Oceans

Paleontology

In the wake of history’s deadliest mass extinction, ocean life may have flourished

Ocean life may have recovered in just a million years after the Permian-Triassic mass extinction, fossils from South China suggest.

Science & Society

Sea life offers a lens for self-exploration in ‘How Far the Light Reaches’

In a collection of essays profiling 10 marine animals, author Sabrina Imbler mixes in stories of their own family, self-discovery, sexuality and healing.

Ecosystems

Tiger sharks helped discover the world’s largest seagrass prairie

Instrument-equipped sharks went where divers couldn’t to survey the Bahama Banks seagrass ecosystem.

Oceans

Sharks face rising odds of extinction even as other big fish populations recover

Over the last 70 years, large ocean fishes like tuna and marlin have been recovering from overfishing. But sharks continue to decline toward extinction.

Climate

Here’s what happened to the Delaware-sized iceberg that broke off Antarctica

The powerful pull of currents in the Southern Ocean probably pulled apart the largest remnant of a massive iceberg that split off Antarctica in 2017.

Environment

Mangrove forests expand and contract with a lunar cycle

The carbon-sequestering trees grow in a roughly 18-year cycle according to tides influenced by the moon’s orbit, a study in Australia finds.

Climate

A coral pollution study unexpectedly helped explain Hurricane Maria’s fury

Tracking coral reef pollution in Puerto Rico, conservation researchers discovered by chance how the coastal ocean fueled Hurricane Maria.

Earth

The Tonga eruption may have spawned a tsunami as tall as the Statue of Liberty

A massive undersea volcanic eruption in the South Pacific in January created a tsunami that was initially 90 meters tall, computer simulations suggest.

Life

Sea sponges launch slow-motion snot rockets to clean their pores

Sea sponges rely on a sneezing mechanism to clear their pores, using mucus to flush out debris. This mucus provides food for other marine life.

Paleontology

Megatooth sharks may have been higher on the food chain than any ocean animal ever

Some megalodons and their ancestors were the ultimate apex predators, outeating all known marine animals, researchers report.

Oceans

How some sunscreens damage coral reefs

In lab experiments, sea anemones and coral turned oxybenzone into a toxin activated by light. But helpful algae may provide a layer of protection.

Climate

Coastal cities around the globe are sinking

Of 99 coastal cities, nearly one-third are sinking in some places at more than a centimeter per year, making them more vulnerable to rising seas.