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In the past, coral research has focused on radar and sonar mapping of the seafloor. With this kit, which is being used for the first time, biological samples can also be collected for analysis.
Read moreScientists used a float to follow a patch of seawater off Iceland. They observed the progression of the bloom by taking measurements from multiple platforms.
Read moreOceanographer Robert Ballard and his team were exploring the Gulf of Mexico for E/V Nautilus, an expedition to map the Galapagos Rift and gain a better understanding of how life develops around hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor.
Read moreIt was the first thorough exploration of the cold, oxygen-rich waters north of Bodega Head, a small promontory that lies along the California's Sonoma coast just 70 miles north of San Francisco.
Read moreAnalysis of the samples taken from subglacial Lake Whillans, the researchers indicate, show that the water contains a diverse microbial community, many members of which can mine rocks for energy and use carbon dioxide as their source of carbon.
Read moreNereus was sent to complete the first systematic study of the Kermadec Trench.
Thirty days into the forty-day mission, about seven hours into a nine-hour dive, communications with Nereus were lost. When standard emergency recovery protocols were unsuccessful, the team initiated a search near the dive site. They then spotted several pieces of debris on the surface nearby later identified to be a parts of Nereus, indicating a catastrophic implosion.
Nereus was a flagship ocean explorer for the US science community.
Read moreBiosphere mixing appears to provide about one third the power required to bring the deep, cold waters of the world ocean to the surface, which in turn completes the ocean's conveyor belt circulation critical to the global climate system.
Read moreUVB radiation is known to impair photosynthesis, nutrient absorption, growth and reproductive rates in certain species but this study is thought to be the first attempt to quantify the damage it does to marine ecosystems.
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“We discovered that a number of animals thought to be rare are common around the corals, documented many animals outside of their previously known ranges, and discovered species new to science,” NOAA zoologist Martha Nizinski said.
The absorbtion of CO2 may have slowed global warming, but there has been a resulting change in seawater chemistry. To understand why the effect of increasing atmospheric CO2, which leads to increased absorbtion of CO2 in sea water, is important, it is necessary to understand some of the chemistry of carbonic acid and its salts. However, before we can discuss the effect of this acidity, we must have a useful description of what we mean by acidity and acid strength. The most common and useful unit to describe the magnitude of acidity is the pH value.
Read moreThe thermohaline circulation is the term for the global density-driven circulation of the oceans. Term is derived from thermo (heat) and haline (salt), which together determine the density of sea water.
Read moreUnderstanding where and how these blooms originate and move is critical for accurate forecasts that could provide early warning to protect human and ecosystem health, according to NOAA scientists.
Read moreAustralian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) scientist Dr Katharina Fabricius has led two research expeditions, with researchers from six countries including Papua New Guinea (PNG), to study three natural CO2 seeps in Milne Bay Province, PNG. This unique location is the only presently known cool, CO2 seep site in tropical waters containing coral reef ecosystems. The study has given scientists unprecedented insights into what coral reefs would look like if greenhouse gas emissions and resulting ocean acidification continues to increase at present rates.
Read moreThe Gulf Stream which transports enormous amounts of warm tropical waters to the North Atlantic is the cause of Europe's habitable climate.
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