Oceans

Climate

‘Killer Hurricanes’ reconstructs the past to predict storms of the future

Geologists find clues to the future of deadly hurricanes, written in stone and sand, in the new NOVA documentary “Killer Hurricanes.”

Oceans

Here’s a breakdown of the animals that crossed the Pacific on 2011 tsunami debris

Hundreds of marine animals from Japan have washed up on U.S. beaches since the destructive 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Animals

New deep-sea sponge could play a starring role in monitoring ocean health

A new species of sponge that dwells on metal-rich rocks could help scientists track the environmental impact of deep-sea mining.

Oceans

Castaway critters rafted to U.S. shores aboard Japan tsunami debris

Researchers report finding 289 living Japanese marine species that washed up on American shores on debris from the 2011 East Japan earthquake and tsunami.

Earth

How hurricanes and other devastating disasters spur scientific research

Hurricanes such as Harvey, Irma and others have been devastating, even deadly, yet they drive our desire for scientific discovery.

Oceans

How deep water surfaces around Antarctica

New 3-D maps trace the pathway that deep water takes to the surface of the Southern Ocean.

Animals

Giant larvaceans could be ferrying ocean plastic to the seafloor

Giant larvaceans could mistakenly capture microplastics, in addition to food, in their mucus houses and transfer them to the seafloor in their feces.

Earth

Deep heat may have spawned one of the world’s deadliest tsunamis

The 2004 Indonesian quake was surprisingly strong because of dried-out, brittle minerals far below.

Earth

Stunning images reveal glacial landscapes under the oceans

The most detailed atlas of the seafloor ever compiled offers colorful imagery and ghostly glimpses of Earth’s glacial past.

Animals

Sea creatures’ sticky ‘mucus houses’ catch ocean carbon really fast

A new deepwater laser tool measures the carbon-filtering power of snot nets created by little-known sea animals called giant larvaceans.

Climate

Radical idea could restore ice in the Arctic Ocean

Windmill-powered pumps on buoys throughout the Arctic Ocean could help bring back shrinking sea ice, researchers say.

Oceans

The Arctic is a final garbage dump for ocean plastic

Ocean currents dump plastic garbage from the North Atlantic into previously pristine Arctic waters, new research shows.