connect 🌊

Deep-sea housing complex of sponges varieties, offering crustaceans refuge and a place to snack.

"There Grows the Neighborhood" — 16x20”

Check out the growing collection of deep-sea fine art by our team @unseenocean.bsky.social!

#sciart #scienceillustration #deep-sea #unseenoceancollective

Oooooo!! 😍😍😍 can’t wait to see this work in person in Juneau Alaska Feb 2026!

We had a lovely write up in Issue 25 of the Deep-Sea Life newsletter! You can check out the whole issue here: www.dosi-project.org/wp-content/u...
#deepsea #deepseacreatures #deepocean 🐡🦑

Sounding out the deep: using AI and passive acoustic monitoring to reveal spatial and temporal patterns in deep-sea ecosystems

!PhD opportunity! Use #PassiveAcousticMonitoring + #AI to decode the soundscapes of #deep-sea habitats

📍 University of Glasgow
🔗 shorturl.at/lcJIu
📆 Internationals: 8 December
📆 UK: 5 January

@sbohvm.gla.ac.uk @uofglasgow.bsky.social @tiffanyvlaar.bsky.social @abe404.bsky.social