Category: Ocean Awareness

Image Credits: Jennifer Ackerman/2022 Get Into Your Sanctuary Photo Contest

Rare Species Found in Your National Marine Sanctuaries and Monuments

3/10/2025 - By Rachel Plunkett. America’s national marine sanctuaries and monuments protect some of the ocean’s rarest and most fascinating creatures—species that have evolved in unique ways to thrive in these underwater habitats. From deep-sea black corals older than the pyramids, to the elusive and strikingly beautiful masked angelfish (Genicanthus personatus), found… SEE MORE

What’s Happening in the Ocean During Springtime?

3/2/2025 - By noaa.gov. When you think of springtime on land, you might think of birds migrating, flowers blooming, and leaves emerging. While these changes are happening on land, changes are happening in the ocean, too! But how can you tell if spring has sprung in the sea? This graphic explains some… SEE MORE

Fish swimming around a colorful coral reef

Optics Technology: At the Heart of Marine Research

2/26/2025 - By NOAA Fisheries Videos and images from advanced underwater cameras are a critical component of collecting data. We use this information to make informed management decisions for marine species and habitat. At NOAA Fisheries, optics technology plays a major role in gathering data to better understand our marine and coastal… SEE MORE

Gray Whales on the Rebound: Signs of Hope Despite Challenges

2/24/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. North Pacific gray whale population increases after declines. California's gray whales are an iconic and beloved species, visible to spectators even from shore during their migrations. The whales feed up in the Arctic and sub-Arctic waters in the North Pacific, then migrate all the way down the coast of… SEE MORE

The Bowheads of Baffin Island

2/14/2025 - By Tyee Bridge. New tools—from drones to crossbows to suction-cup cameras—are helping researchers understand bowhead whales in the Canadian Arctic. Bowhead whales are fascinating creatures—even by whale standards. Named for their arched mouths, which happen to be the largest maws of any animal⁠, these whales are now also believed to… SEE MORE

Image Credits: NOAA works in Washington's Snohomish River estuary to restore habitat for salmon and other fish species. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

5 Lovely Reasons Why We “Heart Estuaries”

2/12/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. Celebrating #IHeartEstuaries is a popular way to show your love to these bodies of water where rivers meet the sea. 1. Estuaries Are Nurseries of the Sea Estuaries are often called the “nurseries of the sea,” because so many animals love to reproduce and spend the early part of… SEE MORE

Scientists Solve the Mystery of Sea Turtles’ ‘Lost Years’

2/9/2025 - By Christina Larson. Using satellite trackers, scientists have discovered the whereabouts of young sea turtles during a key part of their lives. “We’ve had massive data gaps about the early baby to toddler life stages of sea turtles,” said Kate Mansfield, a marine scientist at the University of Central Florida. “This part… SEE MORE

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA Designate 18th National Marine Sanctuary

1/23/2025 - By noaa.gov. Papahānaumokuākea sanctuary status to bring strengthened conservation, management to area. NOAA is designating the marine portions of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, a 582,570 square-mile area in the Pacific Ocean, as America’s 18th national marine sanctuary. Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary will be the largest sanctuary in the National Marine Sanctuary System, and is one… SEE MORE

Image Credits: A gorgonian coral (Muricea pendula). (Image credit: UNC National Undersea Research Center)

From Threat to Threatened: A Brief History of Coral Reef Research

1/21/2025 - By noaa.gov. Alexander Dallas Bache was the second Superintendent of the U.S. Coast Survey. He was dedicated to charting our coastlines and improving the safety and effectiveness of marine navigation. In 1851, seeing coral reefs as a threat to the safety of ships traveling our coasts, he commissioned controversial American… SEE MORE

Endangered Species: One Man’s Fight for the Sea

1/17/2025 - By Carli Stewart. David Goethel has lived a life that many only read about in adventure novels. As a small boat fisherman, he has faced the harshest conditions the ocean can dish out, while navigating a world that grows increasingly indifferent to the struggles of those who work the sea.… SEE MORE