Oceans

“Tattooed Whale, 2016” by Tim Pitsiulak. Screen-print on Arches Cover Black.

Why Scientists Are Starting to Care About Cultures That Talk to Whales

Arctic people have been communicating with cetaceans for centuries. The rest of the world is finally listening in

An x-ray of a Whiskered Prowfish (Neopataecus waterhousii), which has a "lachrymal saber." One species of waspfish features a saber that glows.

Why Did a Venomous Fish Evolve a Glowing Eye Spike?

A newly discovered “lachrymal saber” could illuminate relationships between an order of deadly fishes

Curasub commissioner/owner Adriaan Schrier and lead DROP scientist Carole Baldwin aboard the custom-built submersible.

How a Team of Submersible-Bound Scientists Redefined Reef Ecosystems

In tropical Curaçao, Smithsonian researchers are constantly confronting the unknown

A long-range autonomous underwater vehicle carrying an environmental sample processor cruises beneath the surface during field trials in Hawaii.

These Underwater Robots Offer a New Way to Sample Microbes From the Ocean

The health of forests of underwater plankton have a big impact on the environment, and oceanographers are just starting to understand it

Why Are Whales So Massive? It's All About Energy

Marine mammal size is a delicate balance between chowing down and chilly waters

Elusive Deep-Sea Anglerfish Seen Mating for the First Time

The male clamps down onto his female partner, their tissue and circulatory systems fusing together for life

Debris recovered from the Garbage Patch

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Is Much Larger and Chunkier Than We Thought

A new study shows the patch is not just microplastics. Fishing gear and large pieces make up 92 percent of the trash

Wreck of Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. <i>Lexington</i> Found 76 Years After It Was Scuttled in Battle

The ship was sunk by an American destroyer so it couldn't be captured in the Battle of Coral Sea, considered to be the first carrier battle in history

A large female Greenland shark observed near the community of Arctic Bay, Nunavut.

The World's Most Ancient, Elusive Sharks Were Finally Caught on Video

Greenland sharks, which can live more than 400 years, reveal how little we know about life in the coldest oceans

The Story Behind Big Sur's Glowing Waves

Photographer George Krieger captured the unusual scene in vivid detail

Easter Island is home to at least 142 endemic species, including the Easter Island butterfly fish.

Chile Announces Protections for Massive Swath of Ocean With Three New Marine Parks

The almost 450,000 square miles encompass a stunning diversity of marine life, including hundreds of species found nowhere else

This map shows total fishing activity across the world's oceans as detected by satellite tracking.

Tracking Fishing Vessels Reveals Industry's Toll on the Ocean

Satellites and artificial intelligence fill in gaps in global fisheries knowledge

Driftwood is a valuable resource for humans and all kinds of ecosystems near and far.

How Driftwood Reshapes Ecosystems

In one of nature’s remarkable second acts, dead trees embark on transformative journeys

Seismic shockwaves after a meteorite’s collision could affect systems all over the planet.

The Meteorite That Killed the Dinosaurs May Have Also Triggered Underwater Volcanoes

In a new study, scientists peered into 100 million years of seafloor history to find something strange

Whale Talk Pretty One Day: Listen to an Orca Mimic Human Words

Though it's fun to hear an orca say "Hello" and "Amy," the new study could provide clues to how whale dialects change over time

Sea Foam Delights Visitors of Lebanese Beach

Last week, thick white layers of bubbles washed ashore Naqoura Beach

The epicenter of last night's earthquake in Alaska

Why Did Alaska's Big Quake Lead to a Tiny Tsunami?

Geophysics, plate tectonics and the vast ocean all determine how severe a tsunami may be

Does the Moon's Phase Cause Earthquakes?

One researcher offers a succinct answer

New map of the Havre volcano

Scientist Autopsy the Aftermath of the Largest Underwater Volcanic Eruption of the Last Century

In 2012, miles of floating rock appeared in the Pacific. Now, scientists have studied the Havre seamount eruption that caused the mysterious pumice 'raft'

Could Giant "Solar Rigs" Floating On the Ocean Convert Seawater To Hydrogen Fuel?

Scientists at Columbia University have designed a device that could make the process economically viable

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