Oceans
- Oceans
In a seafloor surprise, metal-rich chunks may generate deep-sea oxygen
Instead of sinking from the surface, some deep-sea oxygen may be created by battery-like nodules that split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
By Sid Perkins - Oceans
Can bioluminescent ‘milky seas’ be predicted?
For the first time, a scientist has used ocean and atmospheric data to find a milky sea, a huge expanse of luminous water, in past satellite images.
By Bas den Hond - Oceans
This AI can predict ship-sinking ‘freak’ waves minutes in advance
The model, which was trained on data from ocean buoys to identify potential rogue waves, could help save lives.
By Nikk Ogasa - Climate
Why this year’s climate conditions helped Hurricane Beryl smash records
Scientists predicted an active hurricane season, but a July Category 5 storm is still stunning.
- Climate
Warm water is sneaking underneath the Thwaites Glacier — and rapidly melting it
The salty water, just 3.6 degrees Celsius above the ice’s melting point, is undermining the foundation of the Antarctic glacier.
By Douglas Fox - Climate
Will stashing more CO2 in the ocean help slow climate change?
Research is needed on how ocean carbon removal methods — such as iron fertilization and direct capture — could impact the environment.
- Climate
A rapid shift in ocean currents could imperil the world’s largest ice shelf
Roughly the size of Spain, the Ross Ice Shelf stabilizes major glaciers along Antarctica’s coast — and is at risk of retreating, a new study finds.
By Douglas Fox - Animals
Eavesdropping on fish could help us keep better tabs on underwater worlds
Scientists are on a quest to log all the sounds of fish communication. The result could lead to better monitoring of ecosystems and fish behavior.
- Animals
Migratory fish species are in drastic decline, a new UN report details
The most comprehensive tally of how migrating animals are faring looks at more than 1,000 land and aquatic species and aims to find ways to protect them.
- Animals
Here’s how many shark bites there were in 2023
The chance of being bitten by a shark is still incredibly slim, according to a new report from the Florida Museum of Natural History.
- Physics
Invisible comet tails of mucus slow sinking flakes of ‘marine snow’
New measurements reveal the gunk that surrounds the particles, an important factor in understanding how the ocean sequesters carbon.
- Oceans
Ocean heat waves often lurk out of sight
About 1 in 3 marine heat waves occur below the surface, a new study reports, suggesting these harmful events are more common than previously thought.