Ocean Genome Legacy

🌊🔍 #TBT to January 2, 2024, when OGL scientists made an exciting discovery!

They identified a new species of marine mussel, Vadumodiolus teredinicola, from the Alabama Undersea Forest. This marks the first species to be named and described as part of the Ocean Census project! 🧬🐚

✨Species Spotlight✨

This video features Obelia in its polyp stage, which is the first part of its life cycle. Obelia asexually forms medusa buds that will eventually split off to continue reproduction.

Video captured by Angela Jones and Mica Weld from the Helmuth lab using OGL’s microscope.

🌍✨ #TBT to July 21, 2023: OGL joined the Arctos Collaborative Collection Management Solution!

This partnership makes all the OGL’s data openly available to the public and scientists all over the globe via the Arctos (Add link) digital platform, enhancing collaboration for researchers. 🧬

Species Spotlight
We’re excited to highlight Obelia, a fascinating marine creature also called “sea fur” for its fine, feathery appearance. These stunning photos were captured by Angela Jones and Mica Weld from the Helmuth lab using OGL’s dissecting microscope and the Volmer Lab compound microscope.

✨ Welcome to the Team, Emma!
We are excited to welcome Emma as our new Research Assistant! She is currently studying Cell and Molecular Biology at Northeastern University. 🔬

🌊🔬 #TBT to October 12, 2023: OGL joined forces with Ocean Census to uncover the ocean's taxonomic dark matter!

This pioneering collaboration aims to discover and describe 100,000 new marine species in the next 10 years!

✨ Welcome to the Team, Anna!
⁠
We are excited to welcome Anna as our new Curatorial Assistant Co-op! She is currently studying Environmental Science and Sustainability at Northeastern University. 🌳

🌍💚 #TBT to January 24, 2023: OGL became an Environmental Partner of 1% for the Planet!

This alliance, which includes over 5,400 businesses and individuals, commits to giving back to environmental nonprofits to protect our planet. 🌱🌏

❄️🧬 #TBT to July 1, 2021: OGL launched the Polar Genomic Resource Collection!

With support from the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs and generous specimen donations from Dr. Bill Detrich, a Northeastern University Antarctic researcher. 🌍🐧

✨Symposium spotlight ✨
We’re excited to highlight Mark from the Ries lab at @northeasternmes.bsky.social ! He explored how carbon capturing minerals from seawater using electrochemical processes was possible, but inefficient. 🌊⚡
#MineralCarbonation #CarbonCapture #StudentResearch

✨Symposium spotlight ✨
We’re excited to highlight Alivia from the Hall lab at @northeasternmes.bsky.social ! Her work focused on analyzing legislation all about pollinators, and how we can effectively create new policies for the future to ensure our pollinators receive the support they need. 🐝

✨Symposium spotlight ✨
We’re excited to highlight Charlee from the outreach team at @northeasternmes.bsky.social ! Through his presentation, he shared the valuable lessons he learned about developing strategies to communicate scientific knowledge to students of all ages. 🧑‍🏫🪸

✨Symposium spotlight ✨
We’re excited to highlight Outreach member and student researcher Celia from the Kimbro lab at @northeasternmes.bsky.social ! Through her presentation she shared the rewarding experiences she had studying wrack, a type of coastal grass, and her time working with Outreach.

✨Symposium spotlight ✨
We’re excited to highlight OGL’s very own co-op student, Ainsley! Their presentation was a great overview of the work that we do, and went over exciting projects that OGL has gotten to be a part of over the years. 🧬♥️
#Biorepository #Genomics #StudentResearch

🌍✨ #TBT to September 13, 2022: OGL proudly announced a new collaboration with the Sena Institute of Technology in Penyi, Ghana!

This partnership aims to survey coastal biodiversity of Ghana and formalize mirrored collections at both institutions. 🌱🔬

PT. 1 🧵🔎 Can you identify the creatures that make up each color on this flag? Made up of photos taken by Angela Jones, this flag celebrates not only the diversity of marine life around the world, but also how diverse our scientific community is. 🌈
#Pride #Biodiversity #MarineLife

🌈 Ocean Genome Legacy celebrates #Pride! This Progress Pride Flag was created by student volunteer Mica with stunning images taken of local marine life by Angela Jones and others in the Helmuth Lab @aquanaut1967.bsky.social using OGL's microscope.🔬👀

✨Symposium spotlight ✨
We’re excited to highlight student researcher Nour from the Lotterhouse lab at @northeasternmes.bsky.social ! Through this project, he created an AI tool to assist scientists to better categorize and organize their data, making data sharing and research more accessible. 📊

✨Symposium spotlight ✨
We’re excited to highlight student researcher Eshna from the Stubbins lab at @northeasternmes.bsky.social ! Her work examines how various drinking water sources across the country vary in terms of disinfection byproducts, which are used to purify water.

🌊✨ #TBT to May 3, 2021: OGL scientists and collaborators made an exciting deep-sea discovery!

OGL scientists and collaborators at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History uncovered two new genera and two new species of black corals. 🖤🌿

✨Symposium spotlight ✨
We’re excited to highlight student researcher Brooke from the Stubbins lab at @northeasternmes.bsky.social ! Her project investigates how microplastic size impacts their recovery during chemical digestion—a key step in accurately studying microplastic pollution. 🧪

✨Symposium Spotlight ✨
We’re excited to highlight student researcher Cassandra from the Hughes & Bowen labs at @northeasternmes.bsky.social ‬! Her project explores genetic diversity in both restored and natural salt marshes.🌿🌊

👀 Did you know OGL's very own Dan Distel was quoted in a History article? Learn about how one of OGL's favorite creatures, the mighty shipworm, feasted its way through world history. 🚢🪱

https://www.history.com/articles/shipworms

🌊💙 #TBT to May 11, 2020: OGL teamed up with Dr. Sylvia Earle’s Mission Blue to create a global wave of community support for ocean conservation! 🌍✨

This powerful partnership aims to inspire actions to protect our oceans, ensuring a healthier future for marine ecosystems worldwide. 🌊🔬

🌊Yesterday, OGL celebrated at the Marine Science Center undergraduate symposium. From oysters to outreach 🦪, students showcased the research they’ve been working on for the past semester.

📰 How do researchers understand the quality of their DNA samples? Read our newsletter on the new TapeStation OGL has purchased thanks to the Goelet Charitable Lead Trust! 🧬👇
https://ogl.northeastern.edu/2025/06/07/new-grant-for-ogl-accelerates-dna-research-at-the-msc/?_thumbnail_id=5045

#TBT to December 7, 2019: OGL scientists and collaborators made a historic dive at the Alabama Undersea Forest!

Learn more: https://ogl.northeastern.edu/2024/07/17/ogl-newsletter-spotlight-on-ancient-underwater-cypress-forest/

🌊🦠 #TBT to June 18, 2019: OGL researchers made an exciting discovery!

They uncovered Lithoredo abatanica, a rock-eating shipworm, buried in the sandstone rock of the Abatan River in the Philippines. 🪨🔬This new species, capable of feeding on rock, adds a whole new understanding of marine life.