Oceans

Oceans

Tiny plastic debris is accumulating far beneath the ocean surface

Floating trash patches scratch only the surface of the ocean microplastic pollution problem.

Climate

The Southern Ocean may be less of a carbon sink than we thought

The Southern Ocean’s ability to suck up much of the carbon that humans pump into the atmosphere is in question.

Animals

Endangered green sea turtles may be making a comeback in the U.S. Pacific

The numbers of green sea turtles spotted around Hawaii, American Samoa and the Mariana Islands have increased in the last decade.

Microbes

A global survey finds that the Arctic Ocean is a hot spot for viruses

Scientists mapped virus diversity around the world’s oceans. That knowledge may be key to making better climate simulations.

Earth

Warm, dry winds may be straining Antarctica’s Larsen C ice shelf

Wind-induced melting that occurred during the Antarctic autumn may be accelerating the Larsen C ice shelf’s collapse, which could raise sea levels.

Climate

Antarctica’s iceberg graveyard could reveal the ice sheet’s future

Drilling deep into the seafloor beneath Antarctica’s “Iceberg Alley” could reveal new clues about how quickly the continent has melted in the past.

Climate

What happens when the Bering Sea’s ice disappears?

Record-low sea ice in 2018 sent ripples through the Bering Sea’s entire ecosystem. Will this be the region’s new normal?

Oceans

Tiny bits of iron may explain why some icebergs are green

Scientists originally thought the green hue of some icebergs came from carbon particles. Instead, iron oxides may color the ice.

Oceans

Oceans that are warming due to climate change yield fewer fish

Warming water due to climate change is diminishing sustainable fishery yields in the world’s oceans.

Life

Readers ponder mitochondria, Neandertal diets, deep sea corals and more

Readers had questions about mitochondrial DNA, Neandertal diets, deep ocean corals and more.

Climate

Tidal floods driven by climate change may hurt small businesses

Parking data from Annapolis, Md.’s historic downtown shows how tidal flooding, driven by sea rise, can hurt local business.

Climate

An Antarctic expedition will search for what lived under the Larsen C ice shelf

The fourth attempt to investigate the seafloor once hidden by the Larsen C iceberg may have the best chance yet of success.