Pacific Ocean

21,000 Gallons of Oil Just Spilled Near Santa Barbara

An underwater pipeline was the culprit for a crude oil spill in the Pacific

Droves of Elegant Blue Jellies Wash Up on Pacific Shores

Unusually strong winds have pushed Velella velellas, or "by-the-wind sailors," onto West Coast beaches by the thousands

The as-yet-unnamed new volcanic island in Tonga, explored by GP Orbassano.

What's It Like to Take the First Photos of a New Volcanic Island?

Meet the man who climbed to the top and took these stunning shots

A Malaysian boy and girl holding candles during the 60 minute Earth Hour 2012 celebration in Kuala Lumpur, March 31, 2012.

What Climate Change Will Mean for the People of Oceania

On many maps the ocean is colored a uniform, solid blue. But for those who live off the waters, the sea is places, roads, highways

Clear tropical waters at the Pitcairn Islands.

U.K. to Create the World’s Largest Continuous Marine Reserve

The immaculate waters around the storied Pitcairn Islands are to be protected from illegal fishing and mining efforts

The chart is less a literal representation of the sea, but more an abstract illustration of the ways that ocean swells interact with land.

How Sticks and Shell Charts Became a Sophisticated System for Navigation

Sailors navigating with sextant, compass and maps found in the Marshall Islands that curved sticks and cowry shells were far more sophisticated

The world's six known punked out snail species, which have mohawk-like spikes, acidic-dyed psychedelic colors and hardcore shells that are falling apart.

New Deep-Sea Snails Are Nature’s Own Punk Rockers

The spikes on one hardcore species inspired scientists to name it after Joe Strummer of the Clash, who was also an ardent environmentalist

Windswept trees seem to loom over a beach on the remote island of Tarawa in Kiribati. Scientists have found that coral reefs near Tarawa record changes in Pacific trade winds.

Corals Show How Pacific Trade Winds Guide Global Temperatures

The world has been in a global warming hiatus, but that will change when the winds once again weaken

Olympian and airman Louis Zamperini crouches in his starting position on a B-18 bomber.

"Unbroken"'s Louis Zamperini Crashed Into the Pacific on May 27, 1943. Here is the Missing Air Crew Report

The National Archives holds a record with details of the downing of the former Olympian's B-24 bomber that left him lost at sea for 47 days

At 26,700 Feet, This Is the Deepest-Swimming Fish Known

Researchers found a new fish in the depths of the Mariana Trench

The Black Sea Devil, a Rare Deep-Sea Anglerfish, Filmed for the First Time

Fewer than half a dozen anglerfish have ever been recorded swimming in their undersea habitat

Sunflower sea stars are just one of 20 species affected.

Meet the Tiny Killer Causing Millions of Sea Stars to Waste Away

The deadly sea star wasting disease, which turns live animals into slimy goop, is caused by a previously unknown virus

Lava flow from the Kilauea volcano.

Lava Is Poised to Consume Some Homes in Hawaii

Lava is creeping across the Big Island's Puna district at a rate of about 10 to 15 yards per hour

The remains of S.S. Frank H. Buck peek above the surface during low tide off San Francisco's Lands End.

The Waters Around San Francisco Conceal a Graveyard of Historic Ships

Hundreds of wrecks, potentially, await discovery and exploration

Master navigator Mau Piailug teaches navigation to his son and grandson with the help of a star compass.

How the Voyage of the Kon-Tiki Misled the World About Navigating the Pacific

Smithsonian geographer Doug Herman explains the traditional science of traversing the ocean seas

Two hurricanes, Iselle and Julio, that could hit Hawaii this weekend (seen here in a satellite image captured August 4) may have been influenced by an El Niño developing in the Pacific.

Ancient Clam Shells Show That What Drives El Niño Is Still Unclear

Earth’s path around the Sun may play a role, but other factors are still unknown

President Obama Could Create the World's Largest Marine Sanctuary

The protected zone would make a large area in the Pacific Ocean off limits to fishing and other environmentally harmful human activities

An experiment with corals taken from the warm waters of the U.S. National Park of American Samoa showed that at least one species can quickly adapt to rising heat.

This Coral Has Shown It Can Weather Warmer Waters

Corals are not expected to do well with climate change. But the ability to adapt to warmer oceans could give them more time

Problem solved?

There Are Too Many Pink Salmon in the Pacific

Pink salmon populations are booming, at the expense of other species

Nootka Island Lighthouse

In British Columbia, There Are Amazing Waves No One's Ever Surfed Before

Nootka Island is a surfer’s paradise for enthusiasts who don’t mind water temperatures hovering around 50 degrees Fahrenheit

Page 13 of 14