Pike Place Market, Seattle.
A new study shows that sustainable fish farming in deep ocean waters could produce as much seafood as all of the world's wild fisheries, in a space the size of Lake Michigan or Africa's Lake Victoria.
Ancient whales, such as
Janjucetus illustrated here, used their sharp teeth to capture and process their prey.
Ancient whales were neither gentle, nor giants: they were smaller than those of today and judging from their teeth, a lot meaner.
Plastic trash on San Francisco’s Ocean Beach.
A new study shows that anchovies – key food for larger fish – are attracted to plastic trash because it smells like food. This suggests that toxic substances in plastic could move up through food chains.
Giant kelp can grow up to 60cm a day, given the right conditions.
In an extract from his new book, Tim Flannery explains how giant kelp farms could suck carbon dioxide from the air and store it in the ocean's depths, while encouraging species like fish and oysters.
Hey, what about us? Whale shark (spotted) and manta ray, a close shark relative.
As the Discovery Channel and National Geographic Wild unleash a week of dueling shark programs, a biologist advises viewers to take what they see with a large grain of sea salt.
The Agulhas Current plays a critical role in global ocean circulation that influences climatic conditions across the world.
Great white photobomb.
George T. Probst/NOAA/Flickr
The world's oceans are home to innumerable life forms, from sponges to sea lions, and scientists have many creative ways of studying them.
The famous “faceless fish”, which garnered worldwide headlines when it was collected by the expedition.
Surveying the bottom of the ocean turns out to be far from easy. But there was something wonderful about seeing animals we have only read about in old books.
Furious winds keep the McMurdo Dry Valleys in Anarctica free of snow and ice. Calcites found in the valleys have revealed the secrets of ancient subglacial volcanoes.
Melting ice from Antartica could feed vast plankton blooms, trapping carbon in the ocean. To understand this complex mechanism, researchers looked at volcanoes deep under glaciers.
There are a number of ways the global community can protect the oceans.
The UN Ocean Conference provides a golden opportunity for countries to present their aspirations for sustainably growing their 'blue' economies.
A shark’s nose is chemosensory only, and it doesn’t join up to the back of the throat like ours does.
Sharks can't sneeze like we do, but they can do other cool tricks -- like making their stomach stick out of their mouth to get rid of unwanted stuff.
U.S. Navy diver off the coast of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
MC2 Kori Melvin, U.S. Navy/Wikipedia
Cuban and US scientists are forming partnerships to protect coral reefs and fisheries in both countries. But President Trump may soon announce steps to slow or reverse the US opening to Cuba.
The planet is more similar to Earth than any other – except when it comes to supporting life.
Many African countries are sitting on vast and under-utilised oceanic territories that have the potential to unlock enormous economic value, if properly governed.
Humpback whales getting a feed.
Janie Wray/North Coast Cetacean Society
A new study shows that the way humpback whales choose their habitats is affected by humans.
The researchers found nearly 38 million pieces of plastic rubbish on Henderson Island, in one of the remotest parts of the ocean.
Plastics pose a major threat to seabirds and other animals, and most don't ever break down - they just break up. Every piece of petrochemical-derived plastic ever made still exists on the planet.
Fish leave bits of DNA behind that researchers can collect.
Mark Stoeckle/Diane Rome Peebles images
Animals shed bits of DNA as they go about their lives. A new study of the Hudson River estuary tracked spring migration of ocean fish by collecting water samples and seeing whose DNA was present when.
Suspected pirates surrender to a multinational naval force in 2009.
Reuters/Jason R. Zalasky/U.S. Navy
Any relapse of piracy is likely to foster an even more dangerous brand of hijackings on Somali waters. It's therefore an opportune time to address piracy once and for all.
Suspected Somali pirates captured by the Dutch navy working under NATO command.
The tanker hijacking off the Somali coast will not be an isolated incident unless the international community remains engaged to root out piracy.
NERC / National Oceanography Centre
The new sub allows scientists to access some of the most remote and hazardous environments in the ocean.