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Pacific Ocean

New Research

Cargo Ships May Double Lightning Strikes in Their Path

Ship exhaust impacts cloud formation, which may influence lightning over busy shipping lanes

Members of Chamorro organizations, including the children from the Hurao Cultural Camp, perform a burial ceremony.

A Brief, 500-Year History of Guam

The Chamorro people of this Pacific island have long been buffeted by the crosswinds of foreign nations

JFK aboard the PT-109 in the South Pacific in 1943

Why JFK Kept a Coconut Shell in the Oval Office

During this week in 1943, a 26-year-old Kennedy and his crew were marooned on a deserted island and then rescued thanks to two daring men

Etmopterus lailae

Cool Finds

This Tiny, Bulbous-Nosed Shark Glows in the Dark

After 17 years of study, scientists finally confirm that the oddball creature is a new species

The Murray Islands: Waier in foreground, Murray (Mer, home of the late Eddie Mabo) beyond.

How Indigenous Australians Are Still Fighting for Their Lands 25 Years After a Landmark Court Case

The struggle continues for the people who have lived on the continent for 50,000 years

Pyrosoma atlanticum floating off of Santa Cruz Island.

Hordes of Gelatinous “Sea Pickles” Are Invading the West Coast

Usually a rare creature, no one yet knows the reason for the influx of the light-emitting creatures

The ship's helm on its flying bridge

Cool Finds

A Century After Sinking, This Storied Ship Will Remain Underwater

The McCulloch was the largest cutter of its day and sank in 1917 after colliding with a passenger ship in heavy fog

Scientists studying the bones of the Hawaiian petrel, which flies great distances over the north Pacific Ocean to feed, are collecting an invaluable long-term story dating from thousands of years ago.

Bones of the Hawaiian Petrel Open Up a Window Into the Birds’ Changing Diet

Industrial fishing may play a role in the shift

A surfer at Huntington Beach in Southern California

New Research

California May Lose Popular Surfing Spots to Rising Seas

A changing climate may make iconic breaks disappear

Ask Smithsonian 2017

What’s the Difference Between Horns and Antlers and More Questions From Our Readers

You asked, we answered

Cool Finds

Jaw-Dropping Video Shows Blue Whale Chowing Down on Krill

A drone captured the giant cetaceans plowing through krill clouds to get their fill

Don't grab the galoshes just yet—experts are still not certain if El Niño will develop this year.

Trending Today

The Chance of Another El Niño Is Rising

As the year presses on, the likelihood of another wacky winter has grown

New Research

Web-Slinging Snails Discovered on Sunken Ship

Scientists worry that their presence spells trouble for threatened coral reefs

Outside of the U.S., international whale capture is alive and well.

What Will It Take to End International Killer Whale Capture?

The West may have rejected whale captivity, but the painful relationship between humans and orcas is far from over

A diver documents dead coral in the Great Barrier Reef near Lizard Island in May 2016 after a bleaching event.

New Research

Repeat Bleaching Destroys Massive Swaths of the Great Barrier Reef

Rising ocean temperatures have taken a toll on the World Heritage Area

A new study on grey reef sharks turned up a few surprises.

New Research

Ocean Preserves Keep Fishing Boats Away from Grey Reef Sharks

Scientists tracked hundreds of reef sharks to find that massive marine refuges can work—with one caveat

Detail of a surfer in "A View of Karakakooa, in Owyhee," an etching made by an artist accompanying the Cook expedition.

What the First European to Visit Hawaii Thought About Surfers

The Europeans were fascinated by Pacific Islanders’ comfort in the water

J2, better known as "Granny," was the oldest-known living orca.

Trending Today

World’s Oldest-Known Orca Is Missing and Believed Dead

Over a century old, “Granny” hasn’t been spotted since early October

Dwarf minke whale

New Research

Unidentified Complex Sound From Earth’s Deepest Trench May Be New Whale Call

Known as the Western Pacific Biotwang, researchers believe it may be a previously unrecoreded call from a dwarf minke whale

Want to See Installation Artist Doug Aitken’s Latest Work? Grab Your Scuba Gear

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