New research suggests that Europa's shallow water reservoirs are unlikely to contain water from the deep ocean. The route from deep ocean to surface is probably much more difficult than scientists assumed, with turbulent water rising through ice cracks leading to freezing and clogging.
ADIS has collected over 165TB of ocean scans worldwide, identifying over 20,000 macroplastic items and creating a global dataset and map to track plastic hotspots. The system's second generation, ADIS2.0, is autonomously recognizing floating debris and taking detailed pictures.
A new study reveals that temperature changes in the Indian Ocean can significantly influence winter weather thousands of kilometers away in the Eastern Mediterranean, offering new opportunities to predict damaging dry spells months before they occur. Positive phases of the Indian Ocean Dipole are linked to large-scale shifts in atmosph...
Researchers found that tiny, invisible swirls in the deep ocean shape significant climate forces like sea level rise and fisheries collapse. Climate models require significant improvements to accurately predict these effects.
Scientists have found that 15 million years ago, the Atlantic Ocean had large low-oxygen zones, while the Pacific Ocean's zones were much smaller. A new study suggests that ocean circulation and continental position played a crucial role in shaping these zones, indicating that warming alone cannot explain changes in oxygen levels.
A Chinese research team has developed a deep learning model that can predict the South Indian Ocean Dipole (SIOD) seven months in advance, outperforming traditional dynamical forecasting systems. The model uses sea surface temperature and ocean heat content anomalies as inputs and automatically learns key features of ocean temperature ...
Researchers found that phytoplankton in the eastern equatorial Pacific were fertilized by iron from the seafloor during ice-age transitions. This suggests a possible feedback loop connecting sea level, seafloor volcanism, and ocean biology, with potential implications for climate change.
Researchers used the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model to predict internal tide sea-surface height signatures and improve SWOT satellite observations of small-scale ocean eddies. The new approach accounts for 60% more internal tide signal, yielding a clearer picture of these important ocean patterns.
A new framework developed by FSU researchers accurately models subsurface waves that interfere with satellite readings, increasing the accuracy of ocean circulation observations by 60%.
SwRI has introduced a new 30-inch diameter pressure vessel, enabling faster testing of larger equipment at extreme ocean depths. The vessel can test equipment up to 16,500 psig, simulating the pressures in the deepest parts of the ocean, and features a novel quick-acting closure system.
Research reveals tropical cyclones contribute to ocean carbon outgassing but its role is decreasing due to global warming. If emissions remain high, they may reverse to enhancing ocean carbon uptake, accelerating ocean acidification.
A new study reveals that the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) is more fragile than thought, with its dependence on data from various nations making it vulnerable to losses. The system's vulnerability is not just about data volume, but also geographic reach, emphasizing the need for a genuinely global, coordinated system.
Researchers found that microplastics can reduce carbon uptake by 25,000 and 48,000 tonnes in arid and tropical regions. The study incorporated the effect of microplastics on carbon uptake into a life cycle assessment of plastics.
A new study by the U.S. National Science Foundation National Center for Atmospheric Research has found that the biological productivity of the Southern Ocean is substantially greater than previously estimated. This discovery has significant implications for our understanding of the global carbon cycle and the marine food web.
A decades-long study of oceanographic data shows that warm water has expanded and shifted towards the Antarctic continental shelf, posing a threat to ice shelves. The Southern Ocean's circulation has changed, allowing excess heat from global warming to reach Antarctica's vulnerable ice sheets.
Researchers used a cabled marine observatory to study plankton abundance and variety over a four-year period. They found that long-term changes in aggregate abundance and plankton diversity were not influenced by ocean turbulence.
A new method called GOFLOW uses deep learning to measure ocean surface currents over large areas with greater detail than ever before. The approach applies to thermal images from weather satellites, requiring no new hardware.
The BBVA Foundation awards Carl Wunsch for his groundbreaking work revealing the ocean's central role in regulating Earth's climate. His innovative methods allow scientists to quantify ocean state under a changing climate, highlighting the need for a global ocean observing system.
A new study finds hitchhiking bacteria dissolve essential ballast in ubiquitous
A Rutgers researcher finds bacteria accelerate calcium carbonate dissolution in shallow seas, potentially slowing carbon sequestration and influencing climate change. The discovery sheds light on the ocean's biological carbon pump and its future implications.
Researchers found that the Southern Indian Ocean has decreased in salinity by 30% over the past six decades, bringing fresh water into the region. This could disrupt major ocean circulation systems and affect marine ecosystems, including plankton and sea grass.
Researchers developed the Ocean Equity Index to rate ocean initiatives on their recognition of stakeholders, inclusion in decision-making, and treatment. The index offers a practical way to prioritize coastal communities' rights and voices, leading to more equitable outcomes.
Researchers propose that dense, nutrient-rich ice can separate from surrounding ice and descend into the ocean, addressing a longstanding habitability problem on Europa. The study suggests a novel idea inspired by crustal delamination, which could be a consistent means of recycling ice and providing nutrients to the ocean.
The Global Ocean Ship-Based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP) has been awarded the Ocean Observing Team Award for its groundbreaking contributions to ocean observing. The program's repeat hydrography measurements have documented decadal changes in ocean circulation, heat, carbon, oxygen, and nutrients.
Lisa Rom has been selected as a Fellow of The Oceanography Society for her profound impact on ocean science education, particularly through the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) network. Her efforts have strengthened connections between research and society, broadened participation in the ocean sciences, and suppo...
Zhongping Lee received the 2026 Nils Gunnar Jerlov Medal for his transformative contributions to understanding light interaction with the ocean. His work reshaped ocean color science, enabling robust global observations of ocean transparency and productivity from satellites.
The Earth's ocean stored more heat in 2025 than in any year since modern measurements began, with a record-high increase of 23 Zetta Joules. The findings indicate stronger ocean warming trends since the 1990s and highlight the importance of reducing emissions to mitigate climate change.
A new study has found that the ocean's ability to absorb CO2 is stronger than previously assumed, with air bubbles playing a key role in this process. The research suggests that the ocean absorbed around 0.3-0.4 petagrams more carbon per year, about 15% more than previous estimates.
Researchers discovered that SAR11 marine bacteria are organized into stable, ecologically distinct groups, adapted to specific environments such as coastal and open ocean. These findings provide new insights into the global ocean's life-support system and climate reactions to threats like pollution and ocean warming.
Research shows that intense storms in the Southern Ocean enable it to absorb more heat from the atmosphere. This helps regulate Earth's climate by reducing global warming. The study found that stronger storm activity generates lower surface temperatures across the ocean.
A new global ocean data assimilation system has been developed to improve the accuracy of sea-surface temperature and sea-level anomaly forecasts. The YHGO platform integrates a fully nonlinear and non-Gaussian data assimilation method with a mass-conserving ocean model, leading to improved performance compared to existing systems.
A new study reveals that ammonia-oxidizing archaea rely on urea as a nitrogen source, enabling them to flourish in open ocean waters. This discovery challenges existing understanding of nitrification rates and highlights the crucial role of urea in sustaining ocean productivity.
Ocean is an international, peer-reviewed open-access journal dedicated to advancing research in ocean science, technology, and engineering. The journal aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and solve pressing challenges in ocean science and technology.
Researchers from UCSB have challenged the prevailing view of how carbon is fixed in the ocean's sunless depths. They found that microbes beyond autotrophic archaea and heterotrophs could be responsible for fixing carbon dioxide, providing a new understanding of deep-ocean food web dynamics.
A satellite deployed to measure ocean surface heights captured the first high-resolution track of a great subduction zone tsunami. The track shows an unexpectedly complex pattern of waves dispersing and scattering across the ocean basin.
A recent study reveals vast regions of the ocean are experiencing compound state change, with simultaneous warming, salinity changes, oxygen loss, and acidification. This framework enables scientists to identify areas most affected and monitor climate risks.
Researchers found upper ocean ecosystem conditions play a major role in shaping the composition of carbon-rich particles sinking into the deep ocean, storing carbon for decades. Microorganisms influence these transformations, which determine how long this carbon is locked away.
A modelling study suggests that heat stored in the Southern Ocean could be released, causing a rapid warming of the atmosphere. The ocean acts as a large heat reservoir, mitigating atmospheric warming since the Industrial Revolution.
New research reveals that oceanic upwelling systems amplify acidification, posing existential threats to fisheries and coastal economies. The study used historic coral samples and regional ocean models to predict future changes.
A new study reveals that 16% of the Arctic Ocean's dissolved organic carbon comes from land, primarily from thawing permafrost and coastal erosion. This finding has significant implications for understanding how terrestrial organic matter affects Arctic marine ecosystems and the ocean's ability to store CO2.
Researchers analyzed two marine-based carbon removal methods, ocean iron fertilization (OIF) and artificial ocean alkalinization (AOA), for their impacts on the climate system. OIF enhances marine carbon sinks by adding iron, increasing photosynthesis and absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, but exacerbates deep-ocean acidification.
A new model shows that buoyant plastics degrade slowly at the surface, fragmenting into smaller particles over decades. These tiny fragments can then sink to the ocean floor, but it may take more than 100 years for surface plastic waste to disappear.
Climate models oversimplify the role of calcifying plankton in capturing and cycling carbon, potentially underestimating the ocean's capacity to respond to climate change. Ignoring these organisms' diversity risks oversimplifying how the ocean responds to climate stressors.
A recent study by AWI suggests that the Southern Ocean's ability to absorb CO2 has remained unchanged despite climate change, due to increased density stratification between surface and deep water masses. This 'freshening' of surface water keeps carbon-rich deep water trapped in the lower layer.
A new study reveals that fluctuations in hydrothermal vent temperatures can indicate magmatic and tectonic processes deep beneath the seafloor. The research offers a powerful new tool for monitoring and predicting tectonic activity at mid-ocean ridges, one of the most active segments of the global ocean.
A new study highlights the Southern Ocean as a decisive factor in cooler warm periods, with stronger stratification leading to more carbon storage in the deep ocean. This led to less atmospheric CO2, a weaker greenhouse effect, and possibly a larger Antarctic ice sheet.
A new study found that marine heatwaves impact the base of ocean food webs, changing carbon cycling in the process. However, the effects of the two heatwaves were not consistent, with one causing a 'conveyor belt' to jam and increasing the risk of carbon returning to the atmosphere.
Researchers found that corals can regulate their calcifying fluid chemistry to maintain growth of their skeletons despite increasing ocean acidity. The study suggests an unexpected and hopeful signal, but more long-term data is needed to understand the implications.
The 2026 Ocean Sciences Meeting will be held in Glasgow, Scotland from February 22-27, 2025. The event will bring together 6,000 scientists, students, and educators to discuss breaking research on the ocean sciences and critical issues affecting a sustainable future for our oceans.
A new study reveals that corporations disclose little about their ocean-specific impacts, especially on biodiversity and ecosystems. The research highlights crucial gaps in current reporting frameworks and provides an important baseline for future comparisons.
A new study reveals that North Pacific waters are acidifying more rapidly below the surface than previously thought. Researchers analyzed a 35-year record of ocean carbon measurements and found increases in carbon from natural decomposition, with accelerated acidification associated with fresher and colder waters.
A NUS-led study analyzed coral samples from the Maldives, extending the sea-level record by 60 years and revealing an acceleration of rising sea levels since 1959. The findings show that the Indian Ocean has been highly responsive to climatic changes, with significant sea level rise of 30cm since the mid-20th century.
Researchers have identified diatoms as the dominant microorganisms in a previously mysterious area of the Southern Ocean. The study's findings suggest that diatoms are responsible for the high levels of reflectance observed in satellite images, providing new insights into carbon cycling and ocean biology.
A new study reveals that a decline in ocean oxygen levels is disrupting mesopelagic fish populations and ecosystems. The findings suggest that these events could destabilize ecological balances, impair the ocean's role in carbon cycling, and threaten marine biodiversity and food security.
A new study reveals that global ocean analysis products can achieve centimeter-level accuracy in seafloor positioning, comparable to traditional methods. This innovation could significantly reduce costs and logistical challenges in marine geodetic surveys.
A new study reveals that global ocean analysis products can replace expensive in-situ sound speed measurements for precise seafloor positioning. Global ocean analysis achieves centimeter-level accuracy, comparable to traditional methods, and reduces costs and logistical challenges in marine geodetic surveys.
Weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) impacts both the ocean and atmosphere, contributing equally to the cold anomaly. A cooler ocean surface reduces evaporation and moisture in the atmosphere, amplifying the pre-existing cold anomaly.
A groundbreaking study reveals that small zooplankton like copepods and krill enhance carbon sequestration through seasonal migrations. These tiny creatures store around 65 million tonnes of carbon annually in the deep ocean.
Marine food webs could be impacted as ocean 'greening' shifts phytoplankton biomass. Phytoplankton act like sponges absorbing CO2 during photosynthesis, influencing climate warming.
Longer winter sea ice duration is associated with a 20% increase in atmospheric CO2 absorption by the Southern Ocean. Sea ice protects the ocean from strong winds, allowing it to absorb more CO2 during winter.