Oceans

The ocean’s digestive system is dictated by picky microbes and precise dynamics of drifting debris

Changing the ocean’s chemical and biological makeup could force it to pull vast amounts of planet-warming carbon from the atmosphere. But is that a line we want to cross?

Oil rigs around the world are habitats for marine species. When they stop producing oil, should they be removed or allowed to stay?

Two injured sea creatures merged to form a “Franken-jelly”

Polymetallic blobs are producing “dark oxygen” from the depths of the ocean—and no one knows exactly how.

James Cameron takes us behind the scenes and beneath the waves in a discussion of the new National Geographic show OceanXplorers on today’s episode of Science Quickly.

Coral reef soundscapes could help researchers assess their overall health.

Sharks provide multiple benefits for ocean ecosystems: their declining numbers threaten habitats for baby fish

Warmer temperatures were supposed to make Arctic shipping easier. But thick floating ice created by local melting is a bigger risk than people realized

A group on the islands of Penghu is restoring ancient fishing weirs, hoping to preserve the sustainable fishing practice and attract ecotourism.

Cocaine has been detected in sharks for the first time, but scientists aren’t sure of the impact

Scientists hope the incredibly rare beaching of a spade-toothed whale will help them learn more about this persistently elusive species