The Ocean Learning Hub
Explore knowledge-based content exclusively about our ocean.
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Featured Content
How does the ocean impact hurricanes?
Hurricanes unleash powerful winds, rain, and storm surges on land—but they also stir the ocean, disrupting ecosystems and impacting marine life and currents.
How are seashells made?
One of the most striking features of our beaches is…
What are marine microplastics?
Discover what microplastics are and their potential impacts on ocean…
Is the Great Barrier Reef making a comeback?
The world’s largest reef saw record growth after years of…
Ocean Topics
The ocean covers more than two-thirds of Earth's surface, it makes life as we know it possible, and it sustains human society. These topics will help you begin to explore the ocean and its vital importance to Earth and everything that lives on it.
The ocean plays a central—yet underappreciated—role in global climate and regional weather patterns, including droughts, rainstorms, and hurricanes.
Ocean-Based Climate Solutions
Ocean-based, clean energy technologies hold great potential for ocean-based climate solutions, such as blue carbon, biofuels, and carbon dioxide removal…
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Ocean Warming
Increasing ocean heat is closely linked to increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, making the ocean an excellent indicator of…
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Paleoclimatology
Understanding how climate naturally varied over thousands and millions of years teaches us how Earth's climate system works and sheds…
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Sea Level Rise
Sea level rise is expected to continue for centuries and may impact human and the natural environment.
Read MoreUnderstanding how the ocean works is foundational to understanding life on this planet and to the discipline of oceanography.
Ocean-Atmosphere Connection
The complex connections of these two systems are responsible for Earth's weather and climate.
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Twilight Zone
The ocean twilight zone is a layer of water that stretches around the globe. It lies 200 to 1,000 meters…
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Carbon Cycle
Carbon is the building block of life on Earth and has a powerful impact on the planet’s climate.
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Coastal Science
Although the oceans cover most of Earth, the the tiny sliver of the coastal ocean greatly influences, and is most…
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Water Cycle
The water cycle describes the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth.
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FAQs about Ocean Acidification
These questions were widely distributed to the research community with the request to draft concise replies summarizing current knowledge with…
Read MoreThe oceans are critical to human flourishing: they feed and sustain billions of people, and make life as we know it possible.
Earthquakes and Seismic Waves
Earthquakes release energy as seismic waves, revealing Earth's interior and helping locate quake sources to understand tectonic processes and earthquake…
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Marine Microplastics
Marine microplastics are small fragments of plastic debris that are less than five millimeters long. Some microplastics, known as primary…
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Beach Closures
Hundreds of beaches nationwide are closed each year due to the presence of potentially harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites in…
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Harmful Algae & Red Tides
Tiny plants pose a potent threat to those who live in and eat from the sea.
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Hurricanes
Hurricanes are large rotating tropical storms with winds in excess of 119 kilometers per hour. They usually form in the…
Read MoreEvery drop of ocean water holds living things. Across Earth’s history, the ocean has nurtured nearly every form of life that has ever existed.
Right Whale FAQs
Northern right whales are large baleen whales known for their distinctive callosities and slow-moving nature. Read our FAQ about this…
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Reef Ecosystems
A healthy reef protects coastlines from wave damage, plays a critical role in providing food, boosts the economy, and provides…
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Emperor Penguins
The emperor penguin is the largest living penguin species standing around 115 centimeters tall. Once they have found a partner,…
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Right Whales
The North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis) is one of the most endangered whales in the world—approximately 340 remain—due to…
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Marine Microbes
Microbial life can be found throughout the ocean, from rocks and sediments beneath the seafloor, across the vast stretches of…
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Studying the ocean is as much a technological challenge as it is a scientific one.
Ocean Observatories
Ocean observatories have suites of instruments and sensors with long-term power supplies and permanent communications links that feed data in…
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Underwater Vehicles
Oceanographic observing tools has grown to include human-occupied submersibles, remote-controlled vehicles, and autonomous robots.
Read MoreThe global ocean provides food, minerals, and other valuable resources.
Offshore Wind
Offshore wind energy generates electricity through wind farms along inshore water areas such as lakes, fjords and sheltered coastal areas,…
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Seafloor Mining
The ocean contains a complex combination of processes that sometimes result in commercially viable forms of a wide range of…
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Sustainable Ocean
The global ocean provides food, minerals, and other valuable resources for human use.
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Aquaculture
Aquaculture is the farming in fresh and saltwater environments of aquatic animals or plants principally for food. Fish, mollusks, crustaceans,…
Read MoreExplore Media by Type
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.
Arctic ecosystem
This abundant ecosystem supports large predators like walruses, polar bears, and whales.
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Tangled Up in Fishing Gear
What scientists learned from a right whale named Eg 3911.
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Jason to the Rescue
Using the dexterous mechanical arms of ROV Jason, pilots and scientists remove lava chunks from a singed ocean-bottom sesimometer
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Climate Hero: The Ocean’s Super-Powered Carbon Pump
Learn about the biological carbon pump—the living ocean’s role in moving carbon out of the atmosphere and into the depths.
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Sonic Seas: Using Sound to Understand and Conserve the Ocean
Experts discuss the many ways that ocean life uses sound and what those sounds can tell us about biodiversity, health,…
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Ocean Encounters: Titanic and Beyond
From the Titanic's discovery in 1985 to the present day, deep-sea imaging has evolved, revealing breathtaking discoveries from the deep…
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Ocean Encounters: An Ocean of Sound
The ocean echoes with sounds from animals and humans alike. Discover how scientists decode these signals to protect marine life…
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Ocean Encounters: Cities and the Sea
Join us as we explore impacts, adaptations, and new possibilities in urban ocean regions around the world.
Read MoreTangled Up in Fishing Gear
What scientists learned from a right whale named Eg 3911.
Read MoreJason to the Rescue
Using the dexterous mechanical arms of ROV Jason, pilots and scientists remove lava chunks from a singed ocean-bottom sesimometer
Read MoreClimate Hero: The Ocean’s Super-Powered Carbon Pump
Learn about the biological carbon pump—the living ocean’s role in moving carbon out of the atmosphere and into the depths.
Read MoreSonic Seas: Using Sound to Understand and Conserve the Ocean
Experts discuss the many ways that ocean life uses sound and what those sounds can tell us about biodiversity, health,…
Read MoreOcean Encounters: Titanic and Beyond
From the Titanic's discovery in 1985 to the present day, deep-sea imaging has evolved, revealing breathtaking discoveries from the deep…
Read MoreOcean Encounters: An Ocean of Sound
The ocean echoes with sounds from animals and humans alike. Discover how scientists decode these signals to protect marine life…
Read MoreOcean Encounters: Cities and the Sea
Join us as we explore impacts, adaptations, and new possibilities in urban ocean regions around the world.
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Ocean Encounters: Ice!
Explore icy frontiers on Earth and beyond—discover how life survives, what ice reveals about our past, and where it might…
Read MoreOcean Encounters: Titanic and Beyond
From the Titanic's discovery in 1985 to the present day, deep-sea imaging has evolved, revealing breathtaking discoveries from the deep…
Read MoreOcean Encounters: An Ocean of Sound
The ocean echoes with sounds from animals and humans alike. Discover how scientists decode these signals to protect marine life…
Read MoreOcean Encounters: Cities and the Sea
Join us as we explore impacts, adaptations, and new possibilities in urban ocean regions around the world.
Read MoreOcean Encounters: Ice!
Explore icy frontiers on Earth and beyond—discover how life survives, what ice reveals about our past, and where it might…
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Ocean Encounters: Geology Rocks!
Curious about Earth's inner workings? Meet three geologists with unique careers studying quakes, volcanoes, and the planet beneath our feet.
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Ocean Encounters: Restless Seas
The ocean is constantly in motion. Learn how changing currents shape climate, support life, and impact us all.
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Ocean 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.
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Ocean 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…
Read MoreArctic ecosystem
This abundant ecosystem supports large predators like walruses, polar bears, and whales.
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The Biological Pump
The biological pump converts greenhouse gas that warms Earth climate into organic carbon that is then stored in the depths…
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Radioisotopes Tracking Tuna Migration
Bluefin tuna born before the Fukushima disaster did not have elevated levels of cesium-134, but those caught in August 2011…
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How subterranean water seeps into the continental shelf and into the ocean
When the ice sheets melted, sea levels rose, submerging former coastlines. Aquifers once under land now lie beneath the ocean…
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Isochrysis algae to biofuel and jet fuel
Researchers discovered that the algae Isochrysis can produce both biodiesel and jet fuel by utilizing its unique fats, despite its…
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Jet Fuel from Algae?
Scientists have explored a way to make two types of fuel—biodiesel and jet fuel from different compounds in a single…
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The Equatorial Undercurrent
At the equator, trade winds drive a surface current west, while the cooler, nutrient-rich Equatorial Undercurrent creates upwelling near islands.
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Earth and its water coverage in relation to its size
If Earth were a basketball, all its water would fit in a ping pong ball—and drinkable fresh water would be…
Read MoreArctic ecosystem
This abundant ecosystem supports large predators like walruses, polar bears, and whales.
Read MoreThe Biological Pump
The biological pump converts greenhouse gas that warms Earth climate into organic carbon that is then stored in the depths…
Read MoreRadioisotopes Tracking Tuna Migration
Bluefin tuna born before the Fukushima disaster did not have elevated levels of cesium-134, but those caught in August 2011…
Read MoreHow subterranean water seeps into the continental shelf and into the ocean
When the ice sheets melted, sea levels rose, submerging former coastlines. Aquifers once under land now lie beneath the ocean…
Read MoreJet Fuel from Algae?
Scientists have explored a way to make two types of fuel—biodiesel and jet fuel from different compounds in a single…
Read MoreThe Biological Pump
Used in Oceanus magazine, Vol. 54, No. 1, pg. 19. (Illustration by Eric S. Taylor, © Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
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Edible Seaweed
A guide to the seaweeds that might (already) be on your plate.
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How bacteria achieve a "quorum"
How bacteria achieve a "quorum" to coordinate collective behavior (Illustration by E. Paul Oberlander and Katherine Joyce, WHOI, © Woods…
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Antarctic ecosystem
Antarctic animals make their living in the ocean, because the land is too cold, dry, and dark for plants and…
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Cyanobacteria Life Cycle
Freshwater cyanobacteria vary widely in morphology and cellular organization, ranging from unicellular to more complex filamentous and colonial structures.
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Pseudo 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…
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Dinoflagellate Life Cycle
Explore how dinoflagellates such as Alexandrium reproduce by asexual fission: One cell grows and then divides into two cells, then…
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Underwater Vehicles: How much pressure?
Click the numbers to see how pressure increases with depth—and how much force (in pounds per square inch) underwater vehicles…
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Underwater Vehicles: How deep can we go?
How deep can we go? Dive into ocean depths from 1 meter to over 10,000. Learn how pressure, light, and…
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Underwater Research Vehicles
Since the 1960s, three key underwater vehicles—AUVs, ROVs, and HOVs—have helped explore the ocean. Click each to discover how they…
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The Arctic Ocean Ecosystem
Despite harsh weather and ice, the Arctic Ocean teems with life. Click to explore the rich ecosystem and the animals…
Read MoreArctic ecosystem
This abundant ecosystem supports large predators like walruses, polar bears, and whales.
Read MoreTangled Up in Fishing Gear
What scientists learned from a right whale named Eg 3911.
Read MoreJason to the Rescue
Using the dexterous mechanical arms of ROV Jason, pilots and scientists remove lava chunks from a singed ocean-bottom sesimometer
Read MoreClimate Hero: The Ocean’s Super-Powered Carbon Pump
Learn about the biological carbon pump—the living ocean’s role in moving carbon out of the atmosphere and into the depths.
Read MoreSonic Seas: Using Sound to Understand and Conserve the Ocean
Experts discuss the many ways that ocean life uses sound and what those sounds can tell us about biodiversity, health,…
Read MoreOcean Encounters: Titanic and Beyond
From the Titanic's discovery in 1985 to the present day, deep-sea imaging has evolved, revealing breathtaking discoveries from the deep…
Read MoreOcean Encounters: An Ocean of Sound
The ocean echoes with sounds from animals and humans alike. Discover how scientists decode these signals to protect marine life…
Read MoreOcean Encounters: Cities and the Sea
Join us as we explore impacts, adaptations, and new possibilities in urban ocean regions around the world.
Read MoreArctic ecosystem
This abundant ecosystem supports large predators like walruses, polar bears, and whales.
Read MoreTangled Up in Fishing Gear
What scientists learned from a right whale named Eg 3911.
Read MoreJason to the Rescue
Using the dexterous mechanical arms of ROV Jason, pilots and scientists remove lava chunks from a singed ocean-bottom sesimometer
Read MoreClimate Hero: The Ocean’s Super-Powered Carbon Pump
Learn about the biological carbon pump—the living ocean’s role in moving carbon out of the atmosphere and into the depths.
Read MoreSonic Seas: Using Sound to Understand and Conserve the Ocean
Experts discuss the many ways that ocean life uses sound and what those sounds can tell us about biodiversity, health,…
Read MoreOcean Encounters: Titanic and Beyond
From the Titanic's discovery in 1985 to the present day, deep-sea imaging has evolved, revealing breathtaking discoveries from the deep…
Read MoreOcean Encounters: An Ocean of Sound
The ocean echoes with sounds from animals and humans alike. Discover how scientists decode these signals to protect marine life…
Read MoreOcean Encounters: Cities and the Sea
Join us as we explore impacts, adaptations, and new possibilities in urban ocean regions around the world.
Read MoreOcean Facts
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.
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Did You Know | Ocean LifeHow does bioluminescence work?
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Did You Know | How the Ocean WorksHow are seashells made?
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Did You Know | HurricanesWhat happens in the ocean as a hurricane passes over?
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Ocean Fact Checker | Marine MammalsAre offshore wind farms harming whales?
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Did You Know | FisheriesHow does ocean warming affect fisheries?
How does bioluminescence work?
How are seashells made?
What happens in the ocean as a hurricane passes over?
Are offshore wind farms harming whales?
