From Ocean to Orbit: How Deep-Sea and Space Technologies Advance Marine Discoveries

Ocean discoveries over the past 50 years have reshaped our understanding of Earth's systems. Advances in robotics and sensors now enable unprecedented deep-sea and coastal exploration, uncovering microbes and fungi crucial to ocean health and carbon cycling. Meanwhile, satellite Earth observation has revolutionized ocean monitoring and resource management.

But how do these two realms—space and the deep sea—intersect to advance research and policymaking? How do satellite data and deep-sea sensors work together to drive biological discoveries and inform climate strategies? Join our experts in deep-sea exploration, marine microbial ecology, and space technologies as they explore these questions and more with the MIT Science Policy Review.

Speakers:

Katy Croff Bell, PhD, Founder and President, Ocean Discovery League: deep-sea explorer dedicated to democratizing ocean exploration through low-cost technologies, AI-driven data analysis, and capacity building. Bell’s expertise spans ocean engineering, maritime archaeology, and geological oceanography, and she has led numerous expeditions to advance accessible deep-sea discovery.

Jo Hickman, Ph.D. student MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography, Applied Ocean Science and Engineering: studies marine microbial ecology, focusing on the biodiversity and ecological roles of understudied microbial eukaryotes in the open ocean. Hickman leverages a background in bioinformatics, earth science, and philosophy to bridge ocean science, technology, and policy for climate change mitigation and environmental decision-making.

Minoo Rathnasabapathy, PhD, Research Engineer and Program Lead, Future Worlds, MIT Media Lab: expert in space technologies driving climate intelligence and sustainability solutions. Rathnasabapathy combines an aerospace engineering background with global space policy leadership to bridge innovation and governance in addressing pressing environmental challenges.

Moderator:

Amelia Macapia, Guest Investigator, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: researcher in bioacoustics and sensory ecology studying acoustic monitoring for science-based conservation and management.  

Lunch will be available. Contact Kate Danahy at kdanahy@mit.edu with any questions. 

This event is part of the CIS Global Research & Policy Seminar Series. Join our mailing list here to learn about upcoming seminars in the series.