A review of current research in optoacoustics. The authors describe and examine several new developments in the field: guided transport of sound in the wake of a light beam; new techniques of detecting objects in transparent and turbid media; high-resolution nonlinear subsurface imaging using self-focused beams and guided transport of the response signal; control of the spectrum and amplitude of a thermoacoustic pulse due to cropping of the light beam cross-section, lateral contact with an interface, semi-submerged light beam, and so forth. Enhancement of acoustic transmissivity by means of a laser beam is examined. The authors indicate the practical applications of these new developments.