Pacific Ocean

We Know How Stressed Whales Are Because Scientists Looked At Their Earwax

A new study looks at stress hormone levels in whale ear wax, showing how hunting and climate change have impacted he giant beasts

Rake marks on humpback flukes may be literal tallies of battles won—like the scars seen on the upper right fluke fin here—but little is known about the losses.

With Humans Out of the Way, Humpbacks Are Flourishing—But So Are Orcas

Researchers are just now beginning to understand what happens when one whale species attacks another

Princepajaro, a male California sea lion, swims in a pool during treatment for leptospirosis at The Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, CA. When a leptospirosis outbreak occurs, the Center’s scientists study the disease to learn more about what causes an outbreak and how we can improve treatment for infected animals.

Major Disease Outbreak Strikes California Sea Lions

Leptospirosis afflicts sea lions on a semi-regular cycle, but warming waters and migrating fish could make the marine mammals more susceptible

The labyrinthine network stretches roughly 4.5 miles across the ocean floor

Researchers Unearth Glass Labyrinth Created by Underwater Volcanic Eruption

The unusual formation is situated nearly three miles below the ocean's surface—a distance greater than Mount Rainier's height above sea level

Never-Before-Seen Colony of 1,000 Brooding Octopuses Found Off California Coast

The deep sea creatures are raising their eggs on the Davidson Seamount in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Tlingit artist Arthur B. Nelson’s Devil Fish Halibut Hook, 2012, is an impressive example of a contemporary wooden halibut hook designed to be a piece of art rather than a functional example of halibut fishing equipment. The carving depicts raven, frog, octopus, and human spirits.

The Traditional Wooden Halibut Hook That's Still Snagging Fish Off Alaska

An Indigenous method of catching halibut on the northwest coast of North America mixes expert craftsmanship with spirituality—and the fish are biting

The dazzling pink and yellow fish is the only member of its genus known to reside in the Atlantic rather than the Pacific

Newly Discovered Neon Fish Species Is Named After Greek Goddess of Love

Researchers were so entranced by the pink and yellow fish that they failed to spot a sixgill shark swimming just above their heads

The device is designed to function as an artificial shoreline, drifting with ocean currents and collecting plastic in a 10-foot net-like screen

2,000-Foot-Long Plastic Catcher Released to Aid Cleanup of Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Skeptics argue the device will endanger marine wildlife, exacerbate existing pollution problems

Captain James Cook set out on a voyage across the Pacific 250 years ago, seemingly on a scientific voyage. But he carried secret instructions from the Navy with him as well.

Captain Cook’s 1768 Voyage to the South Pacific Included a Secret Mission

The explorer traveled to Tahiti under the auspices of science 250 years ago, but his secret orders were to continue Britain’s colonial project

Satellite Image of Hurricane Lane

Why Hawaiian Hurricanes Are So Rare

The islands are usually protected by their remoteness and a stable high pressure system, which has gone wonky in the last year

The link between sunscreen and skin protection is watertight. Unfortunately, many common sunscreens may be devastating for the health of coral reefs.

Can We Create Sunscreen That Protects Both Humans and Coral Reefs?

Sunscreen is vital for skin protection. But researchers are finding that even 'reef-friendly' versions may pose serious environmental threats

An example of a moai wearing a red scoria pukao.

The Clever Way the Easter Island Statues Got Hats

A new analysis of the 13-ton red stone pukao show the carvings were likely rolled up ramps to the leaning statues

"Laze" caused by lava interacting with ocean waters.

Watch Kīlauea’s Lava Flow Into the Ocean, Creating Billowing Clouds of ‘Laze’

The interaction between the lava and the water creates a hazardous mix of hydrochloric acid, steam and volcanic glass particles

Bycatch is a major problem in fisheries, resulting in the deaths of countless endangered animals. New dynamic software helps fishermen avoid this harmful phenomenon.

Smart Software Helps Fishermen Catch the Fish They Want, Not Endangered Species

Like a dynamic weather app for the sea, the program allows fishermen to pinpoint areas of conservation and can be updated daily

Exterior Cracks Force Indefinite Closure of the USS Arizona Memorial

Workers are currently assessing the damage to the iconic structure that straddles the sunken ship

Plastic ice bag found by a NOAA expedition to the Marianas in 2016

Even the Deepest Parts of the Ocean Are Polluted With Startling Amounts of Plastic

A review of data from 5,010 ROV dives reveals and abundance of single-use plastics littering the seas

Guzmán and his team were only able to pinpoint the whale shark's whereabouts when it rose to the surface to feed.

What the Longest Known Whale Shark Migration Ever Tells Us About Conservation

Researchers in Panama tracked a specimen via satellite over an unprecedented 12,516 miles

Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Cracks Open Earth, Endangering Neighborhoods With Lava

The area affected by the lava is one of the fastest growing in the state

A flock of beluga whales in the Sea of Japan, off the coast of Russia.

How Culture Guides Belugas' Annual Odysseys Across the Arctic

Strong, multi-generational ties help the cetaceans make the same migrations year after year

An Atlantic sixgill pup found off the coast of Belize.

Scientists Identify New Species of Elusive Deep-Sea Shark

DNA analysis has shown that Atlantic-dwelling sixgill sharks are distinct from their relatives in the Indian and Pacific oceans

Page 9 of 14