Know your Ocean: Did you know?
Did you know?
Dive in and find answers to your deepest ocean questions. Why is the ocean blue? What causes ocean waves? How do I become and oceanographer? Get the facts and increase your ocean knowledge.
Can probiotics make coral reefs healthier?
Just as humans use probiotics to prevent sickness and promote better health, the Reef Solutions team at WHOI is trying to determine if a naturally-occurring probiotic in the ocean—a bacteria known as Synechococcus—can offer similar benefits to corals.
How do fish swim in schools?
Fish swim in schools to help them evade hungry predators, spot rich feeding areas, and find mates. But how do thousands of fish move together as fluidly as dancers?
How do wrecks impact marine life?
Millions of shipwrecks provide habitat for marine life, though impacts vary by material, depth, and pollution. Artificial reefs offer safer, intentional habitats.
Why is the ocean vital for our survival?
Without the ocean, life as we know it wouldn’t be possible.
How do manatees stay hydrated?
Marine mammals need to hydrate—even in the saltiest of seas. Here’s how manatees stay fresh wherever they go.
What happens in the ocean as a hurricane passes over?
Hurricanes are powerful storms that cause massive damage on land. Here’s a look at what happens below the surface during a storm.
What is a marine heatwave?
From waning winds to warmer atmospheres, here is the recipe for sudden temperature spikes in our ocean
Why do emperor penguins toboggan?
Learn why Emperor penguins slide around on their bellies or “toboggan” when they’re on the move in Antarctica.
How deep do marine plastics go?
Learn how plastic pollution pervades the ocean, from surface debris to deep-sea trenches. With 390 million tons produced annually, plastic poses a significant threat, impacting marine ecosystems and organisms.
How does ocean warming affect fisheries?
The ocean has absorbed 93% of excess heat from human activities, raising its temperature by 1.5°F since 1901. Warming oceans impact fish migration, leading to conflicts and overfishing.
Where does all the carbon go?
Explore the ocean’s critical role in carbon sequestration and how it could be a pathway to mitigate climate change.
Can AI help us explore the ocean?
Learn how scientists at WHOI are using AI, like the software “Spock,” to enable autonomous underwater robots, such as Nereid Under Ice and CUREE, to study marine life and explore ocean environments.
What are ocean robots?
From the icy poles to sensitive coral reefs, robots empower us to understand more of the ocean than ever before. But just what are they?
How do ocean robots take the pressure?
Find out how engineers build robots to withstand the crushing pressures of the deep sea
What is a rogue wave?
Behemoth waves are more than just folklore. Learn the science behind these deadly swells.
How do polynyas help feed emperor penguins?
When female emperor penguins—and later, males—return to the ocean to feed, they need a spot that gives them easy access to both the water and the ice. And, they also need places that are teeming with fish and other types of prey. Learn how polynyas provide a place where penguins can feast and build their energy reserves after breeding.
Sea level rises when land sinks
People around the world are worried about rising sea levels. Much of this increase comes from melting polar ice and ocean waters that expand as they warm. But along many coastlines, sea level rises much more than we might expect simply from changes in the ocean.
Why is glacier ice blue?
When sunlight shines on a field of snow, it reflects a bright-even blinding-white. But if you get a good look at the leading edge of a glacier, you’ll find that the ice inside is a brilliant blue.
Is glacier ice actually rock?
In places where it gets cold and snowy in winter, many meters of snow can fall. In some the following winter, adding a new layer to what was already there. Over hundreds to thousands of years, this process creates big sheets of ice called glaciers.
How do corals form colonies?
If you stare at just one spot on a coral reef, your eyes could be seeing more than 1,000 animals per square foot. That’s because the thing that makes up most of these marine ecosystems are tiny living animals called coral polyps, which exist on the surface of reef formations.
What makes the ocean salty?
The water flowing into the ocean comes from freshwater streams and rivers. These bodies of water do contain salt. It dissolves from rocks on land. That’s because rain is slightly acidic.
How do glaciers affect sea level rise?
Sea levels have risen and fallen throughout geologic history due to a myriad of natural processes, most notably the forming and melting of glaciers.
How does the ocean affect storms?
Under the right conditions, some of those storms can grow into large tropical storms. Or even monstrous hurricanes.
Are corals plants, animals, or rocks?
The base of a coral reef is coral, but what is coral? If you look at a piece of coral that washed up on shore, it’s solid and tough with rough edges and little pits.
Why do corals bleach?
Corals have a symbiotic relationship with algae. The algae gives corals their color and provides them with food. In return, corals provide the algae with a place to live.
How does bioluminescence work?
Deep in the ocean there’s very little sunlight. But if you could swim down there, it would look a bit like the night sky. Why is this?
How are seashells made?
One of the most striking features of our beaches is seashells. Their whorls, curves, and shiny iridescent insides are the remains of animals. But where do they come from?
How do I become an oceanographer?
Like all scientists, oceanographers are curious. Students who are curious about all things ocean might make great oceanographers. So how do you become one?
How is beach sand created?
Beaches can be white, black, green, red and even pink. What creates those different colors? Why is some sand soft and fine, but other types feel rough? Where does beach sand come from, anyway?
What’s the difference between climate and weather?
We often hear about the weather. We also hear about climate. The two terms are related. But they are not the same thing. What’s the difference?