Category: Ocean Awareness

NOAA and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee researchers prepare a new real-time weather buoy for deployment in Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Photo: NOAA

Sentinels of the Lake: How Data Buoys Increase Safety and Support Communities of Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan

5/23/2025 - By sancturies.noaa.gov. Just off the shores of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, the Shipwreck Sentinel quietly bobs in the waves—one of many data buoys deployed across the Great Lakes. Sitting within the waters of Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, this data buoy provides valuable information used by fishers, boaters, and surfers alike.… SEE MORE

Remotely operated vehicle Deep Discoverer traverses over an extensive field of ferromanganese nodules that formed the bulk of the hard seafloor substrate for much of Dive 17 of the 2021 North Atlantic Stepping Stones expedition. (Image credit: NOAA)

“The next gold rush” Executive order unlocks access to deep seabed minerals

5/9/2025 - By noaa.gov. President Trump signed an Executive Order establishing a framework for American companies to identify and retrieve offshore critical minerals and resources. The Executive Order prioritizes U.S. leadership in seabed mapping and mineral exploration, ensuring reliable access to critical minerals like manganese, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements. Critical minerals… SEE MORE

Strange Fish Catches: ID These Species

4/27/2025 - By Doug Olander. Sport Fishing readers try to stump the Fish Facts experts with strange catches. What Type of Filefish Is This? QUESTION: My buddy Dan and I were fishing off the lava rocks in Kona, Hawaii, this summer and caught all kinds of different reef fish that we were able to… SEE MORE

Deep Learning on the Rocky Shore

4/25/2025 - By tula.org. Drones allow researchers to do marine surveys from the sky. Now artificial intelligence is offering a quantum leap in image processing. What are your respective backgrounds in working with these kinds of AI processes? Taylor: I did my master’s degree at Ontario’s University of Waterloo on computer vision systems… SEE MORE

How Sharks Keep the Ocean Healthy

4/23/2025 - By Claire Mullin, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Sharks have long been portrayed as terrifying predators of the deep, but really, they are essential guardians of the ocean. Despite their fearsome reputation, these apex predators play a crucial role in maintaining the delicate balance of marine ecosystems. Sharks contribute… SEE MORE

Threatened Sea Stars Are Finding Refuge in BC Fjords

4/17/2025 - By tula.org. A new study suggests that cold-water fjords on British Columbia’s Central Coast could be a marine refuge for threatened sunflower sea stars, which have been hit hard by sea star wasting disease. But recovery may require more than just cold seawater. Scientists at the Hakai Institute are finding… SEE MORE

Will Shrinking Glaciers Mean More Harmful Algal Blooms?

4/15/2025 - By tula.org. Marine algae known as phytoplankton form the essential foundation of marine food webs. Some are dangerous to marine mammals and humans, and researchers are exploring how the diversity and abundance of certain phytoplankton are linked to fresh water—which may be bad news in a changing climate. Toxic algal… SEE MORE

The NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Buoy Team performs maintenance on boundary buoys for Carysfort Reef Sanctuary Preservation Area. Photo: Brittany Torres/NOAA

Buoyed by the Mission: The People and Work Behind Your Florida Keys Mooring Buoys

4/1/2025 - By sanctuaries.noaa.gov. A program in Hawai‘i is trying to increase food security and reduce food waste by using every part of the fish, from bone marrow to blood lines—even making the skin into leather! One thing all Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Buoy Team members have in common is a love of… SEE MORE

Gelatinous sea creature photographed using the ROV Deep Discoverer in 2015. Credit: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

Diving into Creatures of the Deep

3/30/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. Dive in and learn about creatures of the deep. These mysterious species live way below the surface of the ocean. Ever wonder what lurks beneath the surface? One million species live in the sea—but we’ve only discovered about one-third of them, because they live in deep parts of… SEE MORE

Nesting east Pacific green turtle in Galapagos - sandy head shot. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Boyd Lyon

Most Sea Turtles Rebounding Worldwide as Conservation Efforts Protect Nests and Habitat, Analysis Finds

3/26/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. Turtle populations still face unpredictable effects of climate change. Once hammered by overhunting and habitat loss, sea turtles have persevered with new protections and conservation efforts. Their populations are now rebounding even as oceans change, a new review has found. “Sea turtles are a shining light of marine… SEE MORE