Oceans

North Atlantic right whales face threats of entanglement in fishing gear and injuries caused by ships.

North Atlantic Right Whale Numbers May Be Stabilizing at Last

After a decade of decline, the latest population estimate is good news—but conservationists say we "have a long ways to go" to safeguard the marine mammals

Ice shelves are important because they help keep ice on land from flowing into the ocean as quickly.

Rapid Melting of West Antarctic Ice Shelves Is 'Unavoidable,' Study Finds

Even under a best-case climate scenario, global sea levels will likely rise because of this accelerated melting, scientists say

Alaska canceled its snow crab harvest for two seasons in a row.

Why Ten Billion Snow Crabs Disappeared Off the Coast of Alaska

The unprecedented die-off represents roughly 90 percent of the eastern Bering Sea population

Early humans in Europe snacked on seaweed and aquatic plants for thousands of years, though how they prepared and ate them is unclear.

Early Europeans Ate Seaweed for Thousands of Years

Researchers found biomarkers of seaweed and other aquatic plants in samples of dental plaque

Mass Audubon's science coordinator Mark Faherty examines a horseshoe crab in Pleasant Bay, where he has conducted research on them for years.

New Synthetic Horseshoe Crab Blood Could Mean Pharma Won't Bleed the Species Dry

The “living fossils” have been vital for testing intravenous drugs, but a few large pharmaceutical companies are using a lab-made compound instead

Could this innovation provide a solution to one of our era’s biggest scourges?

Scientists Have Created Synthetic Sponges That Soak Up Microplastics

Made from starch and gelatin, the biodegradable sponges remove as much as 90 percent of microplastics in tap water and seawater

A killer whale in the Salish Sea is observed harassing a porpoise.

Why Do Orcas Keep Harassing Porpoises?

An endangered group of killer whales in the Pacific Northwest has been toying with porpoises for decades—and new research offers some possible explanations

Adult dugong swimming and feeding in the shallow water of the Red Sea. 

Dugong Populations Are Declining in the Great Barrier Reef, Study Finds

Destruction of seagrass habitats and "indiscriminate" gillnet fishing have both contributed to the marine mammals' dropping numbers, scientists say

Orcas are opportunistic feeders that will take advantage of human fishing activities to get an easy meal.

Nine Orcas Have Died in Fishing Gear Near Alaska This Year

A "new behavior" from the animals might be linked to this sudden uptick in deaths, as they have been feeding in front of fishing nets, a trade group says

Great white sharks were once abundant in South Africa’s False Bay and Gansbaai regions. But now, they appear to have ventured to safer waters elsewhere.

Where Did South Africa's Missing Sharks Go?

After a spate of orca attacks spooked the fish, they have now been found

Sheets of ice on top of the ocean in the Antarctic, photographed in February 2000. Sea ice reflects most of the sun's radiation that hits it, keeping the polar regions cool.

Antarctic Winter Sea Ice Hits a Record Low 'by a Wide Margin'

On September 10, the ice reached its lowest annual maximum in the books amid a record-smashing year that's ringing "alarm bells" for polar ice

Box jellyfish are about the size of a grape.

Brainless Jellyfish Are Capable of Learning, Study Suggests

Scientists provide evidence that tiny Caribbean box jellyfish—which lack a central nervous system—can learn to navigate through mangrove roots

The USS Yorktown was one of seven large vessels that sank during the Battle of Midway.

See Underwater Wreckage From the Battle of Midway in Stunning Detail

Never-before-seen photos and videos shed new light on the pivotal World War II conflict

The female whale was found stranded in January on a beach near Palm Coast, Florida.

How an Orca Skeleton Made Its Way From Florida to the Smithsonian

Washed up in a rare stranding event, the newly collected specimen will offer rich exploration for researchers

Scientists came across the golden orb while exploring the seafloor of the Gulf of Alaska with a remotely operated vehicle on August 30.

What Is This Mysterious Golden Orb Scientists Found on the Ocean Floor?

After bringing the four-inch-diameter blob to the surface, researchers still only know that it is “biological in origin”

A puffin on Eastern Egg Rock carries fish to feed its young.

Puffins Are Making a Comeback in Maine

After a down year in 2021, the birds have had two good years in a row

The Titanic struck an iceberg on the evening of April 14, 1912, and sank several hours later in the early morning hours of April 15.

The U.S. Government Is Trying to Stop an Upcoming Titanic Expedition

A company is planning a mission to recover artifacts, including the famed Marconi wireless telegraph, in 2024

Caribbean reef sharks are as comfortable cruising coastal coral reefs as diving 1,000 feet into the depths. 

Efforts to Bring Back the Caribbean Reef Shark May Become a Conservation Success Story

The endangered creature is a target for fishing off the coast of the Bahamas—and a magnet for ecotourists who just might save it

There are an estimated 200 shipwrecks lost in the dark, cold waters of Stellwagen Bank, Massachusetts, not far from Boston’s harbor. The sunken wrecks attract fish, which in turn attract fishers, but fishing nets and metal scallop dredges can easily snag on and damage the irreplaceable vessels.

The Locations of These Shipwrecks Are No Longer a Secret

A marine sanctuary is letting fishers know where previously hidden wrecks can be found

A remotely operated vehicle measured environmental conditions around the octopus nest site, including temperature and oxygen levels.

Why 'Hot Springs' Draw the World's Largest Gathering of Deep-Sea Octopuses

Some 20,000 octopuses congregate near an inactive underwater volcano off California's coast, using heat from thermal springs to hatch their eggs faster

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