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Sea Creatures

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

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

Watch First Footage of Giant Squid Filmed in American Waters

The deep-sea footage also marks a rare sighting of a giant squid in its natural habitat

Two Captive Beluga Whales Are Heading to First-of-Its-Kind Sanctuary in Iceland

It is the first refuge of its kind for belugas

Artist Gary Staab assembles the massive megalodon. A scale model at the bottom right shows what the finished creature will look like.

Beyond Dinosaurs: The Secrets of Earth's Past

Reimagining the Megalodon, the World’s Most Terrifying Sea Creature

The ancient beast of the oceans comes to life in a new display at the National Museum of Natural History

Planktonic foraminifera assemblage from Caribbean sediments that provide an accurate picture of the species community before human influence. Each shell is less than one millimeter in size.

Plankton Haven’t Been the Same Since the Industrial Revolution

Changes in plankton populations over the past centuries correlate with rising sea temperatures

This Prehistoric Fish Makes a Great White Look Like a Goldfish

Meet Dunkleosteus, perhaps the fiercest fish that ever existed

Scallops can have up to 200 eyes, although scientists still don't know exactly how they all work together to help the mollusks see.

What Scallops’ Many Eyes Can Teach Us About the Evolution of Vision

Scallop eyes, which function similar to telescopes, are even more complex than scientists previously knew

The first test of a thermonuclear weapon, or a hydrogen bomb, codenamed Ivy Mike and conducted by the United States in 1952 over the island of Elugelab in Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.

Particles From Cold War Nuclear Bomb Tests Found in Deepest Parts of the Ocean

Crustaceans in the Mariana Trench and other underwater canyons feed on food from the surface laced with carbon-14 from Cold War bomb tests

Artistic reconstruction of Callichimaera perplexa, the "strangest crab that has ever lived."

Fossil Discovery Has Scientists Questioning: What Makes a Crab a Crab?

The newly described C. perplexa seems to have retained larval features into adulthood

Scientists Spot Beautiful Optical Illusion at Bottom of the Sea

More than 6,000 feet under the surface of the ocean, the extreme conditions can play tricks on your eyes

Hungry Otters Are Creating a Unique Archaeological Record

By bashing mussel shells onto stones, otters leave behind traces of their activity

“Courting Devil Ray Ballet” by Duncan Murrell

These Are the Best Practices for Underwater Photographers Hoping to Protect Marine Life

You can look—and even use flash photography—but don’t touch

Eyes of Queen conch, Caribbean (Strombus gigas).

The Bahamas’ Conchs Have Undergone ‘Serial Depletion’

But it’s not too late to save them

‘Bouncing’ Baby Orca Spotted Among Endangered Population

Researchers hope the new baby will reverse an unfortunate trend that has seen no southern resident orca calves survive over the past three years

Up to 1,000 octopus moms care for their brood.

The Top Ten Ocean Stories of 2018

From the most ancient animal known to a newly defined ocean zone, the world’s watery places never cease to amaze

Morigenos dolphins.

Cliquey Adriatic Dolphins May Have Strategies for Avoiding Each Other

You can’t swim with us

Princepajaro, a male California sea lion, swims in a pool during treatment for leptospirosis at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA. When a leptospirosis outbreak occurs, the Center’s scientists study the disease to learn more about what causes an outbreak and how we can improve treatment for infected animals.

Major Disease Outbreak Strikes California Sea Lions

Leptospirosis afflicts sea lions on a semi-regular cycle, but warming waters and migrating fish could make the marine mammals more susceptible

Species in the Northwest Atlantic, like this red tree coral, are threatened by ocean acidification, which may be causing the dissolution of the sea floor.

Parts of the Ocean Floor Are Disintegrating—And It’s Our Fault

A new study has found that calcium carbonate on the sea floor is dissolving too quickly in an effort to keep up with excess carbon dioxide

A dumbo octopus, "showing off."

See Rare Footage of the Elusive, Ethereal Dumbo Octopus

A team of researchers spotted the creature thousands of feet below sea level with the help of a remotely operated vehicle

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