An MIT Sea Grant report published Aug. 25, 2026 described underwater photographer and resident artist Keith Ellenbogen's efforts to document longfin inshore squid spawning off Cape Cod. After months of failed attempts in turbid water with limited visibility, he chartered a vessel and worked with local fishermen to locate a spawning aggregation 30 to 40 feet below the surface, where he observed squid courting, competing and depositing eggs.

The report noted that Massachusetts commercial landings of longfin squid exceeded 2.85 million pounds in 2023, then came in under 750,000 pounds in 2024, roughly a quarter of the previous year's catch. A spring 2024 trawl survey recorded a historic low in biomass after a record high in 2023. The article said such fluctuations are common for a species living about six to nine months.

NOAA scientist Kimberly Hyde described expanded research, including a two-year life-history study, and called the photographs a rare glimpse that bridges art and science. The report also described stored sperm, multiple paternity within egg capsules, and competition between larger consort males and smaller sneaker males.