Tag: ocean

Image of geological samples from the seafloor that were collected via box core on April 14, 2026, in U.S. waters off American Samoa. (Image credit: USGS)

NOAA Releases First Images of Nodules from Waters Near American Samoa

4/24/2026 - By noaa.gov, noaa.gov. New images and samples were collected during 2026 efforts to map and characterize the seafloor in federal waters off American Samoa NOAA released today the first images of geologic seafloor samples from a hydrographic survey project to map and characterize more than 30,000 square nautical miles of federal waters in the… SEE MORE

(Photo by Taylor Crockford, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

WHOI Study Reveals the Hidden Molecules That Drive the Ocean’s Carbon Cycle

4/4/2026 - By whoi.edu, whoi.edu. The surface waters that boaters, anglers, and coastal communities depend on are teeming with invisible chemical exchanges that help regulate Earth's climate. A new study led by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Columbia University has identified the specific molecules that marine phytoplankton release into seawater — compounds… SEE MORE

A NOAA team deploys a current meter with surface floats to take measurements throughout the water column during surveys of Puget Sound.

Current Surveys 101

3/24/2026 - By oceanservice.noaa.gov, oceanservice.noaa.gov. How studying ocean movement provides an important service for the economy. HOST: You're listening to the NOAA Ocean Podcast from NOAA's National Ocean Service. I'm Megan Forbes. In this episode we're focusing on tides and currents…or more specifically current surveys. NOAA conducts current surveys in areas across… SEE MORE

A container ship is docked at Massport's Conley Container Terminal on Boston Harbor

NOAA Installs New PORTS® in Boston Harbor

3/16/2026 - By noaa.gov, noaa.gov. New navigational system will improve safety in one of nation’s busiest ports NOAA announced today the successful installation of a Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) in Boston Harbor. The system includes observational equipment at MassPort’s Conley Terminal and on the Tobin Memorial Bridge. The Boston Harbor PORTS, established in… SEE MORE

Undersea Conversations: How Fish Keep The Peace in a Noisy Ocean

9/2/2025 - By Rachel Plunkett. Ever wonder how fish manage to hear each other in a noisy ocean? Picture a crowded cocktail party. Everyone's talking at once—but instead of chaos, people instinctively adjust: spreading out or speaking at different pitches. It's a social dance that helps everyone be heard. Underwater, something similar… SEE MORE

Image credit: NOAA National Ocean Service

U.S. Marine Economy Continues to Empower American Prosperity

6/9/2025 - By noaa.gov. The American marine economy continues to fuel economic vitality, according to the statistics from the annual Marine Economy Satellite Account (MESA) released today by two Department of Commerce agencies – NOAA and the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA). The marine economy contributed a total of $511 billion to the nation’s… SEE MORE

Do Marine Animals Need Wildlife Bridges, Too?

9/18/2024 - By Jack McGovan. Human infrastructure can hinder the mobility of marine animals. The ocean feels infinite. If you were to start swimming from shore, it’s easy to believe—fitness and oxygen aside—you could continue forever. That’s a far different experience to overland travel, where mountains, rivers, and six-lane highways buzzing with… SEE MORE

For the First Time, Part of the Ocean Has Been Granted Legal Personhood

9/17/2024 - By Isabella Kaminiski. By affording rights to its iconic waves, a Brazilian city is paving a new path to marine protection. The Brazilian city of Linhares has legally recognized its waves as living beings, marking the first known time part of the ocean has been granted legal personhood. In early… SEE MORE

mage of a harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie as seen from the NOAA/NASA Suomi-NPP satellite on August 16, 2015. The Ocean Color Instrument on GeoXO will overcome the limitations of low-Earth orbiting satellites whose observations are often affected by cloud cover and sunglint. [Credit: NOAA]

GeoXO’s OCX Instrument Will Be Game Changer for Satellite Ocean Observations

7/26/2024 - By nesdis.noaa.gov. After nearly 50 years of GOES satellites providing critical Earth-observing data and imagery, NOAA is working on its next generation series of advanced geostationary satellites—the Geostationary Extended Observations mission, or GeoXO. GeoXO will host a payload of new instruments that will provide unprecedented information for addressing our changing planet… SEE MORE

Observing the Ocean

6/12/2024 - By gmri.org. The ocean is a big, ever-changing system. Fish are constantly moving around and weather conditions can change in an instant. This makes studying marine ecosystems challenging, but scientists have some innovative tools at their disposal to make it easier. Looking out at the Gulf of Maine, it may… SEE MORE