Oceans

Oceans

Shallow reef species may not find refuge in deeper water habitats

Coral reefs in deep-water ecosystems may not make good homes for species from damaged shallow reefs.

Animals

New ‘Poké Ball’ robot catches deep-sea critters without harming them

A machine that gently catches and releases animals underwater could help researchers take a more detailed census of the deep sea.

Paleontology

An ancient swimming revolution in the oceans may have never happened

Swimmers may not have suddenly dominated the oceans during the Devonian Period after all: New analyses suggest they took over much more gradually.

Ecosystems

Bird poop helps keep coral reefs healthy, but rats are messing that up

Eradicating invasive rats from islands may help boost numbers of seabirds, whose droppings provide nutrients to nearby coral reefs.

Earth

Underwater fiber-optic cables could moonlight as earthquake sensors

The seafloor cables that ferry internet traffic across oceans may soon find another use: detecting underwater earthquakes.

Animals

Here’s what narwhals sound like underwater

Scientists eavesdropped while narwhals clicked and buzzed. The work could help pinpoint how the whales may react to more human noise in the Arctic.

Climate

Antarctica has lost about 3 trillion metric tons of ice since 1992

Antarctica’s rate of ice loss has sped up since 1992 — mostly in the last five years, raising global sea level by almost 8 millimeters on average.

Climate

Tropical cyclones have slowed over the last 70 years

Tropical cyclones are moving 10 percent slower, on average, than they did in the mid-20th century, potentially making them more dangerous.

Paleontology

The Chicxulub asteroid impact might have set off 100,000 years of global warming

About 66 million years ago, the Chicxulub asteroid impact set off 100,000 years of global warming, an analysis of oxygen in fish fossils suggests.

Climate

Bull sharks and bottlenose dolphins are moving north as the ocean warms

Rising temperatures are making ocean waters farther north more hospitable for a variety of marine species.

Animals

‘The Curious Life of Krill’ is an ode to an underappreciated crustacean

A new book makes the case that Antarctic krill and the dangers they face deserve your attention.

Oceans

Masses of shrimp and krill may play a huge role in mixing oceans

Hoards of migrating shrimp and krill can cause large-scale turbulence in the ocean, a new study suggests.