Unlocking the Mystery of ‘Dark Oxygen’The Nippon Foundation launches joint research project with US and UK research institutes

The Nippon Foundation announced the launch of a joint international research project to unlock the mystery of “dark oxygen,” previously unknown oxygen generated in the depths of the ocean where light does not reach, at a press conference in London on January 20.

The Nippon Foundation Dark Oxygen Research Initiative (DORI) is being carried out in cooperation with Northwestern University and Boston University of the United States and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), with the goals of leading the way in identifying the source of dark oxygen and closely analyzing the polymetallic nodules and their surrounding deep-sea environment to determine the mechanism by which it is created.

The scientific world is divided with regard to “dark oxygen,” with some scientists flatly denying its existence. In response, The Nippon Foundation announced in January 2025 the launch of new research with SAMS, which first announced the existence of dark oxygen to the world. SAMS is promoting the development of cutting-edge measuring equipment to explore in detail whether dark oxygen exists, and research has begun with the goal of making a definitive determination within three-and-a-half years.

Geobiologist Jeffrey Marlow of Boston University and chemist Franz M Geiger of Northwestern University, who are globally recognized leaders in their fields, joined the project in October 2025.

SAMS has already begun work with the development of two landers that can withstand 1,400 times the pressure at the earth’s surface, and plans to use these to conduct surveys in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (an area of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico) this spring. If these surveys proceed on track, more in-depth research is anticipated with the cooperation of Northwestern University and Boston University from  June.