Multimedia
Coral reef deterioration stages
Healthy corals support healthy marine ecosystems, but corals are in crisis on many fronts.
Read MoreCross-section of an anticyclonic eddy, warm core ring used for food sourcing
White sharks use warm, swirling anticyclonic eddies from the Gulf Stream to dive deeper and hunt efficiently in the ocean twilight zone, saving energy.
Read MoreCurrent vortices peeling off cylinders
Fluid usually doesn’t flow smoothly around cylindrical objects. Instead, the flow breaks away from the object into vortices, similar to those made by fish.
Read MoreGreenland circulation
Map illustrating North Atlantic currents flowing into two Greenland fjords, combined with seafloor bathymetry.
Read MoreCities and sea level impact
2013 map highlighting 20 cities projected to be at risk due to sea level rise.
Read MoreAcoustic Sensing Cube in the Ocean Twilight Zone
An ocean network could provide a comprehensive view of the twilight zone, or mesopelagic, using several different technologies including moored buoys equipped with acoustic survey systems
Read MoreAnatomy of a rip current
Waves push water toward shore, but it escapes fast through narrow gaps—rip currents form as water funnels out to sea through these hidden channels.
Read MoreAnatomy of the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami
Before and after the Fukushima earthquake and tsunami.
Read MoreAntarctic ecosystem
Antarctic animals make their living in the ocean, because the land is too cold, dry, and dark for plants and animals. Explore this unusual ecosystem.
Read MoreAntarctic ecosystem, summer environment
Antarctic animals all make their living in the ocean, because the land is too cold, dry, and dark for plants and animals.
Read MoreAntarctic ecosystem, winter environment
Antarctica’s coastal seas are especially important because they shelter an abundant ecosystem, supporting large predators such as penguins, seals and whales.
Read MoreArctic Ocean currents
Detailed map illustrating Arctic currents and the surrounding sovereign regions in flat projection.
Read MoreArctic ecosystem
This abundant ecosystem supports large predators like walruses, polar bears, and whales.
Read MoreArctic ecosystem, including humans
Arctic animals, including humans, survive on the ocean’s plentiful resources.
Read More"How Climate Change Spurred the Rise and Fall of Ancient Civilizations"
Climate change particularly changes in the monsoon—prompted dramatic changes in how the peoples of ancient India lived.
Read MoreEffects of winds on glaciers flowing from the Greenland ice sheet into fjords
See more Illustrations by Jack Cook, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Read MoreGlacial Lake Drainage
Related information from Oceanus magazine Scientists Find Trigger That Cracks Lakes Fast-draining lakes atop Greenland ice sheet could accelerate sea level rise
Read MoreOcean Encounters: Small but Mighty
Microscopic marine life plays a huge role in our ocean—fueling food webs, shaping climate, and offering clues to life’s origins.
Read MoreCyanobacteria Life Cycle
Freshwater cyanobacteria vary widely in morphology and cellular organization, ranging from unicellular to more complex filamentous and colonial structures.
Read MorePseudo nitzchia Life Cycle
Click through the life cycle of Pseudo-nitzschia, a chain-forming diatom that must reproduce sexually to reset its size—and can make a dangerous toxin.
Read MoreDinoflagellate Life Cycle
Explore how dinoflagellates such as Alexandrium reproduce by asexual fission: One cell grows and then divides into two cells, then two into four, and so on.
Read MoreOcean Encounters: Rising Seas Resilient Coasts
Learn what drives sea level rise, its impacts, and how we can build resilient coasts and communities to protect lives and livelihoods.
Read MoreOcean Encounters: Volcanoes
Learn about volcanoes on the seafloor, the insights they’re revealing, and how they impact our ocean planet.
Read MoreIlluminating the Seafloor
Teamwork between a deep-sea robot and a human-occupied submarine led to the discovery of five new hydrothermal vents on the seafloor of the eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean.
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