Oceans
Science News for Students articles on oceans
- Environment
Not so sweet: Fake sugar found at sea
Sucralose — sold in stores as Splenda — has begun turning up in seawater. This raises concern about the fake sweetener’s impacts on the environment.
- Archaeology
Diving deep into history
New technologies help underwater archaeologists learn more about shipwrecks and other artifacts at the bottom of rivers, lakes and oceans.
- Environment
Gulf oil spills could destroy shipwrecks faster
In the Gulf of Mexico, leftover crude oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill may be speeding the corrosion of old shipwrecks.
- Climate
Sea level rising fastest in 2,800 years
The oceans rose faster during the 20th century than any time in the past 2,800 years. More than half of the rise came from global warming.
- Animals
What a drag! Fishing gear’s effects on whales
Many whales become entangled in the gear that fishing boats use to catch fish and shellfish. Such debris can have dire impacts on the big mammals.
- Oceans
Arctic ice travels fast, carrying pollution
Climate change is melting old sea ice in the Arctic. Now, younger, thinner ice is migrating far and fast, taking pollutants with it.
- Ecosystems
As big animals poop out
Whales move nutrients from deep ocean to surface waters. From there, nutrients move to land and fertilize continents. But the system is in trouble.
- Oceans
Scientists identify plankton from space
Plankton are often too tiny for our eyes to see. But when huge numbers bloom at once, they now can be ID’d from space, a new study shows.
- Environment
Table salt and shellfish can contain plastic
Bits of plastic have turned up in sea salts purchased in Chinese supermarkets. The finding suggests all sea salts may be similarly tainted. Shellfish too.
- Environment
Plastic trash travels up to Arctic waters
Bags, fishing rope and other tiny bits of plastic are now polluting Arctic waters, posing threats to area wildlife.
- Earth
Quake provides test for tsunami prediction
The 8.3-magnitude Chilean earthquake offered an unexpected chance to test a new way of predicting tsunami damage.
- Oceans
Explainer: What is a tsunami?
Earthquakes and landslides can create huge waves that travel across oceans.
