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Oceans

The head of Bathynomus vaderi, a newly described species of giant isopod found in Southeast Asian waters

Researchers Identified a New ‘Supergiant’ Crustacean With 14 Legs—and They Named It After Darth Vader

In recent years, the deep-sea giant isopod has also become a seafood delicacy in Vietnam, where it was discovered

Parts of the deep Pacific Ocean are covered in metallic lumps known as polymetallic nodules. A study published last year suggested they produce oxygen without sunlight.

Scientists Who Found Mysterious ‘Dark Oxygen’ on the Ocean Floor Plan a New Expedition, Hoping to Settle Disputes

Last year, the team made headlines when it published a paper describing how metal lumps at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean seemed to produce oxygen without sunlight

BlueGreen Water Technologies treats a harmful algal bloom in Doctors Lake in Clay County, Florida.

How Cleaning Up Harmful Algal Blooms Could Help Fight Climate Change

A company called BlueGreen Water Technologies aims to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere while also fighting algae’s toxic effects on people and the environment

A map of bathymetry—or underwater topography—of Axial Seamount, an active volcano some 300 miles off the coast of Oregon.

An Undersea Volcano Near Oregon May Erupt in 2025, Scientists Predict. It Could Help Improve Eruption Forecasts

Axial Seamount doesn’t pose a threat to humans, but observing what happens before and after its potential eruption could help scientists learn about submerged volcanoes and strengthen predictions

Tetiaroa is a haven for wildlife, including sea turtles, crabs, seabirds, sharks, coral and fish.

Marlon Brando Wanted to Build a ‘University of the Sea.’ These Scientists Are Bringing the Late Actor’s Vision to Life

On Tetiaroa, a vibrant coral atoll dotted with sandy islets, archaeologists, marine biologists and cultural practitioners are working together to improve understanding of a unique ecosystem

Captain John Voss, left, aboard the Tilikum in Samoa. “So diminutive,” one Australian reporter wrote of the boat, “one wondered and admired the pluck, perseverance and skill displayed in bringing her across the 9,200 miles of trackless ocean.”   

The Death-Defying Attempt to Circumnavigate the World in a Canoe

How Captain John Voss put his dugout canoe—and himself—to the ultimate test

The USS Cobia floats in the Manitowoc River outside the Wisconsin Maritime Museum.

You Can Spend the Night on a Fully Restored World War II Submarine

The Wisconsin Maritime Museum is home to the USS “Cobia,” a 312-foot-long vessel that completed six war patrols during World War II

Though they feed along coral reefs, hawksbills return to the beach to nest. Shane Gross, recently named 2024 Wildlife Photographer of the Year, captured this image in Barbados.

Can a New DNA Database Help Save This Incredible Sea Turtle?

The shells of the hawksbill sea turtle have been used for luxury items for centuries, but with the species now endangered, new technology is pinpointing where protections are needed most

A scorpionfish swims along an unnamed seamount on the Nazca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean.

The Ten Most Awe-Inspiring Ocean Moments of 2024

From animal journeys across oceans to the discovery of dozens of new species in the deep sea, these stories wowed us

One in ten southern right whales lives past the age of 131, new research suggests.

Some Whales Live Much Longer Than Previously Thought, a Discovery That Could Change How We Protect Them

In a new study, researchers use novel techniques to uncover more accurate life expectancy estimates of southern and North Atlantic right whales

The world's largest iceberg, A23a, is on the move again after spending the last few months stuck in an ocean vortex.

The World’s Largest Iceberg Is Free-Floating Again, and It Could Help Build ‘Thriving Ecosystems’

After spending months stuck in a swirling ocean vortex, iceberg A23a is once again drifting through the Southern Ocean, offering scientists a glimpse into how it might affect waters in new regions

The tail, or fluke, of a humpback whale is identifiable, like a fingerprint is for a human.

Humpback Whale Makes Record-Breaking 8,000-Mile Migration Across Three Oceans, but the Reason Is Still a Mystery

Biologists say mating, climate change or simply being confused might have driven the creature to swim great distances, between Colombia and Zanzibar

Researchers found that in 2023, a decrease in low-altitude clouds, specifically over the Atlantic Ocean, drove an increase in the planet's temperature.

Scientists Find Another Reason Why 2023 Was So Hot: a Decline in Low-Lying Clouds

According to new research, Earth might have reflected less solar radiation last year than in any other year since 1940, a trend that adds to the planet’s warming

New England Aquarium staff treat a cold-stunned sea turtle.

Hundreds of Sea Turtles With Hypothermia Are Washing Up in Cape Cod, Cold-Stunned as Temperatures Drop

New England Aquarium staff and volunteers are treating the reptiles, which have gotten trapped after venturing north earlier in the year. Experts say climate change is leading more turtles to get stranded in the bay

The hunting pod is led by Moctezuma, an adult male, named after an Aztec emperor.

New Research

A Pod of Orcas Learned to Target and Feast on Whale Sharks, the Largest Fish in the Sea

Photos and videos of the apex predators reveal how they engage in coordinated hunts in Mexican waters to take down juvenile whale sharks

An orca named L82 Kasatka swims in front of Mt. Rainier, with a strand of eelgrass trailing from her dorsal fin. She belongs to the Southern Resident orca population, a critically endangered group in the northeast Pacific Ocean.

No, Orcas Probably Aren’t Reviving the ‘Dead Salmon Hat’ Trend, Despite a Viral Photo, Experts Say. Here’s Why

A recent photo of an orca swimming with a salmon on its head has fueled speculation that the fad, first observed in the 1980s, has re-emerged off the coast of Washington state. But some experts are less eager to jump to that conclusion

Archaeologists Caesar Bita and Filipe Castro dove to investigate the wreck.

New Research

A Mysterious Shipwreck Rests Just 20 Feet Below the Surface. It May Be Connected to Vasco da Gama’s Final Voyage

Researchers think a coral-covered vessel discovered off the Kenyan coast could be the “São Jorge,” a galleon that sank 500 years ago

Ships float in Aasiaat’s harbor.

As Greenland’s Ice Sheet Melts, an Island Town Rises

Geologists are working with local communities to determine how residents can adapt as the area’s sea level, in effect, goes down

Researchers used a line array of hydrophones towed behind a ship for three weeks in the 1980s. They collected data nonstop, listening to all the sounds in the ocean. One such sound was the enigmatic "quacking" that one expert now says might represent a conversation.

Mysterious, Repetitive ‘Quacking’ Noise in the Southern Ocean May Have Been a Conversation Between Whales

During a 1982 experiment, researchers recorded the unusual sound, termed “bio-duck.” Now, a researcher suggests they may have been listening in on animals talking to each other

Gus did not hesitate to belly flop into the ocean.

Gus, the Young Emperor Penguin Who Made a Surprise Appearance in Australia, Is Now Heading Home

Wildlife caretakers released the bird into the Southern Ocean after he’d put on some weight and regained his strength

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