Oceans

An Atlantic spotted dolphin swims behind a Pilot whale.

Shedding Genes Helped Whales and Dolphins Evolve for Life at Sea

When adopting an aquatic lifestyle, cetaceans ditched genetic code related to sleep, DNA restoration and more

Three green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, on a coral reef, Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Coral Reefs Face the Dual Threats of Ocean Acidification and Erosion

As coral tissues die off, the exposed calcified skeleton becomes vulnerable to organisms that eat away at the dying reefs

These Prehistoric Sea Monsters Had a Mean Breast Stroke

A new study shows Mosasaurs not only swam using their tails but used powerful pectoral muscles for short bursts to ambush prey

One 23-year-old supermom gave birth to 17 pups over her lifetime

Select Elephant Seal ‘Supermoms’ Produce Most Pups

The most successful seal mothers were those that 'bred at every opportunity and lived long'

In Northern California, purple sea urchins are decimating kelp forests. Though the species of urchin causing problems may vary by region, the damage is the same.

Could Eating Sea Urchins Help Revive Kelp Forests?

A Norwegian 'urchin ranching' company wants to take the echinoderms from the wild, fatten them up and sell them to restaurants

One of many contaminated crabs at the Deepwater Horizon site.

Deepwater Horizon Site Is Now a Sticky Wasteland Populated by Sickly Crabs

Degrading hydrocarbons attract shrimp and crab to the spill site, where they are contaminated by oil and develop a variety of problems

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

Leatherback sea turtle hatchlings rush toward the water

Baby Sea Turtles’ Fossilized Tracks Found in South Africa

Researchers recorded trackways left by relatives of modern loggerhead and leatherback turtles

The frame of the underwater observatory responsible for the power supply during deployment.

A Huge Underwater Observatory Has Vanished Without a Trace

The instrument, located off Germany’s Baltic coast, cost more than $330,000. But its data was ‘priceless,’ one expert said

An 8,000-Year-Old Platform in Britain Could Be the Oldest Boat-Building Site Ever Discovered

The Stone Age platform, where log boats may have been constructed, reveals early knowledge of advanced wood working techniques

The Titanic Is Being Reclaimed by the Sea

The first manned survey of the ship in 14 years reveals parts of the vessel have rusted away, including the crow's nest, captain's quarters and poop deck

Dead vaquita entangled in a gillnet set for Totoaba

There Are ‘At Most’ 19 Vaquitas Left in the Wild

An alarming new study documents the continued decline of the critically endangered porpoise—but it may still be possible to save the species

Marine species with fluorescent proteins absorb, transform and reemit light, generating a spectacular display of color in the process.

Amazing Photos Reveal the Hidden Light of Undersea Life

Photographer Louise Murray dips into the dark ocean to capture the spectacle of marine fluorescence

The newly identified American Pocket Shark was first discovered in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

This New Shark Species Looks Like a Tiny Sperm Whale

The 5.5-inch-long <em>Mollisquama mississippiensis</em>—one of only two pocket shark specimens known to science—also glows in the dark

The 2010 census showed that Scituate had the highest number of people claiming Irish ancestry than any other town in America, almost 50 percent of its roughly 18,000 residents, earning it the nickname the “Irish Riviera.”

The Most Irish Town in America Was Built on Seaweed

After discovering 'Irish moss' in coastal waters, Irish immigrants launched a booming mossing industry in Scituate, Massachusetts

The two divers spent an hour or so swimming alongside the giant barrel jellyfish.

Divers Encounter a Human-Size Jellyfish Off the Coast of England

Barrel jellyfish typically grow to a length of up to 3 feet, but this one measured closer to 5 feet long

Divers participating in the Underwater Music Festival pretend to play musical instruments in the waters off of Big Pine Key, Florida.

This Florida Music Festival Takes Place Completely Underwater

To draw attention to coral reef conservation, divers play 'bass-oons' and 'trombonefish' at the Underwater Music Festival in Key West

The entrance to Taiohae Bay, on the island of Nuku Hiva, where Herman Melville lived in 1842.

How a Voyage to French Polynesia Set Herman Melville on the Course to Write 'Moby-Dick'

We retrace the journey that had a long-lasting influence on the enigmatic author's improbable career

Mariam the dugong photographed as she is cared for by park officials and veterinarians from the Phuket Marine Biological Centre on Libong island.

Friendly Baby Dugong Becomes Conservation Symbol in Thailand

‘Mariam,’ who was found without her mother, has gone viral after images of her nuzzling the experts who care for her started to circulate

Minke whale on a whaling ship in a Hokkaido port on July 1, 2019.

Japan Resumes Commercial Whaling in Its Home Waters

As of yesterday, the whaling fleet had caught 2 minke whales and set a quota of 227 animals for the rest of 2019

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