Oceans
Science News for Students articles on oceans
-
ClimateMeet Chonkus, a mutant microbe that could help fight climate change
A hulking marine cyanobacterium, Chonkus has traits that appears to make it especially good for storing away carbon on the ocean floor.
-
AnimalsWayward baby puffins get help from a community-led Puffling Patrol
Fitted with ID tags or tracking devices, birds from one Iceland colony give scientists an eye into puffins’ largely unknown lives at sea.
-
OceansUnderwater mountains in the Pacific Ocean may be home to 20 new species
A recent expedition to undersea mountain ranges off the coast of Chile revealed a new seamount and a rich world of deep-sea biodiversity.
By Jake Buehler -
AnimalsThis biologist tracks seadragons, with help from the public
Nerida Wilson uses artificial intelligence to identify seadragons in photos taken by citizen scientists.
-
ClimateStashing more CO2 in the ocean could slow climate change
More research is needed on ways to safely remove some CO2 from the water to make room for more — such as by seaweed farming and iron fertilization.
-
AnimalsCorals may have been the first life forms to glow in the dark
Ancestors of modern octocorals may have lit up the deep sea as far back as 540 million years ago.
By Jake Buehler -
OceansThe seas’ record-breaking hot streak may bring unwelcome changes
Off-the-charts warming could fire up more hurricanes, intensify coral bleaching and accelerate the melting of Antarctic sea ice.
By Nikk Ogasa -
OceansAnalyze This: Climate change may worsen the spread of ocean noise
Some parts of the ocean may become five times as loud in the future.
-
EcosystemsA weird upside-down world lurks beneath Antarctica’s ice
A vast swath of ocean surrounds Antarctica, hidden under the ice. Here, strange creatures burrow into the dark underbelly of a floating glacier.
By Douglas Fox -
AnimalsSwimming in schools lets fish save lots of energy
Each tail flap uses less than half as much energy than swimming solo, making it easier for fish to catch their breath after an underwater sprint.
-
LifeScientists Say: Ichnology
This field of science looks to understand life — past and present — by studying how organisms altered their surroundings.
-
ClimateWarmer seas trigger skyrocketing ice loss in 3 Antarctic glaciers
Destabilized by waves and vanishing sea ice, one of the glaciers lost 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) of ice in 16 months — a possible hint of worse to come.
By Douglas Fox