New report reveals major risks in turning oceans into carbon sinks
The world’s oceans are expected to play a key part in drawing carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere to help slow dangerous climate warming. A central question is whether the…
The ancient oxygen flood that forever changed life in the oceans
Some 390 million years ago in the ancient ocean, marine animals began colonizing depths previously uninhabited. New research indicates this underwater migration occurred in response to a permanent increase in…
The oceans are overheating—and scientists say a climate tipping point may be here
The global marine heatwaves (MHWs) of 2023 were unprecedented in their intensity, persistence, and scale, according to a new study. The findings provide insights into the region-specific drivers of these…
Earth’s Oceans Were Once Green, And Scientists Say They Could Shift Color Again
Japanese scientists say that the evolution of photosynthesis caused Earth’s oceans to be formerly green, as per a report. The study suggests that the oceans supported only single-celled organisms and…
Study Finds Venus Likely Never Had Oceans, Challenging Past Theories
A recent study published in Nature Astronomy has concluded that Venus likely never had oceans or conditions conducive to life. The research, led by Tereza Constantinou, a doctoral researcher at…
Oceans emit sulfur and cool the climate more than previously thought
Researchers have quantified for the first time the global emissions of a sulfur gas produced by marine life, revealing it cools the climate more than previously thought, especially over the…
Uranus’s swaying moons will help spacecraft seek out hidden oceans
When NASA’s Voyager 2 flew by Uranus in 1986, it captured grainy photographs of large ice-covered moons. Now nearly 40 years later, NASA plans to send another spacecraft to Uranus,…
Diving deeper into our oceans: Underwater drones open new doors for global coral reef research
At the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST), scientists at the Marine Genomics Unit, in collaboration with the Japanese telecommunications company NTT Communications, have identified the genera of mesophotic…
Ice age could help predict oceans’ response to global warming
A team of scientists led by a Tulane University oceanographer has found that deposits deep under the ocean floor reveal a way to measure the ocean oxygen level and its…