Research News

Newsroom of the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian is one of the world’s foremost research centers in science, the arts, and the humanities. In addition to research pursued by the museums, our research centers specialize in areas of inquiry spanning the globe and the farthest reaches of the universe.

A woman in a grey sweater and blue jeans, with brown hair in a low bun, leans over table with rocks of various sizes.
Emily Van Ark
Researcher Jessica Warren Examines Samples

Jessica Warren of the University of Delaware on the R/V Knorr in 2004 describing the geologic samples after being brought on board.

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Image of four men in orange jumpsuits, two standing at the stern of a ship.
Emily Van Ark
Researchers on R/V Knorr

The stern of the research vessel, the R/V Knorr while at sea in 2004. The A-frame structure holds the giant metal and chain bucket which is lowered more than 10,000 feet below the ocean surface and dragged along the seafloor to collect geologic samples.

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Image of a rock with grayish color and textured surface with irregular mossy green circles.
Tom Kleindinst
Ancient Rock from Seafloor

The studied rocks were collected from the Gakkel Ridge near the North Pole and the Southwest Indian Ridge between Africa and Antarctica, two of the slowest-spreading tectonic plate boundaries in the world.

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Microscopic image of cross-section of rock with many colors--blues, yellows, pinks, oranges, greens, brown.
E. Cottrell, Smithsonian.
Gakkel Ridge, ~10mm

A thin slice of the ancient rocks collected from Gakkel Ridge near the North Pole, photographed under a microscope and seen under cross-polarized light. Field width ~ 10mm.

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Cross-section of microscopic slice of rock with vibrant colors--white, blue, pink, orange, brown, green.
E. Cottrell, Smithsonian.
Gakkel Ridge, ~14mm

A thin slice of the ancient rocks collected from Gakkel Ridge near the North Pole, photographed under a microscope and seen under cross-polarized light. Field width ~ 14mm.

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Mosaic of many different colors--bright pink, blue, yellow, brown, gray, white--in shattered-looking surface.

A thin slice of the ancient rocks collected from Gakkel Ridge near the North Pole, photographed under a microscope and seen under cross-polarized light. Field width ~ 14mm.

Credit: E. Cottrell, Smithsonian.

New Study Supports Stable Mantle Chemistry Dating Back to Earth’s Early Geologic History and Over Its Prodigious Evolution
Smithsonian Scientists Conduct New Analyses on Ancient ‘Time Capsule’ Rocks, at Least 2.5 Billion Years Old
07.24.2024
Natural History Museum Research News
Group of people standing in front of a scenic outlook.
New Initiative Explores Innovative Financing Solutions for Co-Management of Ecosystems and Public Health in Africa
07.22.2024
National Zoo & SCBI Research News
Smithsonian Logo
Smithsonian Announces Its 2024 Artist Research Fellows
07.22.2024
Research News Education News
Two oyster shells, each with a deep brown hole near the top. The smaller shell on the right also has bluish-black bumps on it.
Zofia Anchondo
Oyster Shells with Parasite Marks

Oyster shell from the Harris Creek sanctuary, with two holes from a boring sponge attack and marks on the right shell from a mud blister worm. 

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: A man in a black jacket with sunglasses and a young woman stand on a boat. The man holds a line of rope in front of him.
Jay Fleming/Smithsonian
Matt Ogburn

Matt Ogburn on a tagging expedition.

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Underwater photo of an oyster reef in clouded, greenish-yellow water

A restored oyster reef in a sanctuary in the James River, Maryland. Credit: SERC Fisheries Conservation Lab.

Restored Oyster Sanctuaries Host More Marine Life
Sanctuaries in Chesapeake Shelter Higher Oyster Populations and More Marine Life—Including Parasites—Than Nearby Harvest Areas
07.09.2024
Environmental Research Center Research News
Underwater photo of a solitary striped fish swimming above an oyster reef in cloudy greenish water.
Striped Bass Above Oyster Reef

A striped bass, also known as a rockfish, swims above an oyster reef in Chesapeake Bay.

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A young woman stoops over the edge of a boat, holding a rectangular rig of PVC pipes with small cameras attached to both sides.
SERC Fisheries Conservation Lab
Allison Tracy with Camera Rig

Allison Tracy deploys a camera rig with GoPros attached to survey oyster reefs underwater.

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Underwater photo of an oyster reef in clouded, greenish-yellow water
SERC Fisheries Conservation Lab
James River Oyster Sanctuary

A restored oyster reef in a sanctuary in the James River, Maryland.

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Photo of block concrete letters spelling ZOO sitting in landscaped flower beds.
Rising Carbon Dioxide May Be Diluting Plant Nutrients, Threatening Herbivores
Nutrient Dilution Could Be an Underappreciated Driver of Biodiversity Loss
06.13.2024
National Zoo & SCBI Research News
TEMPO Air Quality Data

Credit: Trent Schindler/NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

TEMPO Air Quality Data Now Publicly Available
Valuable Air Quality Collected by the TEMPO Mission Now Being Released to the Public
05.31.2024
Astrophysical Observatory Research News
Black and white fluffy panda bear sits on wood trunks with green leaves in background.

Two-year-old male giant panda Bao Li in his habitat at Shenshuping Base in Wolong, China, May 16. Roshan Patel, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Two New Giant Pandas Coming to Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute From China by End of the Year
New 10-Year Research and Breeding Agreement Signed
05.29.2024
National Zoo & SCBI Research News New Acquisitions
Black and white fluffy bear eats a skinny twig with long green leaves.
Roshan Patel, Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
New Giant Pandas - Qing Bao

Two-year-old female giant panda Qing Bao in her habitat at Dujiangyan Base in Sichuan, China May 17.

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Black and white fluffy panda bear sits on fake wooden logs.
Roshan Patel, Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
New Giant Pandas - Bao Li

Two-year-old male giant panda Bao Li in his habitat at Shenshuping Base in Wolong, China, May 16.

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Image of space with black background and fuzzy, bright bursts of light purple color.

Pan-STARRS and SMA image. Radio: SAO/ASIAA/SMA/K. Monsch et al; Optical: Pan-STARRS

A Giant Cosmic Butterfly’s Nature Is Revealed
05.14.2024
Astrophysical Observatory Research News
Image of outerspace, black with fuzzy, bright stars.
SAO/ASIAA/SMA/K. Monsch et al; Optical: Pan-STARRS
Cosmic Butterfly: Unlabeled Pan-STARRS and SMA image with SMA image inset

The inset for this image shows compelling evidence that IRAS 23077 contains a planet-forming disk. Along with dust grains, the SMA can also observe the cold carbon monoxide gas that comprises the bulk of a planet-forming disk.

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Image of dark outerspace and bright stars with graphics overlayed on top.
SAO/ASIAA/SMA/K. Monsch et al; Optical: Pan-STARRS
Cosmic Butterfly: Labeled Pan-STARRS and SMA image with SMA image inset

The inset for this image shows compelling evidence that IRAS 23077 contains a planet-forming disk. Along with dust grains, the SMA can also observe the cold carbon monoxide gas that comprises the bulk of a planet-forming disk.

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Image of outerspace, completely black with fuzzy dots and shapes of bright, light purple color.
Radio: SAO/ASIAA/SMA/K. Monsch et al; Optical: Pan-STARRS
Cosmic Butterfly: Pan-STARRS and SMA image

The center of this composite image shows IRAS 23077, likely the largest planet-forming disk ever seen, which looks like a giant cosmic butterfly.

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A 6 by 3 grid of pictures of various smiling people.

Photos, courtesy of subjects.

Smithsonian American Art Museum Announces 2024–2025 Fellowship Appointments and Residencies
05.01.2024
American Art Museum Research News Education News

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