This photo taken on January 12, 2026 shows submersible pilots and the crew inspecting the vessel before a deep-sea mission on the OceanXplorer, a research vessel operated by the marine non-profit OceanX, in the waters off Sulawesi island. A dome-fronted submersible sinks beneath the waves off Indonesia, heading nearly 1,000 metres down to the realm of purple-frilled corals and bioluminescent shrimp. This month, AFP boarded one of two submersibles belonging to OceanX, a non-profit founded by billionaire Ray Dalio and his son that works with scientists on its OceanXplorer ship to study the marine world. (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'INDONESIA-OCEANX-OCEANS-ENVIRONMENT-RESEARCH-SCIENCE' by Sara HUSSEIN

This photo taken on January 10, 2026, shows Nur Fitriah Afianti, a marine biologist from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), starting her search for bacteria on plastic debris collected from the seabed aboard the OceanXplorer, a research vessel operated by the marine non-profit OceanX, in the waters off Sulawesi island. A dome-fronted submersible sinks beneath the waves off Indonesia, heading nearly 1,000 metres down to the realm of purple-frilled corals and bioluminescent shrimp. This month, AFP boarded one of two submersibles belonging to OceanX, a non-profit founded by billionaire Ray Dalio and his son that works with scientists on its OceanXplorer ship to study the marine world. (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'INDONESIA-OCEANX-OCEANS-ENVIRONMENT-RESEARCH-SCIENCE' by Sara HUSSEIN

This photo taken on January 10, 2026 shows a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) being recovered from the sea by the crew of the OceanXplorer, a research vessel operated by the marine non-profit OceanX, after a deep-sea mission in the waters off Sulawesi island. A dome-fronted submersible sinks beneath the waves off Indonesia, heading nearly 1,000 metres down to the realm of purple-frilled corals and bioluminescent shrimp. This month, AFP boarded one of two submersibles belonging to OceanX, a non-profit founded by billionaire Ray Dalio and his son that works with scientists on its OceanXplorer ship to study the marine world. (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'INDONESIA-OCEANX-OCEANS-ENVIRONMENT-RESEARCH-SCIENCE' by Sara HUSSEIN

This photo taken on January 10, 2026 shows a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) being deployed into the sea from the OceanXplorer, a research vessel operated by the marine non-profit OceanX, for a deep-sea mission in the waters off Sulawesi island. A dome-fronted submersible sinks beneath the waves off Indonesia, heading nearly 1,000 metres down to the realm of purple-frilled corals and bioluminescent shrimp. This month, AFP boarded one of two submersibles belonging to OceanX, a non-profit founded by billionaire Ray Dalio and his son that works with scientists on its OceanXplorer ship to study the marine world. (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'INDONESIA-OCEANX-OCEANS-ENVIRONMENT-RESEARCH-SCIENCE' by Sara HUSSEIN

This photo taken on January 11, 2026, shows Larissa Fruehe (2nd R), a German environmental DNA (eDNA) scientist, discussing plans for the following day with Indonesian scientists and crew members on the OceanXplorer, a research vessel operated by the marine non-profit OceanX, in waters off Sulawesi island. A dome-fronted submersible sinks beneath the waves off Indonesia, heading nearly 1,000 metres down to the realm of purple-frilled corals and bioluminescent shrimp. This month, AFP boarded one of two submersibles belonging to OceanX, a non-profit founded by billionaire Ray Dalio and his son that works with scientists on its OceanXplorer ship to study the marine world. (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with: INDONESIA-OCEANX-OCEANS-ENVIRONMENT-RESEARCH-SCIENCE, by Sara HUSSEIN

This photo taken on January 10, 2026, shows Alex Masengi (C), a coelacanth researcher from Sam Ratulangi University, transferring seawater samples collected from the deep sea into separate containers while preparing to search for coelacanth DNA on rthe OceanXplorer, a research vessel operated by the marine non-profit OceanX, in the waters off Sulawesi island. A dome-fronted submersible sinks beneath the waves off Indonesia, heading nearly 1,000 metres down to the realm of purple-frilled corals and bioluminescent shrimp. This month, AFP boarded one of two submersibles belonging to OceanX, a non-profit founded by billionaire Ray Dalio and his son that works with scientists on its OceanXplorer ship to study the marine world. (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with: INDONESIA-OCEANX-OCEANS-ENVIRONMENT-RESEARCH-SCIENCE, by Sara HUSSEIN

AFP presents a reportage of 84 pictures by photographer Yasuyoshi Chiba and journalist Sara Hussein taken between January 9-12, 2026 of marine science research being done from the OceanXplorer, a vessel operated by the marine non-profit OceanX, in the waters off Indonesia's Sulawesi island. A dome-fronted submersible sinks beneath the waves off Indonesia, heading nearly 1,000 metres down to the realm of purple-frilled corals and bioluminescent shrimp. This month, AFP boarded one of two submersibles belonging to OceanX, a non-profit founded by billionaire Ray Dalio and his son that works with scientists on its OceanXplorer ship to study the marine world. Search for all these reportage images using: INDONESIA-OCEANX-OCEANS-ENVIRONMENT-RESEARCH Search 'REPORTAGE' to source all feature, magazine and photo essays (Photo by Sara HUSSEIN and Yasuyoshi CHIBA / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with 'INDONESIA-OCEANX-OCEANS-ENVIRONMENT-RESEARCH-SCIENCE' by Sara HUSSEIN

This photo taken on January 9, 2026, shows Indonesian scientists collecting seawater samples to examine plankton in the ocean on the OceanXplorer, a research vessel operated by the marine non-profit OceanX, in waters off Sulawesi island. A dome-fronted submersible sinks beneath the waves off Indonesia, heading nearly 1,000 metres down to the realm of purple-frilled corals and bioluminescent shrimp. This month, AFP boarded one of two submersibles belonging to OceanX, a non-profit founded by billionaire Ray Dalio and his son that works with scientists on its OceanXplorer ship to study the marine world. (Photo by YASUYOSHI CHIBA / AFP via Getty Images) / To go with: INDONESIA-OCEANX-OCEANS-ENVIRONMENT-RESEARCH-SCIENCE, by Sara HUSSEIN