Oceans

A humpback whale, not involved in the study, shows off its pecs.

Watch Humpback Whales Scoop Fish Into Their Mouths Using Their Fins

With the help of a drone and other new technologies, researchers were able to study the whales from a bird’s-eye view

North Atlantic Right Whale Mamas Whisper to Their Babies to Keep Them Safe

By using soft grunts instead of their normal loud call, it's believed they avoid the attention of orcas, sharks and other predators

Here an octopus—not Heidi—swims in a tank.

Heidi the Snoozing Octopus May Not Be Dreaming After All

A video of the octopus’ in-sleep color changes are fascinating, but it doesn’t tell us much

The Buoyant Ecologies Float Lab will be offshore of Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland for three years, in an effort to test its viability as a substrate for futuristic floating cities.

Designing Floating Buildings With an Eye to the Marine Species Living Underneath

A prototype deployed in San Francisco Bay imagines the underside of a floating building as an upside-down artificial reef

Artists reconstruction of Phoebodus sharks.

This Ancient Shark Looked Like an Eel and Swallowed Its Prey Whole

Scans of a rare 360-million-year-old shark skeleton shows the beasts used hunting techniques similar to modern sharks and fish

Dolphins and their calves enjoying a summer day in the lower Potomac River.

Dolphins Are Finally Living and Breeding in the Potomac River Again

About 1,000 bottlenose dolphins have been recorded in the lower reaches of the recovering river, including one that gave birth in August

An Atlantic spotted dolphin swims behind a Pilot whale.

Shedding Genes Helped Whales and Dolphins Evolve for Life at Sea

When adopting an aquatic lifestyle, cetaceans ditched genetic code related to sleep, DNA restoration and more

Three green sea turtles, Chelonia mydas, on a coral reef, Heron Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia.

Coral Reefs Face the Dual Threats of Ocean Acidification and Erosion

As coral tissues die off, the exposed calcified skeleton becomes vulnerable to organisms that eat away at the dying reefs

These Prehistoric Sea Monsters Had a Mean Breast Stroke

A new study shows Mosasaurs not only swam using their tails but used powerful pectoral muscles for short bursts to ambush prey

One 23-year-old supermom gave birth to 17 pups over her lifetime

Select Elephant Seal ‘Supermoms’ Produce Most Pups

The most successful seal mothers were those that 'bred at every opportunity and lived long'

In Northern California, purple sea urchins are decimating kelp forests. Though the species of urchin causing problems may vary by region, the damage is the same.

Could Eating Sea Urchins Help Revive Kelp Forests?

A Norwegian 'urchin ranching' company wants to take the echinoderms from the wild, fatten them up and sell them to restaurants

One of many contaminated crabs at the Deepwater Horizon site.

Deepwater Horizon Site Is Now a Sticky Wasteland Populated by Sickly Crabs

Degrading hydrocarbons attract shrimp and crab to the spill site, where they are contaminated by oil and develop a variety of problems

Victor Vescovo piloting his sub, Limiting Factor.

American Becomes First to Visit the Five Deepest Spots in World's Oceans

Victor Vescovo recently concluded his Five Deeps Expedition, piloting a custom-built submarine to the deepest trenches on Earth

Leatherback sea turtle hatchlings rush toward the water

Baby Sea Turtles’ Fossilized Tracks Found in South Africa

Researchers recorded trackways left by relatives of modern loggerhead and leatherback turtles

The frame of the underwater observatory responsible for the power supply during deployment.

A Huge Underwater Observatory Has Vanished Without a Trace

The instrument, located off Germany’s Baltic coast, cost more than $330,000. But its data was ‘priceless,’ one expert said

An 8,000-Year-Old Platform in Britain Could Be the Oldest Boat-Building Site Ever Discovered

The Stone Age platform, where log boats may have been constructed, reveals early knowledge of advanced wood working techniques

The Titanic Is Being Reclaimed by the Sea

The first manned survey of the ship in 14 years reveals parts of the vessel have rusted away, including the crow's nest, captain's quarters and poop deck

Dead vaquita entangled in a gillnet set for Totoaba

There Are ‘At Most’ 19 Vaquitas Left in the Wild

An alarming new study documents the continued decline of the critically endangered porpoise—but it may still be possible to save the species

Marine species with fluorescent proteins absorb, transform and reemit light, generating a spectacular display of color in the process.

Amazing Photos Reveal the Hidden Light of Undersea Life

Photographer Louise Murray dips into the dark ocean to capture the spectacle of marine fluorescence

The newly identified American Pocket Shark was first discovered in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010.

This New Shark Species Looks Like a Tiny Sperm Whale

The 5.5-inch-long <em>Mollisquama mississippiensis</em>—one of only two pocket shark specimens known to science—also glows in the dark

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