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Oceans

Two killer whales "allokelping" with a kelp stem between them

These Killer Whales Make Tools From Kelp to Massage Each Other in a Newly Discovered Grooming Behavior

Dubbed “allokelping,” it might be a unique cultural phenomenon that’s as endangered as the orca population itself

The view from a research aircraft that scientists use to collect data from high in Earth’s atmosphere.

Scientists Are Just Beginning to Understand How Life Makes Clouds, and Their Discoveries May Drastically Improve Climate Science

Plants, plankton and sea spray all release elements that help the atmospheric blankets form

A male sea spider, preserved for imaging under a microscope, carries egg sacs after mating with two different females.

Scientists Discover First Known Sea Spider Species That ‘Eat’ Methane With the Help of Bacteria

The research offers new insights on interactions between creatures on the mysterious seafloor and sheds light on the methane cycle

A stingray swims on the ocean floor. Several shark and ray species are threatened with extinction due to overfishing, climate change and habitat loss.

More Countries Agree to Protect the ‘High Seas’ in a Step Toward Wider Ocean Conservation

The High Seas Treaty, which would allow nations to create marine protected areas in international waters, is now expected to take effect in early 2026—without the United States on board

The squid species had only been known from dead specimens found in fishing nets or the stomachs of other animals.

Scientists Had Never Seen This Mysterious Squid Alive in the Wild—Until Now. See the First Footage of the Elusive Creature

A three-foot-long Antarctic gonate squid was spotted swimming 7,000 feet below the surface of the Southern Ocean

Many sea horse traders operate on the black market.

Sea Horse Smuggling Is a Big Problem, Despite Global Efforts to Protect These Beloved Aquatic Creatures

Between 2010 and 2021, authorities seized around five million individual sea horses worth more than $21 million

Scientists determined the most effective method of halting the disease was covering a coral colony with a weighted plastic bag, then injecting a seawater solution that contains the probiotic. They left the colony covered for two hours to allow the probiotic bacteria to colonize the coral.

A Deadly Disease Is Eating Away at Caribbean Corals and Wreaking Havoc on Reefs. Could Probiotics Be the Solution?

New research suggests the probiotic McH1-7 could help stop the spread of stony coral tissue loss disease among wild corals near Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Geoscientist Martin Köhler stands in front of Maka Lahi, which measures 46 feet by 39 feet by 22 feet—about the same size as a two-story house.

A 164-Foot Tsunami Pushed This Enormous Boulder Atop a Cliff in Tonga 7,000 Years Ago

The hulking rock, called Maka Lahi, is the size of a two-story house and sits on a 120-foot-tall cliff, covered in vegetation

A baby Atlantic sturgeon caught from Virginia’s James River is measured by Matt Balazik, a research ecologist with Virginia Commonwealth University.

Once in Dire Straits, Atlantic Sturgeon Are Staging a Comeback on the East Coast

From Maine to Florida, the endangered, prehistoric fish is rebounding, but a recent study shows just how vulnerable the U.S. population remains

A photogrammetric reconstruction of the submarine USS F-1, showing the conning tower and collision damage that caused the boat to sink

New Research

See a Lost U.S. Navy Submarine, Sunk During a World War I Test Run, in Digital Detail

Researchers descended to the wreck in underwater vehicles to collect data for 3-D models

Loaded with colorful containers, a cargo ship floats right into the Port of Miami.

Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries

Set Sail With These 15 Scenes of Sensational Ships

These seafaring shots are harbored in the archives of the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest

A tsunami might have occured some 115 million years ago, near where deposits of Cretaceous amber were found in Japan.

This Deposit of ‘Weird’ Cretaceous Amber Could Reveal Hints to Long-Forgotten Tsunamis in Japan

A new study highlights the potential of amber fossils to capture evidence of powerful, prehistoric ocean waves

Clownfish seem to become shorter during heat waves, according to the new study.

Clownfish Shrink Down Their Bodies to Survive Ocean Heat Waves, New Study Suggests

The adaptation appears to help the fish cope with high temperatures, since individuals and breeding pairs that shrank improved their survival odds

The newly described octopus, Opisthoteuthis carnarvonensis, has red tentacles.

A New, Shape-Shifting ‘Flapjack’ Octopus Has Been Discovered in the Deep Sea Off the Coast of Australia

The tiny Carnarvon flapjack octopus is the latest of ten species described by Australian scientists after a 2022 research trip

A mother and baby whale spotted swimming near Kiama, New South Wales, Australia. 

Humpback Whales Give Birth Much Farther South Than Previously Thought, Study Finds

Researchers in Australia found records of humpback whale calves more than 900 miles farther south than expected

A portion of the Caribbean Sea washes ashore in Kingston, Jamaica

Discover the Dreamy Beauty of Jamaica’s Beaches, Mountains and Plant Life in These Captivating Pictures

A photographer’s trip to the island yields images that showcase its stunning terrain and vibrant culture

Dumbo octopuses, like the Opisthoteuthis agassizii seen here during a 2019 dive, are the deepest-living group of octopuses known.

Humans Have Seen Only 0.001 Percent of the World’s Deep Seas, Leaving Most of the Planet a Vast Mystery

Researchers argue that expanding deep-sea exploration is vital to understanding and managing these marine habitats

Sea cucumbers come in a multitude of colors.

Welcome to the Weird and Wondrous World of Sea Cucumbers

These spiny or slimy ocean creatures display an astonishing diversity of appearances, behaviors and lifestyles—and many are increasingly threatened

Before the eruption, scientists saw a wide variety of ocean life around the Tica hydrothermal vent.

Scientists Stumbled Upon an Active Volcanic Eruption in a Mid-Ocean Ridge for the First Time Ever

From a research submersible, scientists saw hardened lava, dead tube worms and orange flashes from an eruption in the East Pacific Rise

During the squid run, tens of thousands of opalescent squids (Doryteuthis opalescens) gather together.

In Order to Unravel the Many Mysteries of Squids, Scientists Dive Into Their Mating Frenzies

Marine biologists hope to find out more about a creature that is vital to a healthy ecosystem and the state’s fishery

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