Oceans

Trainer Liz Seely and Tucker head out to search for scat on a research boat.

Meet the Dogs Sniffing Out Whale Poop for Science

Inspired by drug-detection programs, these canines scour the sea for samples that aid in conservation research

A beached sperm whale on January 13, in Wangerooge, Germany

At Least 17 Sperm Whales Washed Up on North Sea Shores

The cause of the cetacean tragedy is still a mystery

The drill bit that the Atlantis Bank expedition broke near the start of operations. Three of the four "cones" used to dig the hole have snapped off.

A Decades-Long Quest to Drill Into Earth's Mantle May Soon Hit Pay Dirt

Geologists have had to contend with bad luck, budget cuts and the race to the moon in their efforts to drill deep into our planet

Fish caught for drying in a village in Bangladesh

Overfishing Has Been Even Worse Than We Thought

Official counts previously overlooked fish as bycatch, small-scale fishing and illegal fishing

Crews abandon their ships during the Great Whaling Disaster of 1871.

Remnants of a Whaling Disaster Have Been Discovered off the Coast of Alaska

A catastrophe wiped out an entire whaling fleet 144 years ago, now researchers have found some of the wrecks' remains

Our Changing Seas III, 2014

Does This Sculpture Depict a Coral Reef Collapsing or Recovering?

Artist Courtney Mattison's spiral-shaped piece explores the uncertain future for coral reefs

These cracks hint at subsurface seas.

Does Icy Pluto Have a Hidden Ocean? New Horizons Offers New Clues

Data from the NASA probe are helping to build a solid case for a liquid ocean inside the tiny, distant world

Where are the whales?

Hawaii’s Humpback Whales Have Gone Missing

Scientists expect about 10,000 whales to visit Hawaii's tropical waters this winter—but they're taking their time

Do these satellite sea surface images look similar? Experts think so. The image of the Pacific Ocean on the left was taken recently. To the right is a sea surface image taken in December 1997.

This Year's El Niño Looks Menacingly Familiar

The world is bracing for record rains and droughts

A Giant Squid Visits a Japanese Harbor

These denizens of the deep usually lurk between 2,000 to 3,000 feet below the surface

Oysters Could Save Staten Island From the Next Hurricane Sandy

A living breakwater could prevent future flooding while cleaning polluted waters

This photo of two short-nosed sea snakes alerted researchers to the species' survival, even though they were thought to be extinct for 15 years.

They’re Back: Supposedly Extinct Sea Snakes Have Been Found in Australia

Nearly 15 years later and about 1,000 miles away from the last sighting, the snakes could be making a comeback

Top Nine Ocean Stories That Had Us Talking in 2015

From fossil whales to adorable octopuses, here are some of the marine headliners that caught our attention this year

Logs like this one are being digitized in museums all over New England and used to help scientists understand climate change.

Logbooks From 19th Century Whaling Ships Could Help Climate Change Scientists

A new crowdsourcing project lets amateur enthusiasts contribute, too

Part of the Capitol Christmas Tree's splendor comes from marine debris collected along the Alaska coast.

The Capitol’s Christmas Tree Is (Partially) Made of Trash

Marine debris bedecks a 74-foot tree from Alaska

Divers approach a bull shark in the water off Mauritius. Though environmental conditions are much the same in Mauritius and neighboring La Réunion, the latter is one of the most dangerous shark-attack spots in the world.

Why Is This Indian Ocean Island a Hot Spot for Shark Attacks?

La Réunion has seen way more attacks than its neighbor Mauritius, and scientists are struggling to figure out why

The "Great Garuda" seawall will be shaped like Indonesia's national symbol—a mythical, birdlike creature.

Jakarta Is Building a Gigantic Bird-Shaped Seawall

But will the Great Garuda project be enough to save a sinking city?

An illustration shows what Shonisaurus popularis might have looked like in the late Triassic.

What Killed These Marine Reptiles Found in a Nevada Ghost Town?

Paleontologists are going high tech to solve the mystery of a mass ichthyosaur death near the old mining town of Berlin

A NOAA archaeologist examines the wreck of Two Brothers in Hawaii.

NOAA Made a Sequel to 'In the Heart of the Sea'

Because the story that inspired <i>Moby-Dick</i> is just the beginning

Microplastic poses a growing concern in oceans and other aquatic habitats.

Five Things to Know About Congress' Vote to Ban Microbeads

Included as exfoliators in many common soaps and cosmetics, microbeads now pollute waterways worldwide

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