Oceans

  1. Animals

    Lionfish invasion comes to the Mediterranean

    Scientists had thought that the Mediterranean was too cold for lionfish to permanently settle there. But now they’ve found a population of the fish off Cyprus.

    By Sarah Zielinski
  2. Oceans

    Coral bleaching event is longest on record

    Widespread coral bleaching continues, in the longest episode, over the largest area to date.

    By Amy McDermott
  3. Oceans

    Deep-sea hydrothermal vents more abundant than thought

    Ecosystem-supporting hydrothermal vents are much more abundant along the ocean floor than previously thought.

    By Thomas Sumner
  4. Climate

    The ‘super’ El Niño is over, but La Niña looms

    The 2015–2016 El Niño has officially ended while its meteorological sister, La Niña, brews.

    By Thomas Sumner
  5. Ecosystems

    Ocean plankton held hostage by pirate viruses

    The most abundant photosynthesizers on Earth stop storing carbon when they catch a virus.

    By Susan Milius
  6. Animals

    Maximum size of giant squid remains a mystery

    A scientist has come up with a new estimate of the maximum size of giant squid. He says the animals could be as long as two public buses.

    By Sarah Zielinski
  7. Animals

    Tiny plastics cause big problems for perch, lab study finds

    Researchers have linked microplastics to feeding behavior changes and development issues in Baltic Sea perch.

    By Helen Thompson
  8. Environment

    Tiny plastics cause big problems for perch

    Researchers have linked microplastics to feeding behavior changes and development issues in Baltic Sea perch.

    By Helen Thompson
  9. Environment

    Deepwater Horizon oil spill caused months-long ‘dirty blizzard’

    Pollution from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill accumulated on the seafloor for months after the leak was patched.

    By Thomas Sumner
  10. Oceans

    Ancient tsunamis reshaped Mars’ landscape

    Ancient tsunamis generated by meteorite impacts may have reshaped ocean coastlines on Mars.

    By Thomas Sumner
  11. Oceans

    The Arctic Ocean is about to get spicier

    Variations in the saltiness and temperature of seawater of the same density, called spiciness, could increase as the Arctic Ocean warms.

    By Thomas Sumner
  12. Oceans

    Here’s where 17,000 ocean research buoys ended up

    A combined look at 35 years’ worth of ocean buoy movements reveals the currents that feed into ocean garbage patches.

    By Thomas Sumner