Plastic is everywhere — literally.
The number of ocean heatwaves has risen more than 50% since 1925, threatening to collapse marine ecosystems
These are not the waves we’re looking for.
Martian oceans may have been aided by massive volcanoes, research suggests
A song of fire and water, on Mars.
Microbeads: Contaminating Our Fish and Sea Salt?
Microbeads are slowly killing off oceanic wildlife — and that’s affecting us as well.
Whales as Ecological Engineers
Given the sheer size of whales, it should be no surprise that they make some very important contributions to ecosystems.
Coral bleaching has been captured on video for the first time
They don’t seem to be having a good time.
In 18 years, man-made heat doubled in oceans
After they studied how much man-made heat got sucked by the world’s oceans in the past 150 years, researchers found the heat content doubled since 1997. In other words, the oceans absorbed just as much heat in the past 20 years or so as they did in the prior 130 years. There’s more bad news. The rate at which oceans soaked the heat rose sharply since the 2000s and hasn’t faltered since. This can only mean a re-doubling that comes with unforeseeable consequences in the coming decades.
CO2 in the atmosphere heralds imminent food chain collapse — and it’s gonna start in the oceans
The first global analysis of how marine environments react to the ever-increasing levels of CO2 that humanity is pumping into the atmosphere does not bode well at all for tomorrow’s would-be fishers. Published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), the work of the University of Adelaide’s marine ecologists states that the warming and expected ocean acidification is likely to produce a reduction in diversity and numbers of various key species that underpin marine ecosystems around the world.
NASA research put together into a video showing how the ocean’s garbage patches formed over the last 35 years
Aaah, the ocean. The true final frontier. Full of wonderful and exciting things, such as strange fish, stranger crustaceans, beautiful hydrothermal vents, and lovely, ever-growing garbage patches.
Global Scientists Shocked by True Scale of Ocean Warming
When talking about global warming, we often tend to think about droughts, water shortage and desertification. But we must not forget that 72%, almost three quarters of our planet is covered in oceans – and believe it or not, that’s where global warming will strike the hardest. A thorough study Oceanic global warming is causing many marine species to change
Digital atlas shows oceans’ iron levels
Researchers have developed a three dimensional atlas which shows the concentrations of iron dissolved in the world’s oceans. This monumental achievement can be very valuable for scientists, but also for policy-makers. Why is mapping iron in the oceans such a big deal ? Well for starters, iron plays a crucial role in the oceanic carbon cycle, as it is a
Map of Earth’s Salinity released by NASA’s Aquarius
Earlier this year, NASA launched the Argentine SAC-D satellite that has a number of instruments whose sole goal is that of providing scientists with important data about the environment. Aquarius is the main instrument on-board the satellite, whose mission is to measure global sea surface salinity to better predict future climate conditions. Today, NASA released the first global map of
Ocean life threatened by mass extinction
Climate change and over-fishing are held responsible for the swift collapse of coral reefs and the propagation of mass extinction among marine life. According to the International Programme on the State of the Ocean (IPSO), which presented the study this Tuesday to the U.N., the Earth is faced with its biggest spate of mass extinctions in millions years. “We now
Underwater… lakes !
Boy I’ve gotta tell you, my jaw really dropped when I heard this one. There are actual lakes, on the bottom of oceans, especially in the Gulf of Mexico region; they’ve got their own shores and all. The brine water of these lakes actually hosts unique wildlife, creating an absolutely amazing environment. The fact that these are brine water means
Blue whales singing lower every year, baffled scientists say
Blue whales are not only the biggest living creatures in the world right now, but the biggest ever to have ‘walked’ the face of the earth; they’re also the loudest for that matter. After recovering from near extinction in the beginning of the 20th century, blue whales are finally getting a part of the respect they deserve. However, researchers cannot
Hundreds of icebergs drifting towards New Zealand
According to the Australian Antarctic Division, at least a hundred Antarctic icebergs are currently drifting towards New Zealand at a speed that alarmed local authorities as well as specialists from all over the world. A glaciologist from inside the organization said that they already passed the Auckland islands and are currently heading for the main South Island; these icebergs are
17650 Species that have never seen sunlight
The researchers from the Census of Marine Wildlife have accomplished a truly amazing task; they have inventoried a fantastic abundance of marine species, more specifically deep sea species that live below the point where sunlight can penetrate the water, creatures that live more than 5 km below sea level, in a cold and dark environment. In order to do this,
