As anyone who’s ever snorkeled off of a Caribbean island knows, coral reefs are strange, beautiful structures housing a dizzying diversity of sea life. Coral … 75 percent of coral reefs are threatenedRead more
Ocean
Posted inBiodiversity
First oxygen-free animals found
Scientists have found the first animals that can survive and reproduce entirely without oxygen, deep on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea. The team, led … First oxygen-free animals foundRead more
Posted inPollution / ToMl
Following the mercury trail
[ted id=899] It can be a very complicated thing, the ocean. And it can be a very complicated thing, what human health is. And bringing … Following the mercury trailRead more
Posted inPlastic / Pollution
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
By now, most of us are aware that there is a large patch of floating plastic in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. What you … The Great Pacific Garbage PatchRead more
Posted inPollution / ToMl
Grappling with the Gulf’s “Dead Zones”
For the hundreds of thousands of people in the Gulf of Mexico who depend on commercial and sport fishing (directly and indirectly), the assault on … Grappling with the Gulf’s “Dead Zones”Read more
Posted inAntarctica / Global Warming
Two huge icebergs let loose off Antarctica’s coast
The two icebergs are now drifting together about 62 to 93 miles (100 to 150 kilometers) off Antarctica following the collision on Feb. 12 or … Two huge icebergs let loose off Antarctica’s coastRead more
Posted inClimate Disaster
Extreme waves
A major increase in maximum ocean wave heights off the Pacific Northwest in recent decades has forced scientists to re-evaluate how high a “100-year event” … Extreme wavesRead more
Posted inOil / Pollution / Spill
The oil spill’s toxic trade-off
Susan Shaw talking: I am a marine toxicologist, and I’ve been very, very concerned about the Gulf, particularly about the massive applications of the toxic … The oil spill’s toxic trade-offRead more
Posted inCO2 / Pollution
The oceans are getting louder
Here is another consequence of rising carbon dioxide emissions: the oceans are getting louder. It has long been known that chemical compounds in seawater, including … The oceans are getting louderRead more