Category: Ocean Science

Satellite image of Tropical Storm Hone from NOAA's GOES-18 satellite on August 24, 2024, as it approached the Big Island of Hawaii and shortly before the storm intensified to hurricane strength.

NOAA Predicts Less Active 2025 Central Pacific Hurricane Season

5/19/2025 - By noaa.gov. Forecasters urge public to prepare well ahead of upcoming season Today, forecasters with NOAA’s Central Pacific Hurricane Center and Climate Prediction Center announced a 30% chance of below-normal tropical cyclone activity for the upcoming central Pacific Hurricane Season. The 2025 outlook also indicates a 50% chance of a near-normal hurricane season and… SEE MORE

Assessing the U.S. Climate in April 2025

5/13/2025 - By ncei.noaa.gov. April brought widespread rainfall and severe storms to the central U.S., and much of the West, South and East remained dry and unseasonably warm Key Points: A slow-moving storm system in early April brought widespread flooding and over 150 tornadoes to the South and Midwest, resulting in numerous… SEE MORE

US will Stop Tracking the Costs of Extreme Weather Fueled by Climate Change

5/11/2025 - By Alexa St. John. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will no longer track the cost of climate change-fueled weather disasters, including floods, heat waves, wildfires and more. It is the latest example of changes to the agency and the Trump administration limiting federal government resources on climate change. NOAA… SEE MORE

An X9 flare, which can be seen in the lower half of the sun, captured by GOES-19’s Solar Ultraviolet Imager (SUVI) instrument on Oct. 3, 2024. (Image credit: NOAA)

Five Historically Huge Solar Events

4/21/2025 - By noaa.gov. Space weather impacts numerous facets of everyday life, including power grids, communications, airline operations, global positioning systems (GPS), and satellites. In addition, there are a large variety of phenomena that are driven by the variability of the sun over periods ranging from hours to years. Solar flares are… SEE MORE

Don’t Drain the Swamps: Tidal Wetlands Store Huge Amounts of Carbon

4/19/2025 - By tula.org. Research just published by the American Geophysical Union digs deeper into the carbon-storing power of wetlands along North America’s Pacific coast. A new paper featuring Hakai Institute researchers and led by Oregon State University reveals that the forested tidal swamps of the Pacific Northwest, alongside mangroves in Mexico, stash away… SEE MORE

Assessing the Global Climate in March 2025

4/13/2025 - By ncei.noaa.gov. Above-average temperatures cover much of the globe; lowest sea ice extent March Highlights: Temperatures were above average over much of the globe, particularly in the Arctic, but much below average over central Canada and eastern Asia. Global sea ice extent ranked second lowest on record for March; Arctic… SEE MORE

Assessing the U.S. Climate in March 2025

4/11/2025 - By ncei.noaa.gov. Tornadoes in March were more than double the monthly average and three separate outbreaks produced more than 200 tornadoes Key Points: A multi-day severe weather outbreak in the middle of March caused significant damage across several states from Texas to Tennessee, resulting in multiple fatalities. Two EF-4 tornadoes… SEE MORE

Image Credits: MARCH 20, 2025: At NOAA's South Pole Atmospheric Baseline Observatory, a wave of snow frames Dark Sector telescopes, giving a final glimpse of sunlight before six months of darkness. (Image credit: Ian Crocker/NOAA)

Last Light at South Pole Brings 6 Months of Darkness

4/5/2025 - By noaa.gov. In the Northern Hemisphere, March 20 signals the start of spring. It's the start of fall in the Southern Hemisphere, where researchers and staff at NOAA’s South Pole Observatory recently witnessed the fading light of the sun and the start of six months of darkness. “As the sun gets low on… SEE MORE

Coastal marsh within the Sandy Hook Bay estuary. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Jessie Murray

Marsh Madness: Protecting Wetlands & Coastal Habitats

3/28/2025 - By fisheries.noaa.gov. While players duel it out on the court, we’re keeping score of all the ways marsh habitat plays an important role in the protection and restoration work we do for communities, fish, and wildlife. Through early April, NOAA is taking a court-side look at how we protect and… 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