Oceans

Earth

A new book uses stories from tsunami survivors to decode deadly waves

In ‘Tsunami: The World’s Greatest Waves,’ two scientists chronical hundreds of eyewitness accounts to show the human cost of life at the water’s edge.

Paleontology

Something mysteriously wiped out about 90 percent of sharks 19 million years ago

Deep sediments beneath the Pacific Ocean revealed a mystery: a massive shark die-off with no obvious cause.

Animals

A common antibiotic slows a mysterious coral disease

Applying the antibiotic amoxicillin to infected lesions halted tissue death in corals for at least 11 months after treatment.

Science & Society

A new book explores how military funding shaped the science of oceanography

In ‘Science on a Mission,’ science historian Naomi Oreskes argues that funding from the U.S. Navy both facilitated and stymied marine research.

Oceans

Corals’ hidden genetic diversity corresponds to distinct lifestyles

Observation and DNA analysis expose identical reef corals as distinct species with unique ecologies, suggesting much greater coral biodiversity.

Animals

Dazzling underwater photos capture new views and scientific detail of fish larvae

Lab specimens of fish larvae are often mangled and bleached. Divers and researchers have partnered to study their rich colors and intricate bodies.

Ecosystems

How kelp forests off California are responding to an urchin takeover

A pair of studies reports 95 percent loss of kelp forests along the northern coast while sea otters are helping maintain surviving kelp farther south.

Animals

Some bacteria are suffocating sea stars, turning the animals to goo

For years, researchers thought an infectious pathogen was behind sea star wasting disease. Instead, bacteria deplete the starfishes’ oxygen.

Earth

Earth’s oceans are storing record-breaking amounts of heat

2020 was just the latest in a series of record-breaking years for ocean heat.

Climate

Ocean acidification may make some species glow brighter

Ocean organisms use bioluminescence for hunting, defense and more. A new analysis shows that declines in water pH might change who glows and how much.

Humans

Ancient humans may have deliberately voyaged to Japan’s Ryukyu Islands

Satellite-tracked buoys suggest that long ago, a remote Japanese archipelago was reached by explorers on purpose, not accidentally.

Earth

With Theta, 2020 sets the record for most named Atlantic storms

Climate change is expected to fuel fewer — yet more intense — Atlantic storms. With a whopping 29 storms but few strong ones, 2020 may be an outlier.