Indian Ocean

A two-month-old filefish collected in the survey surrounded by plastic bits.

Newly Identified Fish Nurseries Are Choked With Plastic

Larval fish congregate in surface slicks, which contain plankton—and 126 times more plastic than surrounding waters

These Newly Discovered Shrimp Call a Whale Shark's Mouth Home

Found in a whale shark off Okinawa, hundred of amphipods were living it up in the giant fish's gills

Victor Vescovo piloting his sub, Limiting Factor.

American Becomes First to Visit the Five Deepest Spots in World's Oceans

Victor Vescovo recently concluded his Five Deeps Expedition, piloting a custom-built submarine to the deepest trenches on Earth

Researchers often depend on fishing communities to learn what life is like for sharks out in the deep ocean.

To Study Rare Sharks, Scientists Are Heading to Fish Markets

Marine biologists are combing fish markets around the world to study what comes up in the nets, and sometimes the catch is full of surprises

Found: Sailboat From Teen's Abandoned Round-the-World Attempt

Abby Sunderland's boat was dismasted in the Indian Ocean in 2010 during her controversial bid to become the youngest to circumnavigate the world solo

Victor Vescovo entering the Limiting Factor for his record-breaking descent.

Submersible Is First to Reach Bottom of Atlantic Ocean

U.S. equity-firm founder piloted the craft to the bottom of the Puerto Rico Trench, in a bid to reach the deepest spot in each of the world's oceans

Satellite Image of Hurricane Lane

Why Hawaiian Hurricanes Are So Rare

The islands are usually protected by their remoteness and a stable high pressure system, which has gone wonky in the last year

This Fish Outlived Dinosaurs But Oil and Gas Drilling May Threaten Its Survival

Oil exploration is set to begin near the habitat of the critically endangered coelacanth, a type of fish that has survived over 400 million years

Coral Reefs Need Fewer Rats and More Bird Poo

A study of rat-infested islands in the Chagos show that a lack of seabirds--and their guano--degrades surrounding coral ecosystems

"The seemingly rigid frontiers that have come to define places like Africa and Asia," says the museum's director Gus Casely Hayford, "are in fact remarkably fluid, connected through the intersections of art, commerce and culture."

First Major Swahili Coast Art Show Reveals a Diverse World of Cultural Exchange and Influence

At the Smithsonian’s African Art Museum, international influences commingle to create a farrago of artisanal splendors

Shipwrecks discovered off the coast of Western Australia.

Two 19th-Century Shipwrecks Discovered During Search for Flight MH370

The Western Australian Museum has put forth several suggestions for the identities of the sunken vessels

Once touted as the Paris of the East, Ross Island has now been reclaimed by nature.

India's Abandoned Island of Colonial Horror

Eerie and desolate, Ross Island harbors a tale of oppression and disaster

131-Year-Old Message in a Bottle Found on Australian Beach

The oldest yet found, the relic was thrown into the Indian Ocean by German sailors conducting an experiment

An Atlantic sixgill pup found off the coast of Belize.

Scientists Identify New Species of Elusive Deep-Sea Shark

DNA analysis has shown that Atlantic-dwelling sixgill sharks are distinct from their relatives in the Indian and Pacific oceans

Earth's Mysterious Hum Recorded in the Deep Sea for the First Time

The discovery could help unlock the planet's deepest secrets

Cargo Ships May Double Lightning Strikes in Their Path

Ship exhaust impacts cloud formation, which may influence lightning over busy shipping lanes

The beautiful Mauritius island may be hiding a chunk of continent.

Researchers Think They've Found a Mini Continent in the Indian Ocean

The island of Mauritius sits on a sunken piece of earth's crust torn apart by plate tectonics

A new study on grey reef sharks turned up a few surprises.

Ocean Preserves Keep Fishing Boats Away from Grey Reef Sharks

Scientists tracked hundreds of reef sharks to find that massive marine refuges can work—with one caveat

New species of scaleworm, Peinaleopolynoe.

Six New Deep Sea Creatures Just Discovered at Site Slated for Underwater Mining

Seafloor hot springs are rife with life

This year, the Great Barrier Reef was found to be hiding another reef beneath it.

Top Eight Ocean Stories That Made Waves in 2016

2016 wasn't all bad: Stubborn environmental problems were livened up thanks to new solutions, “gee whiz” discoveries and mysterious orbs

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