Oceanography
The Wandering Albatross and Global Warming
The giant oceanic birds are producing more and plumper chicks, at least for now
February 08, 2012 |
By Greg Laden
What the Inuit Taught Scientists About Killer Whales
The native people knew what orcas ate, how they hunted prey, how the prey responded to the whales and when and where predation occurred
February 06, 2012 |
By Greg Laden
Fish Mimics Fish-Mimicking Octopus
The black-marble jawfish takes advantage of its coloring to blend in with an octopus and stay safe from predators
January 06, 2012 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Secrets of a Shark Attack
In an attack against a Cape fur seal, a great white shark's advantage comes down to physics
December 12, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
For Dolphins, Pregnancy Comes With a Price
A bigger body means increased drag, slower speeds and greater vulnerability to predators
December 01, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Ocean Creatures In A Warmer World
A new study finds that some marine organisms may have to move fast if they want to survive climate change
November 18, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Five Last-Minute Science-Themed Halloween Costume Ideas
No one else will be dressed like dark energy
October 31, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Photo of the Week: Anemone and Shrimp
One appeared on the very top of one of the highest fingers and grasped the tip in what appeared to be a moment of victory: King of the Hill
September 30, 2011 |
By Laura Helmuth
Building On A Barrier Island
These accumulations of sand aren't permanent but are home to whole communities
August 30, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
What Happens To A House Swept Away By A Flood?
Flood debris may circulate in ocean gyres for years
August 29, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Where the Pacific’s Predators Go
Scientists have found that predator species trade off between prey availability and water temperature in their travels
July 21, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Top Ten Kids’ Movies With a Green Theme
Loggers, hunters, developers, fishers, polluters and whalers are the evil villains in this movie genre
June 24, 2011 |
By Julie Mianecki
A New View Into California’s Kelp Forests
Satellite imagery is providing new insight into an important ecosystem just off the California coast
May 27, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Ocean Acidification and the Battle Between Coral and Seaweed
Ocean acidification creates plenty of potential problems for life in the oceans, but corals might have it the worst
May 17, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Hydrothermal Vents Fertilize Oceans With Fool's Gold
Deep in the oceans, hydrothermal vents spew superheated water full of dissolved minerals. The vents spawn diverse communities of unique creatures that not only withstand the extreme temperatures and acidity but even depend on the chemicals in the water to live. New research in Nature Geoscience sho...
May 11, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Humpback Whale Songs Spread From West to East
During humpback whale breeding season (July to October in the south), males all sing the same song. That song can evolve rapidly, and before long all the whales are singing the new tune. When scientists analyzed the songs sung by whales in the southern Pacific Ocean, they made a curious discovery—t...
April 14, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Fourteen Fun Facts About Squid, Octopuses and Other Cephalopods
Most people are familiar with cephalopods, even if they don't realize it. Those tasty fried calamari, for example, are squid, as are the octopuses you sometimes see on a restaurant menu. But the cephalopod world is huger and more fascinating than the limited taste of the restaurant world, as Wendy ...
March 10, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Marine Archaeologists Find Shipwreck Linked to Moby Dick
George Pollard Jr. was not a very lucky sea captain. In 1819, he became captain of the whaling ship Essex, out of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and headed for the Pacific Ocean. Just four days out, though, a storm struck and damaged the ship. Still, Pollard pressed on, rounding Cape Horn in January 182...
February 15, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
The Shark That Will Give You More Nightmares Than Jaws
If the movie Jaws scared you away from swimming, perhaps you should avoid the "Journey through Time" section of the Sant Ocean Hall at the National Museum of Natural History. There you'll find a collection of fossil marine life dating back as far as 500 million years ago. In one case is possibly th...
January 26, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
Finding Science in the Art of Arcimboldo
On a recent trip to the National Gallery of Art, I stopped in to see the Arcimboldo exhibit, which we feature in the magazine this month. When I saw the images in print, I had been fascinated by their weirdness—the artist made faces and heads out of compilations of images of fruit, flowers, books o...
January 07, 2011 |
By Sarah Zielinski
