Ocean Genome Legacy

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Marine research organization that aims to preserve information contained in DNA of marine organisms.

10/03/2026

Scientists have made a ❄️brrr-illiant❄️ discovery!

Researchers discovered a new gentoo penguin species, Pygoscelis kerguelensis, living on the Kerguelen Islands in the Indian Ocean. This is the first new penguin species identified in over 100 years (the last species was discovered in 1921)! There are four species of gentoo penguins, each with genetic differences, but Pygoscelis kerguelensis was previously unknown to scientists!

📸: Juan Barreto/AFP
📸: Mathilde Bellenger/AFP

Check out the link in our bio to learn more about this discovery and what it means for global marine biodiversity!

10/01/2026

Take a look at OGL's latest co-op spotlight! Up first: Caroline!

Caroline is a 3rd-year Biology major and our Don Comb Research Scholar Co-op! 🌊🧬🐟

09/19/2026

🗓️ Mark your calendars 🗓️

On October 8, 2026, at 2:45 pm, OGL Director Dan Distel will be speaking at the International Marine Wood Borer Network (IMWBN) Inaugural Symposium. A member of the IMWBN Hall of Fame, Dan will be giving a talk titled "Shipworm Symbioses: Known Knowns and Unknowns".

The IMWBN Inaugural Symposium, organized by former OGL postdoc Reuben Shipway, will bring together researchers working across the various disciplines of marine wood-borer science: from biodiversity, evolution and ecology to coastal infrastructure, biological invasions, symbiosis, biotechnology, natural products and blue food.

Click here to register and attend online via Zoom 👉 https://bokuvienna.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LsJ6yMw5TpKk_hXstGshyg #/registration

09/15/2026

OGL is ✨ kinda chic ✨

As a biorepository, our goal is to collect, study, preserve, and make marine biological specimens and genetic material accessible to the public. In doing so, we provide researchers with the resources they need to advance marine biodiversity conservation, all while being chic. 🤩

To learn more about OGL and our mission, visit our website here 👉 https://ogl.northeastern.edu/about/

09/08/2026

🌊 New newsletter incoming! 🧬

Check out OGL's latest recap of our Taxonomy Summer Camp & Bioblitz! 🦀🔬

After months of thoughtful planning, OGL and the Three Seas Program launched their new program, offering Northeastern Marine Science Center community members a unique opportunity to explore New England’s coastal biodiversity and gain firsthand experience in marine collection and biorepository science.

Click here to read more 👉 https://ogl.northeastern.edu/2026/09/08/ogls-new-taxonomy-summer-camp-bioblitz-mixes-research-learning-and-hands-on-fun/

08/24/2026

Water you waiting for? Let's go diving!

🤿 Angela Jones, a PhD candidate in the Helmuth and Patterson Lab, took these incredible photos while scuba diving at Canoe Beach in Nahant. This dive was part of the subtidal session of Taxonomy Summer Camp & Bioblitz, where those with their American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) diving certification documented and collected marine species beneath the surface. Pictured here are a sculpin, a Forbes’ sea star, a nudibranch, several species of green, red, and brown algae, and tunicates!

🧬 After the field survey and collection period, participants returned to OGL to process, document, and preserve their specimens, putting their taxonomy skills to work while contributing valuable specimens, samples, and data to OGL's collection.🔬

📸 Stay tuned for more photos of the incredible biodiversity beneath the surface and be sure to check out Angela's website! https://angelajjones.weebly.com/

08/21/2026

Green algae! Brown algae! Tunicates! Oh my!

🤿 Gabi Martinez, a Northeastern Three Seas student interning at OGL, took these incredible photos while scuba diving at Pumphouse Beach in Nahant. This dive was part of the subtidal session of Taxonomy Summer Camp & Bioblitz, where those with their American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) diving certification documented and collected marine species beneath the surface. Pictured here are:

🌿 Two species of green algae: sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) and dead man's fingers (Codium fragile)
🤎 One species of brown algae: sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima)
🪸 Two species of tunicates: colonial tunicate (Botrylloides violaceus) and white crust tunicate (Didemnum albidum)

🧬 After the field survey and collection period, participants returned to OGL to process, document, and preserve their specimens, putting their taxonomy skills to work while contributing valuable specimens, samples, and data to OGL's collection.🔬

📸 Stay tuned for more photos of the incredible biodiversity beneath the surface and be sure to check out Gabi's website! https://gabiant.com/

08/20/2026

Pumphouse Beach Bioblitz: ✅

🏖️ After surveying the biodiversity of Canoe Beach and Cunner’s Ledge, participants explored the tide pools of Pumphouse Beach, Nahant.

🐟 Did you know that you can see all the way to Boston from the shores of Pumphouse Beach? 🦞

🧬 After the field survey and collection period, participants returned to OGL to process, document, and preserve their specimens, putting their taxonomy skills to work while contributing valuable specimens, samples, and data to OGL’s collection. 🔬

🌊 Together, these three bioblitzes gave participants a firsthand look at the incredible biodiversity of Nahant’s intertidal zone, from rocky shores and tide pools to the species that call these habitats home. By documenting and preserving what they discovered, participants not only strengthened their taxonomy skills but also helped build a lasting record of New England’s marine biodiversity. 🧬

08/19/2026

Cunner’s Ledge Bioblitz: ✅

🏖️ After surveying the biodiversity at Canoe Beach, participants explored the tide pools at Cunner’s Ledge in Nahant.

🪨 Did you know that the exposed rock formations at Cunner’s Ledge are approximately 500 million years old? Dating back to the Cambrian Period, these ancient rocks offer a fascinating glimpse into Earth’s geological history! 🌊

🧬 After the field survey and collection period, participants returned to OGL to process, document, and preserve their specimens, putting their taxonomy skills to work while contributing valuable specimens, samples, and data to OGL's collection. 🔬

🌊 From ancient rocks to fascinating intertidal species, the Cunner’s Ledge bioblitz gave participants another opportunity to explore Nahant’s incredible biodiversity and contribute to its documentation! 🧬

08/10/2026

🌊 Introducing the OGL Doctoral Ocean Collections (DOC) Award! 🌊

As research budgets tighten and our oceans change at record speed, collaboration matters more than ever. That's why OGL launched the DOC Award, which gives Northeastern University graduate students up to $1,000 to fuel their research!

Meet our inaugural recipients:

⭐ PhD candidate Angela Jones (Helmuth & Patterson Labs) is untangling the genetic mystery of two nearly identical sea star species, work that's critical as Sea Star Wasting Disease continues to threaten populations across the Gulf of Maine.

🌿 PhD candidate Marcella Heineke (Kimbro Lab) is building the first whole-genome population dataset for knotted-wrack seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum), a species vital to coastal ecosystem health.

Both projects will add invaluable samples and data to OGL's collection, increasing access for researchers worldwide.

Read our newsletter to learn more 👉 https://ogl.northeastern.edu/2026/08/10/ogl-awards-two-northeastern-marine-science-phd-students-with-the-2026-doctoral-ocean-collections-award/

Address

430 Nahant Road
Nahant, MA
01908

Telephone

+16173733130

Website

https://ogl.northeastern.edu/

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