Did Venus ever have oceans?
The planet Venus can be seen as the Earth's evil twin. At first sight, it is of comparable mass and size as our home planet, similarly consists mostly of rocky material, holds some water and has an atmosphere. Yet, a closer look reveals striking diff.....»»
New research reveals how to obtain high-quality DNA from marine samples
The oceans are still the most underexplored part of our planet. Diversity of large organisms in the Arctic Ocean has been investigated in many ways, yet research on the diversity of Arctic microorganisms is lacking. One of the problems, apart from in.....»»
Marine heat waves: Why the East Sea experienced extreme conditions in 2021
Extreme environmental events are becoming an ever more pressing concern with the continued stresses of climate change, both on land and in the marine realm. While terrestrial heat waves tend to occur over a few days, those in the oceans often have lo.....»»
Shipwrecks teem with underwater life, from microbes to sharks
Humans have sailed the world's oceans for thousands of years, but they haven't all reached port. Researchers estimate that there are some three million shipwrecks worldwide, resting in shallow rivers and bays, coastal waters and the deep ocean. Many.....»»
Study shows how vertebrates shape the North Sea seafloor
The world's oceans are a vast habitat for countless creatures that settle, spawn, dig or feed on the seafloor. They also influence the shape of the ocean floor. How exactly this takes place has scarcely been investigated......»»
Exoplanets" climate: It takes nothing to switch from habitable to hell, say researchers
The Earth is a wonderful blue and green dot covered with oceans and life, while Venus is a yellowish sterile sphere that is not only inhospitable but also sterile. However, the difference between the two is only a few degrees in temperature. A team o.....»»
Some icy exoplanets may have habitable oceans and geysers
A NASA study expands the search for life beyond our solar system by indicating that 17 exoplanets (worlds outside our solar system) could have oceans of liquid water, an essential ingredient for life, beneath icy shells. Water from these oceans could.....»»
Researchers: Frozen methane under the seabed is thawing as oceans warm, and things are worse than we thought
Buried beneath the oceans surrounding continents is a naturally occurring frozen form of methane and water. Sometimes dubbed "fire-ice" as you can literally set light to it, marine methane hydrate can melt as the climate warms, uncontrollably releasi.....»»
Atlantic Ocean near Bermuda is warmer and more acidic than ever, 40 years of observation show
Decade-long ocean warming that impacts ocean circulation, a decrease in oxygen levels that contributes to changes in salinification and nutrient supply, and ocean acidification are just some of the challenges the world's oceans are facing......»»
Melting fire-ice: Study finds climate change can cause methane to be released from the deep ocean
New research has shown that fire-ice—frozen methane which is trapped as a solid under our oceans—is vulnerable to melting due to climate change and could be released into the sea......»»
The ocean"s first large swimming apex predators had exceptionally rapid growth, fossil study finds
The rapid diversification of animals over 500 million years ago—often referred to as the Cambrian Explosion—saw the appearance of the first large swimming predators in our oceans. Amplectobelua symbrachiata, a member of the group Radiodonta, whic.....»»
Study: Your local sea snail might not make it in warmer oceans, but oysters will
The frilled dog winkle may sound like a complex knot for a tie, but this local sea snail holds clues to our warmer future, including a dire outlook for species that can't move, adapt, or acclimate as fast as their environment heats up......»»
Landscape dynamics determine the evolution of biodiversity on Earth, research reveals
Movement of rivers, mountains, oceans and sediment nutrients at the geological timescale are the central drivers of Earth's biodiversity, research published in Nature has revealed......»»
Minimalist or maximalist? The life of a microbe a mile underground
If you added up all the microbes living deep below Earth's surface, the amount of biomass would outweigh all life within our oceans......»»
Calciferous organisms are a good tool in climate research, says scientist
The fossil calciferous skeletons of single-celled foraminifers are a beautiful history book with information on CO2-levels in the oceans of the distant past......»»
Study identifies key algae species helping soft corals survive warming oceans
Scleractinian corals, or hard corals, have been disappearing globally over the past four decades, a result of climate change, pollution, unsustainable coastal development and overfishing. However, some Caribbean octocorals, or soft corals, are not me.....»»
Researchers develop AI model that uses satellite images to detect plastic in oceans
More and more plastic litter ends up in oceans every day. Satellite images can help detect accumulations of litter along shores and at sea so that it can be taken out. A research team has developed a new artificial intelligence model that recognizes.....»»
Research in Lake Superior reveals how sulfur might have cycled in Earth"s ancient oceans
Geochemist Alexandra Phillips has sulfur on her mind. The yellow element is a vital macronutrient, and she's trying to understand how it cycles through the environment. Specifically, she's curious about the sulfur cycle in Earth's ancient ocean, some.....»»
Who should collect, manage and have access to data from the oceans?
Research institutions from Norway and other countries have collected a great amount of data from the northern oceans in recent years. Many people want access to this information......»»
Jupiter’s moon Ganymede is telling us more about its alien ocean
JUNO has spotted salt deposits that may have percolated up from a sub-surface ocean. Enlarge (credit: USGS) With Europa and Enceladus getting most of the attention for their subsurface oceans and potential to host life,.....»»
Study concludes ocean acidification in the Mediterranean is already affecting the calcification of marine plankton
The acidification of the oceans caused by human activity is already altering the production of marine plankton shells in the Mediterranean Sea. This is the worrying conclusion of a study led by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of.....»»